Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Will my dogs nail grow back?

My dog was playing with a few other dogs and when i got him home we noticed that on his front paw his ';thumb nail'; ( high one) had been broken off the pink flesh. Now today i noticed that thoughout the night must be he has pulled the black nail part off. When will it grow back how long will it take??Will my dogs nail grow back?
It may grow back, but may not. More importantly, the nail wound is an open tract for infection to set in--especially this time of year when dogs spend more time outdoors. It is importnat to examine the area to see if it has healed over or is still very raw. If it seems healed over, wrap the foot in vet wrap for a week to prevent re-injury.





If it is clearly raw and bloody, clean it under warm water, towel dry, put some peroxide on it. Then trim the hairs around the area so you can see just how much damage there is. Put a dab of Neosporin on it and wrap with the stretchable vet wrap--also sold Walmart in the sporting goods area. It is in different colors , in a roll , and is very stretchy and sticks to itself like Velcro. You take a strip and cut with scissors and wrap the foot rather snugly but not so tight as to cut off circulation. Wrap it half way up the leg At first he will be annoyed with it but a chew toy or cow hoove will distract him. Remove the wrap daily and replace with fresh wrap and check for signs of infection like swelling on the area above the toe or redness with hot spots. It will likely heal sufficiently within a week. Problem is that a bump on the toe could make it bleed and reopen the sore, so be sure to let it heal pretty well .Will my dogs nail grow back?
what you are talking about is the dueclaw. if they nail is COMPLETELY gone, then no it wont grow back. if just most of it is gone, then it probably wont grow back. but watch it everyday. cause sometimes dog come into the clinic i work at, and the nail grows wrong and has to be removed.


for your other question, how long will it take? well there really isn't a RIGHT answer. it just depends on how fast they grow. i have to have my dogs nails trimed about every 2 weeks. they grow SO SO SO fast. even the doc i work with was VERY surprised that they grew that fast.


o yeah, and by the way: usually puppies get their dueclaw removed. so i really dont think theres anything to be worried about. just look for infection or sensitivity. if this occurs then take your dog to the vet and they will give u some antibiotics.
It's called the dew claw. It will grow back but watch it carefully for the next few day to make sure no infection sets in OK.
Not to worry, it will grow back, but you will need to keep an eye on it. He may have to go to the vet as he may need an antibiotic to keep it from getting infected. Dogs feet come in contact with alot of germs, and with the ';quick'; (the pink part) exposed, it is possible that infection can set in. Watch it very closely!


J. Smith, Animal Control Officer
its call a dew claw! yes there nail will grow back!





good luck!

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