Pulled Nail From Nail Bed

[Asalei]

Last Tuesday (12th February), I got home from work to find blood on the white sheet on the lounge. OH didn't see it. (reminds me of that ad on TV, what, you didn't see a charter boat? Charter boat, what charter boat?) Bright red blood on a stark white sheet. Anyway.

We started looking over the dogs, noticed Leia had a reddish patch on her white neck and we were looking all over her. Looked around at Sally and she was holding her paw up. She'd some something to her paw. On closer inspection, on her left front paw, the first nail on the inside (not dew claw) was bleeding. It was obviously hurting, but no vets were open.

The next day she was limping worse, but still running around the back yard playing. So we took her to the vet and he thinks she's just pulled the claw away from it's bed, but believed it wasn't enough to warrant removing the claw. She was given a pain killer/anti-inflam needle and sent home with antibiotics. We were told if it got worse or she was still limping by Saturday to let him know.

She's not limping, but it's obviously annoying her. She keeps licking it. Is this just a habit now? Or is it her way of trying to stop it hurting?

Does a claw go brown or die if it's taken away from the nail bed? I'm not sure what to do. Do we need to have it removed? Or is she just remembering that it hurt? She always licks her paws before she goes to sleep at night, just that little thing she does. But she's licking this paw everytime she sits/lies down.

If it's not hurting her and she's just licking for the sake of licking.. if it nails been pulled away, is this going to create any type of fungal infection or something?

I wish they could speak and tell us what's wrong!

[~Anne~]

My dog Boofy did a simalr thing last year. His nail was actually half hanging out though. The Vet pulled it out completely in the end. Initially it was thought the nail wouldn't grow back as he had damaged the bed but he now has a nail growing again.

Perhpas call your vet and ask him whathe advises? I would think keeping it clean and trying to discourage your dog from licking it though would suffice.

[Asalei]

I've rung him, but he's in a consultation. The receptionist (who's his wife) was going to let him know I'd rung. I hope he rings back.

She suggested to stop the licking. I cut the claw the other day as it was now a little longer due to being pulled out a little and she didn't like that at all.

If the nail is growing, does that mean that it's healed?

[Miranda]

You will probably find that she will be better off without the nail, it is probably hurting her everytime she catches it on something. In my experience injured nails generally come off in the end anyway.

I would have it removed, it's only a minor procedure and once the nail's gone it will heal very quickly.

[puggy_puggy]

I would remove the nail. Bath it in salty water, apply some betadine. Some people bandage some people don't. The nail will eventually grow back.

[Flaves]

Kayla, Bellas girl did that a while ago.

it got infected badly.

Bella got it removedand besides the first week of regular warm salty water baths, being a pain to do, it has healed really well

Erin i would get it removed, you dont want an infection

[Asalei]

Hrm, maybe I should get it removed. I asked if it would grow back and he said no?

He said it had only slightly been torn away from the nail bed and would be okay.

I don't even know how she did it! It was dark when we got home and noticed the blood and I was going to go out the next morning and look around the yard. I woke up that morning and it was pissing down with rain so there wouldn't have been any blood anywhere.