Would you take to the vets or just keep an eye

[ClaireandGeorge]

My Dog has caught his claw (not dew claw) it is quite bloody and at a funny angle. It doesn't seem to be bothering massively. He is already on antibiotics for another condition.
Would you take to the vets or just keep an eye? I think it will probably fall off.

Won't it catch on everything which will hurt. Do you have nail clippers, could you cut the broken bit away?

It doesn't actually have a broken bit. Just bloody at the base and at a slightly funny angle.

Perhaps the middle way - phone the vets tomorrow and ask if you should bring him in, or if you should bandage the paw. Our last dog ripped a claw out, he had it bandaged and then a placcy bag over it when he went out, to stop it getting too dirty/infected.

Is he licking/chewing it? - that's the other obvious thing to watch, he might need a 'lampshade'.

No licking or chewing which would to suggest to me it's not too sore. I did bandage it earlier (have done canine first aid so know how to do this properly) but he seem more aggravated by the bandage than anything else. He is not limping.
I'm at work all day tomorrow and have no car so would have to walk him there with ds in tow so not ideal but if I need to I will. I just sometimes think that the standard response from them is to bring dog in.

It sounds like it's not too bad and you know what you're doing. We probably wouldn't take an equivalent toenail injury to the doctor.

I'd be inclined to use a squirt of savlon wound wash after he's been out.

My dog did exactly the same thing one evening a few months ago (i'm not having a good year) chasing his whippet friend and trying to turn as fast as she's was but doesn't have that type of confirmation and got his legs muddled up . I cleaned and bandaged it, in the morning it was not bleeding but very obviously painful, my dog doesn't have many neurones so never complains of anything pain (this is the Forrest Gump of the dog world, the vets were frankly stunned by how stupid he was and the fact that he seems to lack pain receptors, he only does one emotion; enthusiastic), but even he whimpered very sightly when I looked touched it. I took him to the vets and he had to have antibiotics and an operation to remove the whole claw it cost me about £400. It took ages to heal up but he was still wagging his tail and kissing all on the vets/nurse/me when I cleaned it and he needed another course of anti biotics, its fairly obviously an high risk area for an infection.

Good luck.

My dog has taken the 'nail' off her dew claws about 5/6 times now. She's managed to chew the nail off a couple of times, only once has it got infected.

The vet will pull the nail off with pliers for about a fiver (at least mine does and will tell you that you can be brave and do it yourself, ta but no ta!) unless there's any sign of infection/serious discomfort they don't bother with anything else. We just keep an eye, stop doing any throwing games til it's sorted and make sure it doesn't get too dirty.

If/when she ever has another ga, we are getting both dew claws removed as per vets advice. If only she'd done this prior to being spayed...

He is already on antibiotics for his skin so expect the infection risk is low. He is on bed rest today and will wash after walks and keep an eye on it. I don't think it's bsd enough for them to want to pull off.