Our dog just caught his dew claw (probably should have had them removed as a puppy) on something. It bled...about like a nail that was cut too short -- looks like a lot, but didn't last long. I cleaned the area with chlorhexidine, put neosporin on a gauze pad and wrapped it in stick-to-itself gauze wrap. Called the emergency vet clinic -- they said if it stopped bleeding, which it did, that we did the right thing...and to visit vet tomorrow.
Question is -- 12 hours later he is limping around on 3 legs -- should it hurt that much? It looked bruised all around, and the tear appears to be at the nail bed. He has a pretty low threshhold of pain..but this seems excessive. Any experience out there? Will my vet want to remove it (which I hear is painful in an older dog -- 8years old.)?
Thanks...
Kevin (not Kevin's room Kevin!!)
Help bleeding Dewclaw
The pain is caused mainly by the inflammation as a result of the injury, so antibiotics will probably be warranted, and if this dewclaw has been problematic in the past, your vet may indeed want to remove it. Depends on the degree of inflammation, the extent of the nail tear, and degree of infection (which can be halted with antibiotics)
Chances are, if this is a one-time occurance, antibiotics and a good cleansing of the area and your monitorization are all that's needed, but your vet has to determine the extent of damage to the nail bed, etc.
Chances are, if this is a one-time occurance, antibiotics and a good cleansing of the area and your monitorization are all that's needed, but your vet has to determine the extent of damage to the nail bed, etc.
..........Traci
mayabe late on this but if you can';t get a vet just put
a sterile swab or even a clean handkerchief and wrap an ace bandage around it...nail bill probably have to be clipped back but no big rush is you got the bleeing stopped