My dog is limping, growling, and has paw injuries. What to do?

You can clean it daily with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution and dry it thoroughly afterwards. Anything you apply will likely be lucked off unless you use an e-collar. It may have been abraded on rough surfaces inside or outside his enclosure. Since he is limping, he is likely painful and should be seen by your veterinarian. Pain medication can be administered or dispensed if indicated. If possible, the paw should be protected until it heals. This may require a bandage/bootie, coming indoors, an e-collar (cone) or a combination of the three. Your veterinarian can determine the best course of treatment after an exam.

If you can keep her from walking or running around by putting her into a crate, for example, and can so make her rest, then this will likely alleviate some pain. However if the pain increases or your dog appears to be very painful, you will need to take Saki to an emergency veterinarian for an exam, diagnosis and pain control. We cannot legally recommend medications here, I am afraid.

Ouch, poor Dexter! You're right, accidents do happen (and I've quicked many nails myself). Since Dexter seems resistant to walking on the affected foot, I recommend calling his vet. The vet may be able to prescribe a pain medication (typically a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as carprofen) for the next day or two. Unfortunately, there are no safe and effective over the counter pain medication options. Be sure to keep him from licking at the quicked nail, as this could exacerbate the issue. I hope that he's on the mend soon!

Based on the injuries you are describing I would be concerned that Flick was hit by a car while he was loose. I would recommend taking him to the vet to have his injuries examined. He will likely need pain medication as well as some antibiotics to help his wounds heal. A lidocaine wound spray is ok for short term use as long as Flick doesn’t lick it off. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Please don't give any over-the-counter pain medications; they can be toxic to dogs at even low doses and giving them will confound your vet's ability to treat the pain with appropriate medications. The reality is that most of these nail injuries end up getting infected, and even if there's no infection they are exquisitely painful. You can compare it to losing your fingernail completely, but then having to walk on the uncovered cuticle. Patch likely needs to have the area numbed and the remaining nail pulled, then have a very soft/cushioning bandage placed, followed by antibiotics and pain medication. Please take him in to see his vet as soon as you can for this.

Poor Maximus! I have done this to my own dog too, it's stressful! It sounds like Maximus has it sustained any serious injury given that he is happy to put weight on the paw when he walks around. I would recommend restricting his activity for 24-48 hours and see how he does. If he starts limping again, it is not continuing to improve, then a visit to your veterinarian is in order. They can do a full physical exam, and may recommend X-rays if they are concerned about a broken bone. Do not be tempted to give Maximus any type of over the counter pain medications-human medications can often be harmful to our pets.

I recommend booking an appointment with a veterinarian to have Lexie’s nail evaluated, as it is likely causing her pain, as indicated by the limping. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to your pup without consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe safe medication to help with the pain, and can clean and treat the injury to help reduce the risk of infection. In the meantime, I recommend putting an e-collar (cone) on Lexie to help prevent her from licking her paw an reduce the risk of infection. I hope Lexie feels better soon!