How to deal with broken nails....

RE: How to deal with broken nails....

Judith Joyce — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:17:09 GMT

Me too,

Pull it off quickly in consult if it will, clip nail back if it won't. Very temporary dressing to protect the car upholstery on the way home - no longer-.+- NSAID Re-examine it not resolved.

RE: broken nails....

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 01:56:09 GMT

[quote userid="8569" url="~/f/clinical-questions/15957/broken-nails/246681#246681"] I have often clipped the nail right back in these traumatic cases as I have seen so many cases where the quick has been left and the dog just chronically licks and licks at the quick which drives them and the owners mad. [/quote]

But the nail still regrows, no?

The owners might be driven mad (some owners are mad anyway) in the meantime, but that's tough. The dog may be quite happy, doing its thing, for all we know.

I cannot see the point of removing a chunk of nailbed just because the claw broke and got pulled off. Nor cauterising it, for that matter, if you really mean cauterising. A bit of something styptic, sure.

RE: broken nails....

Mark Holmes — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:34:09 GMT

I mean even when it’s cut through into the flesh. Not just the epidermis. Stitched they frequently break down by 10 days and heal by 21. Dressings go damp and foosty.

Dofs are more comfortable if grey no longer snag the loose piece of nail.

RE: broken nails....

David Mills — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:13:52 GMT

[quote userid="7232" url="~/f/clinical-questions/15957/broken-nails/246702#246702"]I believe evolutionarily there has been considerable selection pressure on Canids to heal their pads.[/quote]

I think there's probably a general misunderstanding about the biology of pads - the bits that split are dead cells so by definition cannot heal with suturing. Suturing merely holds the dead layer over the sensitive, live layer, underneath which in time "heals" the deficit by going through its normal process of becoming the dead keratinised layer.

I've never understood cutting back nails. What a pointless faff.

RE: broken nails....

Mark Holmes — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:31:54 GMT

I just pull if they come off easily followed by NSAID for a few days.

Feet heal well in general. I’ve stopped stitching pads for the most part and simply provide a boot and NSAID.

I believe evolutionarily there has been considerable selection pressure on Canids to heal their pads. They always seem to take 3 weeks stitches or not but they are generally pretty comfortable after a few days and granulate away.

RE: broken nails....

Clive Ansell — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 11:13:43 GMT

I'm not doing anything different either.

If they come off with a swift tug in consult, trim any excess, then cauterise and some nsaid. If not I cut back as far as needed under GA or sedation, cauterise and nsaid. Almost never give antibiotics or apply dressings. Don't seem to get any problems with excessive interference.

RE: broken nails....

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 23:14:24 GMT

[quote userid="8569" url="~/f/clinical-questions/15957/broken-nails/246681#246681"]

Any new ideas in the last 12 years since the last post?!

[/quote]

I'm doing exactly the same, 12 years later, and don't seem to get the persistent lickers. If the nail is removed completely, they don't seem bothered.

Could this be the clip rather than pull approach, where some existing nail is still interfering with the exposed tissues?

RE: broken nails....

Tom Ward — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 10:00:28 GMT

Resurrecting this thread, as its an area that there seems to be very little information on. I have often clipped the nail right back in these traumatic cases as I have seen so many cases where the quick has been left and the dog just chronically licks and licks at the quick which drives them and the owners mad. However, I am starting to wonder whether the full clip back is a little OTT given that it removes the tip of P3 etc. Not sure what the best way of managing the quick irritation is if it is left?

Any new ideas in the last 12 years since the last post?!

Re: broken nails....

Anthony Dennison — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 11:43:11 GMT

I find a lot of the time if it is loose enough, if I can get a grip on it with some artery forceps the action of the dog pulling away will get the nail off. Otherwise if the dog is brave I'll give it a quick yank.

Re: broken nails....

