My dog is a Mama her pups will be 3 weeks on Saturday. I woke up this morning and she was limping. I looked at her foot and it's bleeding and her toe nail is broken off at the base. I've read a little bit about it online. She won't let me put any pressure on it. I called the vet's office and he's gone until next week. The other vet in this small town has a bad rep so we don't go there anymore. The vet's secretary (or whoever she was) reccommended that I leave it alone and the nail will fall off on it's own. And I asked her about the bleeding which isn't a whole lot but is constant, and she told me to put super glue on it and it will stop bleeding. I've never heard of this and I'm afraid everything she steps on will just make the wound dirty. I feel so bad this is my fault because I haven't trimmed her toenails in a while. She got in her box to feed the babies and they crawl on it and she cries and jumps out. I'm worried. Any suggestions?
2007-07-12 05:22:27 · 10 answers · asked by Lil'MissThang 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
One of my former dogs (he sadly passed away last year) used to break his nails as he aged. The first time, though, was when he and I were playing fetch. He must have caught his nail on something and it broke, the same way our nails do.
If you look closely at a dog's toe, you'll see a bit of flesh encased in the nail. As others have already replied, this is called the "quick". Cutting a dog's nails is a bit dififcult as it is too easy to snip into this quick and cause bleeding. Additionally, if the nail breaks below this quick, this very sensitive part of the dog's body can bleed. This is also why she is hesitant to put weight on her foot.
My advice is to simply wrap up the foot. I did some unusual things - like use a paper towel bandange (that I taped tight so it wouldn't fall off - but wasn't taped to the fur). I've also covered the paper towel bandage with a plastic bag (as this will help prevent the towel from falling off).
Every time I did this, my dog seemed to know why. For example, he didn't chew off his paper towel bandage until it was clear that his nail (which had been dangling) completely fell off and he could walk well again. It's almost as if he knew he was healed. :-)
But your goal, of course, is to stop the bleeding (and others have given suggestions) and keep the wound clean - especially from her pups. Hence, I recommend some sort of wrapping (paper towel and a sock?) which should also cushion her foot and allow her to walk. Plus, that cushion will also prevent the pups from hitting it accidentally. Putting on super glue or styptic powder to stop the bleeding is a good start, but there is no cushion, so she will still be in pain. Hence I recommend some additional protection.
The good news is that it may only take a few days for her toe to heal to the point where no cushion is needed.
Good luck!
John
2007-07-12 05:54:25 · answer #1 · answered by doctoru2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She's bleeding because the nail was cut or broken off to the quick, which is a blood vessel dogs have in their toenails. You should put some styptic powder on it to stop the bleeding. You should be able to get some at a pet store or maybe a drug store.
Are there any other vets around, maybe in a surrounding town? Maybe you could call one and ask for advice. I'm not sure what they'd be able to do, they may just say once the bleeding is stopped it will grow back, I don't know. But anyway at least you'll know for sure.
2007-07-12 05:28:56 · answer #2 · answered by bencas9900 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs nails are very sensitive below the quick (the vein within the nail) and its difficult to stop the bleeding. There are styptic powders that you can get that will seal the wound. PetSmart carries them, so if you don't have that on hand, I would make a run to get it ASAP! It will likely be sensitive for a while (try to imagine how painful it is if one of your nails is cut or torn too short), but she should be okay in a day or so. If she's still having problems or if the bleeding doesn't stop with the styptic powder, you must take her to a vet. She needs all her strength to nurse her puppies!
2007-07-12 05:32:24 · answer #3 · answered by crumb1991 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Super glue will likely stop the bleeding but if it has already gotten infected that isnt what you want. Bleeding is a good thing for fresh wounds and if it's not bleeding much now it will likely stop on it's own.
If this has just happend she might figure out on her own how to keep the puppies from jumping on it and can also be pretty smart about how she walks. I'm sorry, I can only imagine how painful that must be.
If it gets dirt in it, as a dog she will have no problems licking it clean herself. If it was me I would be extra dilegent about seeing that she and her babies have clean bedding to minimize chances of infection.
Hope your vet comes back soon and good luck to you and your doggie family.
2007-07-12 06:11:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The super glue will stop the bleeding. It will dry and keep dirt from getting in the wound. Can you take the dog to an emergency hospital in a nearby town? She needs to feed those pups. What about wrapping the foot in a sock with padding so the pups can't romp on it?
2007-07-12 05:28:20 · answer #5 · answered by 5gr8k9s 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Try putting a CLEAN sock over the wound, but if your baby wont let you, check some more online. DO NOT PUT SUPER GLUE ON IT! any advice that drastic, and possibally harmful should be given by a professional. Check out the phone book for more vets offices, animal shelters (ask for help), or even dog breeders. DO THIS ASAP! your puppies may not be getting enough nutrission to survive. good luck!
2007-07-12 05:31:27 · answer #6 · answered by wicked Chick 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Dogs actually have blood vessells in their nails, if you cut them too short they will bleed, or in this case of they break to far up. Its not life threatening. I don't think super glue could hurt...what about vaseline?
2007-07-12 05:31:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The super glue will dry and they use something similar in the ER. Perhaps you could help her prop it up while she nurses the baby.
2007-07-12 05:31:07 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feed Bootsie some styrofoam! That'll teach the damn mutt to stop pooping!
2016-05-20 14:03:37 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the puppies were playing and bit mommy
2007-07-12 05:26:08 · answer #10 · answered by D-Choppa 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