My bulldog's dew claw is floppy and he keeps licking it. Is it broken?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can be quite painful. I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can consider removing the dew claw to take the source of pain away or it can be treated with pain medications and antibiotics for instance. In the meantime, keep him from being able to reach it as he will likely want to lick or chew at it which can make it a lot worse. You may use an e-collar for that purpose. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This will likely heal on its own if you are able to keep her from licking at it. You can try using an e-collar to prevent further self trauma. Good luck and have a good night!

If that nail doesn't look broken, it's likely that he pulled at the ligaments and they are sore, but that he won't loose the nail. If he continues to limp tomorrow, I'd recommend a check up for x-rays because it may have damaged other toes at the same time, or may just need a little pain medicine to get him through a minor hurt.

That could be a ruptured abscess or interdigital cyst. Either is common in bulldogs and may have an allergic component. place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further licking. Ideally, Dexter should be examined by your veterinarian when you can for confirmation and treatment. He may need antibiotics and the paw is likely painful. Medication can be dispensed for relief if indicated.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While it is hard to say exactly what is going on without seeing a photo, it is possible that Devon somehow broke his nails. The blood you are seeing may be due to the quick, or the small blood vessel that runs through each nail being exposed. This is pretty painful and can be why Devon is constantly licking. I recommend getting him an E-collar or “cone” to prevent him from licking and causing further trauma and having him seen by a vet who may prescribe pain medication. I hope this helps!

It sounds like he broke his dewclaw - most of the time the nail will need to be removed so it won't cause chronic irritation or infection. If you're unable to pull it off at home because he is too painful or because it is still attached you will need to see your veterinarian. Sometimes sedation is required if the nail is not completely broken and the nail is clipped very close to the base. If Otis seems comfortable and the nail is not bleeding this is not necessarily an emergency - you could wait until your vet is open and make an appointment. You should keep him from licking the area until then and he may need to wear an e-collar.

Dogs over-lick for a few different reasons, so it's difficult to say what's causing it. Bobby may be over-licking the area because it's sore from an injury, has something like a thorn is stuck under the skin, or is infected. I think it will be fine to try and treat this at home for now (even though we don't know the cause), but would recommend a visit to the vet if: 1) It doesn't get better in 2 weeks 2) It starts to bleed or there is a break in the skin Here are my recommendations: 1) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least twice a day. 2) Ice the foot for 15 minutes once a day. 3) Tape a sock over the foot to prevent licking. You can also get some anti-lick sprays at the pet store to spray on the paw. Once the skin looks normal and/or Bobby stops trying to lick, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Bobby gets better soon.