# Broken Toenail, how long?



## Zach Taylor (May 20, 2013)

Recap: While running the trash out last night I let my CLM tag along to air himself before bed. He was running like a banshee in the yard and when we got 50 yards from the house I heard him let out a small yelp. When we get in the house there was a blood trail following him. I get him stopped and realize his front right paw has a nail completely busted and sticking out at 90 degrees with the quick fully exposed. The vet ended up ripping the broken nail off and cauterized it so he's pretty sore to say the least. I've tried looking online at recovery times but had no luck. 

Obviously the nail needs to grow back and with it being subzero most days training is at a stand still so I'm hoping that he's good to go once it warms up and can start testing this spring.

What's an average recovery time? Month or two?



After some pain meds!


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## Renee P. (Dec 5, 2010)

My dog just got her toenail ripped out, too. She is pretty pathetic.









I think they really felt sorry for at the vet as they spruced up bandage for St. Patrick's Day. I sure hope she is out and about before then.


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## Bill Stoune (Jul 18, 2011)

One of my dogs is back to normal from the same injury. I think about two weeks until she was not limping after limited exercise. Three weeks she was back to normal.
The snow and ice in the Midwest make the process slower.


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## Good Dogs (Nov 1, 2005)

Thing is Pup may not let you know that it still hurts. Give it a couple of weeks and start slow. BTW - our golden split a toe, twice, then broke the same toe. The xray showed evidence of an earlier break though we thought it was just the toenail. If pup is showing signs of pain after a week or so you might want the vet to check for fracture. Took about a month for Lyle's fracture to heal.


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## westksbowhunter (Jan 24, 2005)

My dog tore one off pheasant hunting. Took him to the vet. He was back hunting the next day. He is one tough SOB and you would have to put him in a straight jacket to restrain him.


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## Zach Taylor (May 20, 2013)

Thanks for the advice everyone. We've got the wrap of this morning letting it air out. Def walking with a little more confidence today but still a long road before regrowth begins.


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## Renee P. (Dec 5, 2010)

Good Dogs said:


> Thing is Pup may not let you know that it still hurts. Give it a couple of weeks and start slow. BTW - our golden split a toe, twice, then broke the same toe. The xray showed evidence of an earlier break though we thought it was just the toenail. If pup is showing signs of pain after a week or so you might want the vet to check for fracture. Took about a month for Lyle's fracture to heal.
> 
> View attachment 21944


One thing I've learned is that I need to more carefully inspect the toenails after training. She clearly slowed down last Friday, but she was not limping and I could not find anything wrong so I assumed she was just tired and out of shape. It wasn't until Tuesday that I noticed that the nail was split and cracked. The vet had to trim it all the way back to the bone, and I assume the injury would have been less severe had I noticed the injury immediately. Live and learn.


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## weathered (Mar 17, 2011)

When my dog had a foot injury, to keep it dry for potty breaks, the best thing I found was Paws(z?) disposable latex booties. Easy to put on. Stay on well. Cheap but durable. Just don't leave it on for extended periods because it can cause swelling in the foot due to the snug fit at the top.


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## Scott R. (Mar 13, 2012)

It took about 2 weeks for my dog's to fully heal after he got in a tussle with a doe after chasing her fawn. Instead of learning a lesson he is now more determined than ever to catch one.


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## Pam Spears (Feb 25, 2010)

Pulled up this post from earlier this year when Babe split her toenail last weekend. She was sedated so the vet would cut it off short, and is home with a bandage, Rimadyl, and antibiotics. They said the bandage could come off Friday (obviously if it gets wet I have to remove it and re-bandage) and we can resume training whenever she is comfortable. I picked up a great tip though: for quick trips into the damp dewy grass for morning potty breaks, Glad Press-N-Seal plastic wrap works GREAT. I tear off a square of it, center the bottom of her foot in the square and pull the edges up and around her bandage. It sticks to itself, so no need to tie or fasten anything. Keeps the bandage nice and dry, easy on/easy off, and inexpensive.


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## Renee P. (Dec 5, 2010)

Pam Spears said:


> Pulled up this post from earlier this year when Babe split her toenail last weekend. She was sedated so the vet would cut it off short, and is home with a bandage, Rimadyl, and antibiotics. They said the bandage could come off Friday (obviously if it gets wet I have to remove it and re-bandage) and we can resume training whenever she is comfortable. I picked up a great tip though: for quick trips into the damp dewy grass for morning potty breaks, Glad Press-N-Seal plastic wrap works GREAT. I tear off a square of it, center the bottom of her foot in the square and pull the edges up and around her bandage. It sticks to itself, so no need to tie or fasten anything. Keeps the bandage nice and dry, easy on/easy off, and inexpensive.


My dog's split toenail took forever to heal---The vet thought she was licking it too much (after all, the saliva is designed to digest flesh...) so had me try the cone of shame, but she managed to outwit that. So then I put on one of the dog booties that the sled dogs wear and it worked great. It stayed on and was not annoying like a cone. She wore it 24/7 till it the toenail had healed enough that she didn't want to lick it.


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## Pam Spears (Feb 25, 2010)

How long was forever, Renee? We have 4 hunt tests planned (and some already entered) by Memorial Day, including the double header at Lee Kay. I'm dying to see what's under the bandage, I have no clue when she'll be ready to run. Hope we'll get to see you again this year.


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## Renee P. (Dec 5, 2010)

Pam Spears said:


> How long was forever, Renee? We have 4 hunt tests planned (and some already entered) by Memorial Day, including the double header at Lee Kay. I'm dying to see what's under the bandage, I have no clue when she'll be ready to run. Hope we'll get to see you again this year.


I think it took about a month, but I think it would have been at least a week faster had she not licked it so much. I started working her a little bit once it started to harden up but I kept her out of rough terrain till I could see the nail coming back. 

My vet told me I could take the bandage off after 2 or 3 days. It was so gruesome looking that I rewrapped it (shudder). Here is what it looked like after about 4 days, no longer gruesome looking:


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## Viggie (Jul 10, 2012)

We have some experience with split nails. Some I was able to "crazy glue" some needed to be cut off. 4 weeks to run your tests should be fine in our experience. The paw would need some protection when resuming training in about a week. I would also soak his foot in Epsom Salt after training.


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## NateB (Sep 25, 2003)

I had a dog split her toenail all the way up. Everytime it started to grow out, the split would move back again. I got some of the Soft Paw nail caps, used a bigger than usual one, cut the tip off so it was a tube. Slid it up on the nail and glued it in place. Stopped the movement of the split and the nail grew out intact. Had to trim and re-apply about three times.
A broken nail that broke off flat, I just trim and stop the bleeding. I do not bandage. Its the splits that run up to the skin that are the really bad ones.


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