# who goes to the vet with a ripped dewclaw



## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Who goes to the vet with a ripped dewclaw and who just clips it off and bandages it. If you do go to the vet what do they do with it.

Just asking because Candy ripped hers today, quite a bit of bleeding and obviously very painful. I have clipped it and bandaged up her leg much to her horror. Just wondering if she needs antibiotics.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Depends how bad. Has she ripped it up the leg or just the nail?

I would think she could do with some form of pain relief


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## catpud (Nov 9, 2013)

When Shadow ripped most of a claw off a few weeks ago and embedded a piece in his paw I just blue sprayed it and made sure it was kept clean for a few days after. 

I would just deal with it myself like you have done, keep an eye on it and keep it clean and as long as it doesn't look infected you should be fine.


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

Minor injuries I do tend to take care of myself unless, obviously, the area looks inflamed or infected.

I'd bathe it twice a day in salt/water solution and keep an eye on it.

Not a whole lot a vet could do, I wouldn't think.


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## Jazmine (Feb 1, 2009)

I did the first time. £180 later,  I decided they were taking me for a fool and I changed vets. They had quoted me less for a spay for goodness sake. It was the first time I had ever had to deal with a broken dewclaw so wanted to go to the vet for reassurance but felt thoroughly ripped off.

Next time it happened, it seemed quite painful, so I popped her into my new vets as she seemed in a lot of discomfort. The vet said "Hmm, can you hold her for a moment please", tore it off, and off we went. No charge. 

I would happily deal with it myself next time.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

I would go to the vets. But then I had the scare of Rupert coming close to losing a toe through a broken nail and infection setting in. Spencer nicked his a few months ago and I didn't worry about that, he basically just quicked himself somehow, but a proper torn nail I'd be at the vets with.

Rupert was sedated to have his cut right back (it broke lengthways and half of it had snapped off almost down to the toe, the other half was still attached) and they gave him antibiotics and painkillers.


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

I HATE ripped dewclaws.

I'm of the view that the loose nail needs to be removed, as it'll keep catching on things. If the nail is blowing in the wind I'll generally do as Jazmine's vet did - either twist it off or use nail clippers to trim it right back at the level of the break.

You do get the odd nail, however, that is very well anchored. Some of these can be clipped, but it depends on the dog. If I see a well-anchored torn nail and the dog is too worried to let me near their paw, sometimes I will recommend sedation to remove it. This doesn't happen very often, thank goodness.

In the majority of cases, I do not bandage them. I might pop a light dressing on (a bit of Melolin and Hypafix, for example) if they're bleeding a bit.

If they are sore I give pain relief for a couple of days. I do not give antibiotics unless the break is old and looking infected, but I do tell owners to keep an eye out for signs of infection (smell, discharge etc) and to keep it clean and prevent the dog from licking. If it's a licky dog, it might need a lampshade, but most do great.

Did I say I hate ripped dewclaws?


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Sarah1983 said:


> I would go to the vets. But then I had the scare of Rupert coming close to losing a toe through a broken nail and infection setting in. Spencer nicked his a few months ago and I didn't worry about that, he basically just quicked himself somehow, but a proper torn nail I'd be at the vets with.
> 
> Rupert was sedated to have his cut right back (it broke lengthways and half of it had snapped off almost down to the toe, the other half was still attached) and they gave him antibiotics and painkillers.


Yes, any broken nail needs to be watched very carefully for signs of infection. Nailbed infections can get right up into the bone and be very serious.

Any doubts, see the vet.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

Shoshannah said:


> Yes, any broken nail needs to be watched very carefully for signs of infection. Nailbed infections can get right up into the bone and be very serious.
> 
> Any doubts, see the vet.


We got Rupert to the vets within 24 hours (he broke it late at night and was seen the next evening) but it still got infected and it took several courses of antibiotics to clear it up. The vet said if the last lot didn't work he'd take the toe off to prevent it spreading further. I'd never even realised a broken nail could be that serious to be honest so when they started talking amputation I was like :yikes:


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Sarah1983 said:


> We got Rupert to the vets within 24 hours (he broke it late at night and was seen the next evening) but it still got infected and it took several courses of antibiotics to clear it up. The vet said if the last lot didn't work he'd take the toe off to prevent it spreading further. I'd never even realised a broken nail could be that serious to be honest so when they started talking amputation I was like :yikes:


Aw bless you, I'm glad Rupert's okay.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Jazmine said:


> I did the first time. £180 later,  I decided they were taking me for a fool and I changed vets. They had quoted me less for a spay for goodness sake. It was the first time I had ever had to deal with a broken dewclaw so wanted to go to the vet for reassurance* but felt thoroughly ripped off.*
> 
> Next time it happened, it seemed quite painful, so I popped her into my new vets as she seemed in a lot of discomfort. The vet said "Hmm, can you hold her for a moment please", tore it off, and off we went. No charge.
> 
> I would happily deal with it myself next time.


