Dog Nail Injury

Dog nail injury is a rather common problem that is faced by many dogs which is in turn the cause for a number of foot problems of the dogs and could be due to the nail being torn, cracked or damaged.



An injury to dog nails can occur at any point while playing, walking and running or in course of doing any normal activity. Symptoms of an injury include bleeding of the nail, limping or even licking the foot that has been injured.



Dog nail bleeding may result if the nails have been cut too short wherein you cut it into the quick. If you observe the nails of your dog, you can see that there is a pink line that can be seen inside the nail that is actually the blood vessel of the nail and that is known as the quick.



This is very evident if the nails of your dog are white as you will easily see the quick but if their nails are dark then, you will not be able to see it. In such a case look for a dark spot that can be seen over the nail as that would be the quick. You can stop the bleeding by putting a pinch of corn starch on it and then ensure that the nail is kept clean during the time it is getting healed. You should wash the paws and the affected nail twice everyday using an antibacterial soap. A crack along the nails is another dog nail injury that can occur, however, it is not very common. In this case, the crack can be either horizontal or vertical. If the crack is horizontal, then there is not much of a problem but if at all it is vertical or across a part of the nail that consists of the quick, you need to trim the nail as much as possible to resolve the problem.

Dog nail grooming is important to prevent these injuries and ensuring that your dog is free from all the pain and trouble. Thus, you need to trim your dog’s nails on a regular basis so that they do not end up breaking and getting cracked. Dog nail care can be done at home or you can take them to the veterinarian. You can also buy the trimmers and other such tools and ask an expert to train you on clipping the nails of your dog.