My dog is licking his dew claw, and it looks sideways. Should I worry?

If the dewclaw was not attached by bone I typically recommend removing these. When they are not attached by bone they typically can flap and get caught on things. The way you are describing it Lenny may have cut his dewclaw on something and it is bothering him. I would recommend putting an elizabethan collar on him so he cannot make the area worse. If the dewclaw is attached by a piece of bone, it can break just like a finger but I he typically would be in more pain then just licking and I would suspect he would limp. Your veterinarian can determine if the dewclaw is attached by bone or not and can discuss the options with you at that point. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Nikolai! It sounds like that dew claw is definitely bothering him for some reason. Redness around the nail bed normally indicates inflammation - he may have gotten it caught on something, which can cause soreness and sometimes a bit of redness or swelling. He could also have a nail bed infection of some kind. Since he seems to be acting fine otherwise, you can try soaking the affected paw in warm water and Epsom salts every day for the next few days to help with the soreness and inflammation. If the problem is minor, it should resolve on its own. If there is no improvement in the next 5-7 days, or if things seem to be getting worse, then I would recommend having him examined by a vet - he may need oral antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medication to treat the problem.

Hi and thanks for posting. From the picture, it looks like the declaw is bent back a bit and there appears to be a lot of redness and swelling around the base of the declaw. I do see a raised portion of the skin around the declaw. It does appear infected. I would recommend Mia see a veterinarian for this as soon as possible. If the declaw is broken, it may need to be clipped back so it can grow back normally and Mia may need to get on antibiotics for this as well. I hope this helps!

How very odd! A photo of the said claw may help us to better answer your question. Sometimes toenails if gorwing long can curl all the way around, so if the nails are long it could cause this appearance. If a nail becomes injured and pulls from the nail bed it can turn around but usually this is a very painful incident and would be noticed by the owner. A congenital defect could also possibly cause a strange positioning of the nail, or an injury to the nailbed.

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!

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.

Sometimes, when the claw is brocken or the quick was exposed the area where the nail regenerates gets damaged and the horn will regrow in a different shape. This is usually not a problem and just a cosmetic matter. However these malformed nails also have to be clipped regularly. Apart from that I see no reddening or swelling that would point to an infection or inflammation.