No Nail!

[Dame Aussie]

About 2 weeks ago Mosley broke one of his nails, they aren't long and we don't know how he did it but anyway, we took him to the vet where they cut off the hanging bit and gave it a clean.

All was good...until last night....somehow the nail has now actually fallen off revealing raw nerve

He has been to the vet and is bandaged up and on antibiotics.

We are to leave on the bandage for 4-5 days but I'm just wondering if anyone has any idea how long before the nail will grow back, or if it will at all? (OH didn't ask the vet).

The poor wee man, he was screaming when the vet was cleaning it. It looked sooo sore

[Erny]

Your poor pooch. That must be painful . No idea regards nail regrowth. Did the Vet say that it would regrow?

I'm open to the opinion of the Vets on this board, but it bothers me when wounds are bandaged and we are told to leave them that way for a period of days (in your case 4 or 5 days).

In my younger days I've been told this, only to find when we did unwrap the bandage that the wound had been festering and was quite smelly and revolting. I'm inclined to like to change bandages daily or every 2nd day on the outside.

Am I wrong for thinking this? Thoughts/opinions welcome (assuming you don't mind me using your thread for this purpose, Aussie3?)

[Red Fox]

Your poor pooch. That must be painful . No idea regards nail regrowth. Did the Vet say that it would regrow?

I'm open to the opinion of the Vets on this board, but it bothers me when wounds are bandaged and we are told to leave them that way for a period of days (in your case 4 or 5 days).

In my younger days I've been told this, only to find when we did unwrap the bandage that the wound had been festering and was quite smelly and revolting. I'm inclined to like to change bandages daily or every 2nd day on the outside.

Am I wrong for thinking this? Thoughts/opinions welcome (assuming you don't mind me using your thread for this purpose, Aussie3?)

Dont know and it's a little OT but my son hurt his arm at school last year (slipped and fell hiting his arm hard on a ledge). The wound was quite deep but it was more like a puncture so couldn't be stitched. It was cleaned and completely covered with a waterproof bandage but he had to go back every 2nd-3rd day to have it cleaned and a new sterilised bandage applied. I was told that this would help prevent infection while still protectiong the wound.

If it was me ask for the bandage to be checked and re-applied after 2 days rather than 5. Better to be safe than sorry

[moosepup]

Moose lost (most of) a nail in a door vs dog incident when he was about 4 months old. It did take awhile to grow back completely (about 3 - 4 months I think) but then he didn't lose the entire nail so not sure if Mosley's will grow back. The vet said to leave the bandage on for a few days but Moose got it off in 1 and a half. I just left it off but washed the toe in diluted dettol to keep it clean. It was fine.

Hope your Mosley heals okay. Does he look as pathetic as this...?

Should've seen him trying to get around with this boxing glove bandage on.

Edited February 19, 2010 by moosepup

[Evolving]

Your poor pooch. That must be painful . No idea regards nail regrowth. Did the Vet say that it would regrow?

I'm open to the opinion of the Vets on this board, but it bothers me when wounds are bandaged and we are told to leave them that way for a period of days (in your case 4 or 5 days).

In my younger days I've been told this, only to find when we did unwrap the bandage that the wound had been festering and was quite smelly and revolting. I'm inclined to like to change bandages daily or every 2nd day on the outside.

Am I wrong for thinking this? Thoughts/opinions welcome (assuming you don't mind me using your thread for this purpose, Aussie3?)

When Bob got hit by the car he had most of the skin torn off up his leg and lost his dew claw and first toe. At first they were putting him under sedation everyday to clean it out and rewrap it and slowley the days were increased as it healed. In the end (when I took him home like 2 weeks later) I was changing the bandage every 3 or so days and eventually took it off when it looked healed enough.

Moosepup Bob looked like that but with the bandage the whole way up his leg and a sock over it for protection. He liked to use it as a battering ram.

[moosepup]

Moosepup Bob looked like that but with the bandage the whole way up his leg and a sock over it for protection. He liked to use it as a battering ram.

I can just picture it!

Moose got a few good right hooks in on Zoe I think. I'm sure it was accidental...

[Rappie]

The length of time between bandage changes really depends on what's underneath Erny.

For an avulsed nail, generally we're placing a lightly padded dressing to protect the exposed 'fresh' tissue and keep it clean and dry. There is usually very little in the way of exudate from it. I usually leave these on for 3-4 days if the dog will tolerate it and the only wound dressing I put on there is a tiny blob of wound gel on an absorbent dressing to stop it stinging so much.

If there is a healing or infected wound then the bandage and dressing may need to be changed more frequently to deal with all the associated "goo". It's a balance between disturbing tissue and slowing healing with our wound care and leaving it too long.

Once wounds are stable though, we may leave a dressing on for up to one week. They often stink by the time they come off, but after a clean up there is often beautiful healing happening underneath

[Casster17]

my girl ripped her drew claw off a while ago, after 5 days of bandage the claw had began to regrow, though it was tender for a while...

[Erny]

Thanks Rappie. The memory that strikes me the most is of a dog belong to some friends whom I used to work for part-time, looking after their horses. Owners were away and I found their dog one afternoon, with its foot in a rabbit trap. Took said dog to the Vet and he treated and bandaged it, and told me to leave the bandage on for a week, then come back to see him.

The owners were home by that stage and when I told them what happened (no mobile phones back in them days, LOL) they took their dog to their usual Vet. When the bandage was unwrapped, the wound was rank and the flesh had turned gangrenous. The Vet had to amputate a toe.

I think this memory stays with me because in some way I felt responsible and guilty for not checking on the wound and keeping it cleansed, regardless of the Vet's initial instructions.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Erny

[Dame Aussie]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Rappie-that's exactly what our vet did

He isn't too worried about the bandage so were going to take it off in a day or so (that will be 4 days) and have a look. He's on antibiotics also so I'm hoping that will curb any infection, and hopefully the nail grows back!