When running around or going for a walk, a dog's claws can be injured again and again. In order to avoid infections and long-lasting problems and pain for your animal, this article is intended to provide a little help in properly caring for claw injuries.
The dog's claws consist of the last bony toe phalanx, the dead outer stratum corneum and the well-supplied connective tissue that connects the bone and the stratum corneum. Like our fingernails, the claws also grow continuously and, in the best case, are automatically shortened when running and digging.
Nevertheless, injuries to the claw can still occur again and again. The variations are many: from the split, broken claw to the twisted and protruding or completely torn claw, which then leaves the living part exposed and is very sensitive and may even bleed. If your dog is limping and licking its paw more often, you should definitely examine the paw more closely.
How does a dog get a claw injury?
- Getting caught in a door or window
- Getting caught in a gap, grating, escalators, manhole covers, paving stones, etc.
- Accidentally stepping on the paw
- Accident while running around and playing
- SLO (symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy)
Treatment of a claw injury in dogs
For your own safety, you should put on a mouth loop or muzzle before inspecting the paw more closely, because injuries to the claw can be very painful for the dog. Now you can examine in more detail how serious the injury is. If there is only superficial peeling of the claw horn, you can solve the problem yourself through disinfection, leak protection (neck collar or dog socks) and rest.
However, if the claw is torn or twisted, sticking out or torn off, you should see the vet as soon as possible to avoid infections and prolonged pain for the dog. Depending on the severity, the vet may pull out the claw under local anesthesia, provide good wound care, probably apply a paw bandage and, if inflammation has already occurred, give an antibiotic. You should probably come to see your injured dog again after two days. With a little calm and patience, a new claw will grow back with a healthy nail bed.
A rare autoimmune disease (SLO) in an otherwise seemingly healthy dog leads to serious claw problems. A typical picture is that one or more claws on all paws fall out for no external reason.
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