# split dew claw toenail



## Newf (Jul 13, 2010)

My dog has managed to badly split a dew claw toenail. Not sure how he did it, but it happened sometime this evening during training. It has split right back to the toe. It doesnt hurt him to walk but any sort of contact to the nail will make him yelp. 

any advice on how to deal with this would be appreciated.

Thanks.


----------



## sdnordahl (Sep 1, 2012)

this is why dew claws are usually removed shortly after birth. I have had to have two dogs go in for them to be removed to avoid this issue. I would say clean it and try to wrap it with neosporin if your dog will leave the bandage be. If not it might be time for the cone of shame. Keep it clean so there wont be an infection. My brother in laws dog ripped a toe nail in a similar maner and a infection almost killed the dog. This will probably take a couple weeks to go back to normal. good luck.

I would call your vet to see about having them removed so there are no more issues. I've heard of dogs ripping them clean off in the field and it's painfull for pup and hard on hunting seasons and wallet.


----------



## Julie R. (Jan 13, 2003)

I just had that happen to the one of my 6 who has her dews, except in her case half the split had already hit something, been peeled back and a lot of pulp was exposed. Like your dog, it didn't seem to bother her unless something touched it and since she's a screamin' drama queen, she would let the world know. Hers needed a vet visit, because the broken part of the nail was sticking out & had to be trimmed off. Vet cut it off with no anaesthesia (fortunately I warned the hapless dog owners in the waiting room that she was a screamer). Took awhile to grow back, from memory it was about 2 weeks til she could train in manicured ground and 3 til it had grown enough nail/cover she was back to normal.

FYI I have had dogs with and without dews, mostly without because that's the norm, but never had a problem with a dog's dew claws before til this one. Accidents happen--my dogs have had plenty of worse split/broken/pulpy nails on their toes than the afore-described dew claw injury. It's major surgery that requires general anasthesia to remove dew claws on a dog older than a few wks.


----------



## JimB (Aug 31, 2012)

I have heard both sides of the dew claw debate. Personally I prefer having them removed as a pup to avoid any possible issues. I hope she recovers quickly and healthy.


----------



## Hunt'EmUp (Sep 30, 2010)

Keep and eye on it, remove as much as the damaged area as you can, get some anti-botic spray. And keep and eye on it, have had a couple of damaged nails on dogs, never really want to heal, had to go into the vet and get them removed, they can get very infected, so much so vet may need to take an x-ray to ensure, infection hasn't gotten in to the bone. If that happens your talking surgery, a very long healing process, and the nail may never grow back. if the nail doesn't heal or shed itself in ~ a week, I'd be into the vet to get it removed.


----------