Kara Gibson — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 07:34:31 GMT

I pull it off if it's hanging off and give them some NSAIDs and a buster collar if the dog is a licker. If it's split and won't come off in the consult I'll sedate it and remove the outer claw and cauterise it, I would never cut through the quick and don't understand the rationale behind this. I also always warn the owner the nail may not grow normally.

As an aside, I recently had an owner ask me to clip all of her dogs nails back through the quick because they grow so quickly, i advised her this would be extremely painful and like me cutting the tip of her finger off. She still wanted me to do it despite this, but of course course I refused!

Re: broken nails....

Utlendigur — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:41:37 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Peel back and trim off as far as you can any detached bits, advise owner about keeping foot reasonably clean, wait for the damage to grow out. Keep checking at intervals if the owner wishes.

If you get a nailbed infection (which you don't often), then you treat it.

[/quote]

Ditto.

Have seen several cases which have been cut off developed deformed nails. Plus I'd wonder how ethical it is to lop off part of a bone under nothing more than sedation - after all to remove a dew claw in a dog beyond the first few days of life requires anaesthetic...

Re: broken nails....

Rob Loxley — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:25:48 GMT

I stubbed my toe and the nail went black and started to detach - given I didn't have my distal toe amputated will I ever recover?

Re: broken nails....

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:04:25 GMT

I'd add that if you cut off part of P3 then the nail cannot possibly grow back normally because you've removed part of the nailbed. I've seen a few of these unfortunate animals in later life. If they're lucky they get a thick blunt claw. If they're not the dorsal part of the claw grows strongly and you get the empty-shell-claw, just asking to get dirt packed in it or to get avulsed again.

Claw damage grows out. All you need to do is stop it hurting.

Re: broken nails....

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 12:50:55 GMT

[quote user="gabriel wertheimer"]What do you do for split nails that have split to the base that are firmly attached??[/quote]

Peel back and trim off as far as you can any detached bits, advise owner about keeping foot reasonably clean, wait for the damage to grow out. Keep checking at intervals if the owner wishes.

If you get a nailbed infection (which you don't often), then you treat it.

I wonder if any of your colleagues have ever split their own nails.

Re: broken nails....

gabriel wertheimer — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 12:30:31 GMT

i believe it's to ensure the nail grows back uniformly and they think it reduces the chance of a nailbed infection. I think a previous partner had a severe complication with infection in a case he just pulled off many years ago and it then became practice policy to cut and cauterise. I can understand for nails that you cant just yank off. What do you do for split nails that have split to the base that are firmly attached?? I think this is the only time a cut and cauterise is really needed.....

Re: broken nails....

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 12:24:25 GMT

[quote user="gabriel wertheimer"] Some of my colleagues insist on sedating the dog, cutting the quick right back to the base (essentially cutting through P3) and cauterising, followed by bandages and antibiotics.[/quote]

Why?

Re: broken nails....

Virginia Campbell — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 12:05:55 GMT

Hi Gabe!

I do what you do for these. Usually no abs. The only time I have cut back and cauterised the quick is a quick that was half off anyway and pouring blood.

hope all well with you

Ginny

Re: broken nails....

Clive Ansell — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:29:59 GMT

Just a good yank and off it comes usually, cauterise if needed, shot of nsaid and off you go. No dressing and no ab's usually.

If I can't remove easily, or the break is higher up, then I will sedate or more often anaesthetise for a better look, cut right back and cauterise and dress. If infected will supply ab's. If the digit is very swollen or painful will take rads too.

Re: broken nails....

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:10:57 GMT

I do similar. Sometimes it is hanging by such a thread than one quick clip and the dog can go home. Almost feel guilty charging a C1.

Some dogs the nail is more firmly attached or have a low pain threshold and need sedating.

I'd say I can deal with 9/10 quickly in the consult room. I give a shot of NSAID and if a bit of a wimp some to go home with. Almost never give abs.

If it bleeds I apply a light bandage and get the owner to take it off in 24 hours.

Almost zero complication rate, but have seen the odd claw grow back a bit funny and I do warn owners of such.