# Torn off dew claw.



## JLWillow (Jul 21, 2009)

Well, Willow tore off her dew claw today while we were walking on a trail in the woods. I'm surprised it got caught on anything because I cut them as short as possible without hurting her. (Probably the size of the dew "thumb" itself.)

My mom and I put peroxide on the wound and then bandaged it up with gauze. I've been reading stuff on the internet to make sure we did everything we could on our own, and just read that putting peroxide could make it infected so now I'm paranoid...And I also want to know if it's okay to put anti-biotic ointment to help with the healing. 

I'd just like to get a second opinion from people instead of dog articles.

PS: We plan on the changing the gauze every day.

PSS: Willow is showing no signs of pain and showed no signs of pain while we cleaned the wound and wrapped it. She is walking almost 100% as she normally does, but I think this is due to the strange feeling of the gauze on her.

Thanks!


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

You can clean it with a weak betadine "tea" (Betadine/water until tea colored). I'd probably call the vet and see if they recommend antibiotics, to keep it from being infected.


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## JLWillow (Jul 21, 2009)

Yes, I did call the vet, but the secretary there told me that she isn't qualified to give me advice and didn't answer me. When I asked to speak to a vet she said that the vets were busy, and that they'd recommend that I'd bring her in.  I'm sorry, but I'm not going to bring Willow to the vet over every little thing.


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## jinnyretr0 (Oct 13, 2009)

My dad's ACD has had some issues with his dew claws (he's a disc dog, and a couple of times he has just caught the ground wrong on a landing). We've always just kept an eye on it, and it always seemed to heal up fine on its own. Just beware because it seemed to me that after his first dew claw injury, the area became a little more succeptable to future injuries.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

Is there still a nail? can you see the quick? If the quick is visible, you might want to go to the vet to have them trim it back (they put them under) the nail will grow back very slowly, an exposed quick can be very painful to a dog and I would not recommend leaving it. 

I would say that this is no "little thing" but my experience with it was really quite severe with my dog. She was in a lot of pain for a while. Its been about three months and she only now has a little numb of a nail thats grown back.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Northern_Inuit_Luv said:


> I would say that this is no "little thing" but my experience with it was really quite severe with my dog. She was in a lot of pain for a while. Its been about three months and she only now has a little numb of a nail thats grown back.


The pain might be dependent on whether it's an attached vs. unattached dewclaw... since not having a strong connection to the paw probably makes an unattached dew not hurt as much to get pulled off.


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## JLWillow (Jul 21, 2009)

I assure you all that it is not severe. There is a little bit of claw left, but I can only feel it. She is black and so are her nails so it's hard to see anything.

It hasn't bled at all since the day of the injury, and she doesn't limp or anything at all. She's walking and acting completely normal. She isn't licking it either. She's fine. Thankfully it wasn't severe.


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