What to do if my puppy's toenails bleed from running on cement?

Poor Chia - yes she has pulled the hard part of her nail off and the photos show she must be painful as she is holding her foot off the ground. I expect she'll try to lick the area which can make things worse so try to prevent her doing this by putting a sock over her foot, using an e-collar or cone if you have one. For first aid you can apply/ clean the toe by soaking it in a bowl of warm water with a couple of teaspoons of salt in - which is antiseptic. You can cover her foot with a dog shoe or boot which are sold at pet stores. For pain I recommend taking her to see her vet tomorrow. Please do not give her any human pain medicines which can be toxic to dogs. The nail will grow back slowly but the red area will be sensitive and sore for a few days until it dries up.

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that you accidentally cut Zena's nail too short today. As long as she is healthy with no underlying clotting diseases, her nail should stop bleeding on its own within 10-15 minutes with pressure applied. You can use a paper towel or rag and hold it firmly against her nail for 5-10 minutes to apply pressure and staunch the bleeding. I do not recommend trying to bandage the foot - bandages can cause more harm than good sometimes. You can try to reduce her activity today by restricting her to one area of the house (preferably without carpet!) so that she cannot run around. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Zena!

Poor guy. His nail is bleeding because the kwik (nail nerve) is exposed there. You will need to go to the pet store and pick up Kwik-stop styptic powder and apply it to the exposed kwik (pink area) underneath the nail to get this to stop. Petsmart, Petco or any other local pet store should have this readily available for you to pick up. If they are not open, any vet clinic will be more than happy to apply this for you, because every clinic has this in stock. You don't have to stop walking him, but perhaps he will need another application of the kwik stop if he starts bleeding again. Also you can try walking him on the ground (dirt) instead of cement, which should be less abrasive on his nails. : ) I hope that you can get Hobbes nail to stop bleeding soon. Best wishes and take care.

Poor Oscar! Running around on the blacktop can cause a lot of trauma to the skin as you have unfortunately found out. You must protect the paw from licking as this will make it worse. He should wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. He should also only be allowed to walk on soft surfaces and can not have any running until the paw is healed. The concern with injuries on the foot is that they can become infected since they are constantly making contact with the ground. I recommend to have him examined by his veterinarian who may bandage there paw and give you a topical treatment or even antibiotics. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bentley. It is worth having him evaluated by his veterinarian to determine if his paws require treatment. If they are painful, this will make him not want you to put anything over them. He may need antibiotics and pain medications for them to heal. Otherwise, is there any place else you can take him to go potty? Could you carry him across the icy area to snowy or grassy place? You can buy protective hiking boots, but as with the socks I am not sure if he would wear them. You can go slowly and give treats while applying them. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

It should heal enough within 24-48 hours for it not to bleed again when exposed to moisture. You can put on a doggie bootie or even a toddler sock in the meantime for walks outside (remove it once Lola comes inside as moisture retained in the bootie or sock is not ideal either). If you have a bandage on still, be sure to check her toes every few hours to make sure that they are still warm/that the bandage is not too tight (sometimes they can tighten on their own and even cause the paw to swell). It’s likely not necessary but you can also try applying liquid bandage that can be found in most drug stores/pharmacies. (vet’s often use a different version as tissue/surgery glue.) Good luck!