Nail ripped out

[LMM]

A friend of mine has a golden that ripped one of his nails completely out. He did get it to stop bleeding after an hour or so and has it wrapped securely. He is afraid to unwrap it to clean it

Would the treatment for this be the same? (Corn starch to stop bleeding, OTC antibiotic oitnment, aspirin free pain reliever etc) Or should this really be seen by a vet? I've had plenty of broken nails to know the answer but I haven't dealt with the nail being completely ripped out.

Thanks guys.

[SvcDogSawyer]

I would suggest they take the dog to the vet just in case he broke the toe too. Sawyer had one ripped out while getting out of a crate in the van so we took him to the vet and they x-rayed it and you could clearly see he broke the tip of the bone off. They said he would never have a nail there again. I'm thinking Sawyer may be part lizard because it's now the toughest nail he has.

[Malli]

I wouldn't worry about him cleaning it just yet. I'd have him monitor it closely for infection, though its likely if he really yanked out the entire nail that it'll be ok...

I never thought of the broken toe bit, never seen that before..

[pitbullmamaliz]

I got nothin', but ouch! That sounds painful!

[call2arms]

Oh boy. poor dog! I would NOT clean it, if the inner-quick-fleshy part is still hanging out, that's gotta be very sensitive. I'd visit the vet, I don't think corn starch is indicated to stop bleeding on a would like that, and he'd likely need oral antibiotics, not just an ointment. But it depends on their vet, too, calling for advice doesn't cost anything!

[plebayo]

Actually that's pretty much what we would do at the clinic.

Usually dogs come in with the nail half ripped off, we take it off with forceps or pliars, clean the quick with chlorhexidine scrub and put collosate gel on it which is kind of a light sealant. I would gently wash the quick, and apply antibiotic ointment.

Just keep it clean. I think we might send antibiotics home but I think if you watch it closely it should be fine as long as you keep everything clean. Do not bandage it as that will not help the healing process.

[pocketpit]

I agree with pretty much everything that's already been said. I wouldn't wash it at this point because I wouldn't want to disrupt the clotting process and cause it to bleed again. However at a later point it would not be a bad idea to clip the hair around the nail bed and soak it to make sure it's clean. Keeping it wrapped for a day or two is a good idea but I probably wouldn't do it for any longer than that. You don't want to grow bacteria in the wound by keeping it bandaged too long. Antibiotics are usually given as a precaution and not always necessary. If he chooses not to take the dog to the vet then a close eye should be kept on the toe to ensure any redness, swelling, tenderness, etc. does not develop.
The nail may or may not grow back. Or it may grow back in an odd way.

[call2arms]

Which nail is it? If it's not a dewclaw, that's going to be sporty to keep clean, maybe putting a bag or bandage (I imagine a sock would hurt like hell to put on unless it's very loose) to keep dirt off during walks would be a good idea, especially if there are no oral antibiotics given.

Plebayo - the atb ointment is effective through the sealant?

[LMM]

Thanks for all the responses guys, I am passing it along. I'm not sure which nail it is but I'm pretty positive it's not the dewclaw.

[BigDogBuford]

Buford rips his nails off all the time. I just keep an eye on it to make sure it's not getting infected (which it never has). Honestly it never seems to bother him at all but he's a tough dog.

[TheRedQueen]

Yeah, Sawyer's ripped off two now...one along with the bone, as John mentioned. Both times he went to the vet for pain killers, as well as antibiotics...since he's a big sissy. We also did a betadine soak at home for a while.