The bold bit made me laugh 



Shoshannah said:


> Yes, any broken nail needs to be watched very carefully for signs of infection. Nailbed infections can get right up into the bone and be very serious.
> 
> Any doubts, see the vet.


I had a dog that got constant nailbed infections which I treated with farm antibiotics. When she was 12 she broke out on a digit and I assumed it was a nail bed infection as did the vet. When it did not heal the digit was amputated and it then broke out further up. It was diagnosed as bone cancer and she died 3 months later.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Sarah1983 said:


> We got Rupert to the vets within 24 hours (he broke it late at night and was seen the next evening) but it still got infected and it took several courses of antibiotics to clear it up. The vet said if the last lot didn't work he'd take the toe off to prevent it spreading further. I'd never even realised a broken nail could be that serious to be honest so when they started talking amputation I was like :yikes:


I think some dogs are more prone to infections. Muddy has had 3 nail bed infections but Alfie's just dries up and grows out


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## 5headh (Oct 17, 2011)

Alfred has had 3 nail bed infections in as many years! (His only 2) He only needs a teeny crack in his nail and seems to get them, so a ripped dewclaw... I would be straight to the vet!


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Noushka completely unsheathed her wick:yikes: We took her to the vet, who gave her a mild sedation, then cut off the wick back down to the nail bed & cauterized it to stop the bleeding seal it. It grew back perfectly normal


.


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## Guest (May 19, 2014)

Id say it depends on the injury itself. We are forever patching our dogs up from minor injuries that probably could see a vet, but Im comfortable enough doing it myself. Always err on the side of caution and bring the dog in to be seen if you have any doubts.

Recently Breez managed to split her dew claw, quick exposed and blood everywhere, but it was just the claw involved, not the actual digit itself. We clipped it, cleaned it, watched it, and it healed up just fine. Dew claws do hurt, but it's not like it's a weight bearing digit, so I just gave her some arnica and called it good. 

It seems to be that the more quick you expose, the easier the injury gets infected, but I also think some dogs are just more susceptible to nail infections than others.


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## speug (Nov 1, 2011)

Angus has ripped Dew claws twice, the first time it healed fine just keeping it clean but the 2nd time he chewed at it and it got infected so had to have it cut back further and antibiotics at the vets - the first vet was a bit hesitant so he wouldn't let her near it and she said he'd need a general anaesthetic the next day, my mum took him in the following day and it was one of the more experienced vets who'd met Angus before and just told him firmly to sit and give his paw then whipped the nail off no problem.
Luckily since then he only sprained his toe (collies aren't built to climb trees after squirrels) and despite running around for a week with his dew claw at right angles to the rest of his foot it went back to normal with no intervention needed


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## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

I don't remember exactly what happened but our old PRT Bramble (RIP) caught his dew claw on something when he was about 12 (though still behaved like a 3 year old lol) and we cleaned it but left it as it wasn't bothering him, just kept an eye on it.

However it seemed that although he'd ripped the nail, he must have damaged the digit too as he started chewing it, so we took him to the vets who prescribed ABs. I can't quite remember as it was a good few years ago but every time it looked like it was getting better he started chewing again 

Eventually he just had the whole digit removed and it was much better. 

He was always getting into scrapes but always seemed to come out with only a few scratches to show for it, including picking a fight with a badger which left him with a big tooth hole in his hind leg, and when he was hit by a car outside the house and got away with a few cuts and bruises even though he was knocked out cold. Bloomin' terriers.

On a slightly different note my oldie, Muffin, has 2 lovely dangly dew claws on her back legs which have never got caught on anything. If they'd had been bothering her they'd have been removed but we never saw the point.


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## Tillymint (Nov 2, 2010)

Tilly split a nail & got a nail bed infection, but she also fractured her toe too. It took ages for the infection to heal & there is a definite weakness still there,it happened a year ago & she can't run much. I only let her run for about 5 minutes otherwise she starts limping. The only other option is to have her toe amputated.


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## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

with any of the others i deal with it myslef- i've had the vets show me enough times to be confident enough at dealing with it- and have all the kit here to do it anyway.
poppet though, my family refuse to hold her for me :mad5: so i mostly end up at the vet with her... but 9/10 i just get a nurse to help and we sort her out between us! 
seems every summer she gets it a few times, so am thinking of getting it (front left) removed when she is under for her spay... she doesn't suffer well bless!


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