Vet for torn off claw?

[viviela]

My dog tore off her inner right claw playing outside today. I managed to hold her still long enough to take a look, and I don't see any jagged pieces. She has been licking it non-stop but she stopped limping pretty quickly.
I got a bandage on her for about .5 seconds before she got it off, and she is still licking at it though I've tried to distract her. I know that is her way of taking care of it, but I don't want her to overdo it.
Should I take her to the vet tomorrow or wait and see if she stays comfortable on that foot?

[spa]

When my heeler broke his nail we ended up having to take him in because the quick was exposed.

He ended up needing surgery to remove the nail (if I remember correctly), but that was because the vet's groomer messed something up. This was a few years ago though.

[cmeon]

If it was torn to the quick, you do need to get her to the vet. It's a very painful injury. Dew claws (not sure if that's what you're talking about) are another thing, any nail injury there might be enough for your vet to suggest removing them.

[G22]

Our GSD ripped off his toenail completely last month. He wouldn't leave a bandage on, kept licking it, and it was super sensative to touch. He wasn't limping though. The quick wasn't showing, but the entire soft part of the nail was. We made a vet appt because I was worried about infection. They put him on antibiotics, antiinflammtories, and pain meds for a week or so.

[sebd12]

If you are talking about his dew claw (further up on the leg, not the four in a row on his paw) then yes, a vet visit is in order. Dew claw injuries can affect ligaments and tendons, so I'd have it checked out. It's best if it can be removed completely. Very easy to do as puppies but most rescue dogs still have theirs. We have two dogs with and one without and we've had a couple of dew claw injuries that were thankfully minor.

[pamela]

Why do torn to the quick nails require a vet? What are they going to do? My boxer ground all hers to the quick once falling in a pool. We couldn't tell what was wrong through the blood, but the vet said there was nothing to do but put the powder on. Now torn off claw/dew claw is different.

[cmeon]

Feb 23, 2015 22:27:06 GMT -5 pamela said:

Why do torn to the quick nails require a vet? What are they going to do? My boxer ground all hers to the quick once falling in a pool. We couldn't tell what was wrong through the blood, but the vet said there was nothing to do but put the powder on. Now torn off claw/dew claw is different.

Grinding a nail to the quick is much less painful than a torn nail. More comparable to an overly clipped nail- it stings, it will bleed a lot, but, doesn't hurt in a major way.

Pain meds are almost always going to be benefit a dog with a deeply torn nail (where much more of the quick is exposed than in a clipping or grinding incident). It's a pretty miserable injury.

[G22]

Feb 23, 2015 22:27:06 GMT -5 pamela said:

Why do torn to the quick nails require a vet? What are they going to do? My boxer ground all hers to the quick once falling in a pool. We couldn't tell what was wrong through the blood, but the vet said there was nothing to do but put the powder on. Now torn off claw/dew claw is different.

A torn nail can get infected. Its not so much the quick that requires a vet visit, but if that soft tissue is exposed and gets infected. Our dog ripped the entire outer hard nail off, exposing the soft tissue underneath. Not the quick. It did get infected and he need antibiotics to help clear it up. He also was put on pain meds.