What this means
A broken nail can seem a small thing, but inside it lies sensitive tissue with blood vessels and nerves, so a break is often painful and bleeds heavily. Your dog may limp, lick the paw, not want it touched or leave spots of blood behind.
Note which nail it is, what it looks like (cracked, snapped off, half torn or missing altogether), whether it is bleeding and whether the skin around it is red or swollen. Also remember whether anything happened recently: your dog caught it on something, was running or jumped and seemed to start limping after that.
Do not use human products or trim the nail yourself, because you may cause extra pain or infection. Do not let your dog lick the wound, and show the vet so the whole paw can be examined.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
-
Catching or injury
A nail can catch on a carpet, a grate or the ground and break or tear off. Often the dog suddenly yelps and starts to limp.
-
Overlong or brittle nails
Overlong nails catch more easily and break. Some dogs have more brittle nails than others.
-
Paw pad and skin problems
Inflammation or damage between the toes and on the pads can change the nails' condition and cause pain. The paw may be red, moist or cracked.
About the condition: Pododermatitis (inflamed paws) -
Inherited thickening of the paw pads
In some dogs the skin of the pads thickens and cracks. This can also change how the nails look and cause discomfort when walking.
About the condition: Hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis -
A skin wound around the nail
A cut or graze around the base of the nail can bleed and become infected, especially if your dog licks or chews it.
About the condition: Skin cuts and tears -
Nail damage from illness or infection
When a nail changes shape or colour, crumbles or separates from its base without an injury, a vet needs to look into the cause.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Which nail is affected and what it looks like
- Whether it is bleeding and how much
- Whether the skin around it is red, swollen or hot
- Whether your dog limps, licks the paw or will not let it be touched
- Whether the other nails and paw pads look healthy
- Whether your dog recently caught the nail, ran or jumped
- Whether the nail's colour or shape changed earlier
When to book a routine visit
Show a vet any broken, torn or bleeding nail the same day or the next. Do not try to cut or bandage it yourself, and do not let your dog lick the wound.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Pododermatitis (inflamed paws) Skin and coat Pododermatitis is inflammation of the skin of the paws, affecting the skin between the toes, the pads or the skin around the nails. It is not a disease in itself but a sign that something is wrong: allergies, bacterial or fungal infections, parasites, a trapped foreign body such as a grass seed, hormonal disorders or other illnesses can all cause it. Because there are so many possible causes and sore paws make walking hard, finding the cause is a job for a vet.
- Hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis Skin and coat Hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis is an inherited disorder in which the skin of the paw pads produces too much keratin and becomes very thick. The pads turn hard, horny growths form on them and cracks appear. The cracks can be painful and can become infected, which can make walking difficult.
- Skin cuts and tears Skin and coat This is an umbrella term for a range of skin wounds, from shallow scrapes to deep cuts or tears left by sharp objects, branches, fences or bites from other animals. Thin or loose skin, the paw pads and the edges of the ears are injured more easily. Even a small wound can be deeper than it looks and can become infected, so how badly the tissue is damaged is for a vet to assess.
Body systems: Skin and coat