Chase has split his nail - lengthways!!

[Stella]

I'm sure someone asked about this before, tried searching and couldn't get it to bring anything up.  When the dogs were playing outside yesterday my DH noticed that Chase had (frozen) blood all over his foot - it is very cold here at the moment!  He looked at his foot and noticed that he had split his nail in half from the bottom to the top.  I looked at it today and it looks like some his nail has now fallen off and it is a bit swollen.  He isn't limping or fussing with it at all, so I figured I'd just leave it and keep an eye on it.  Has anyone else had this happen to them?  Will it grow back normally? 

 

Here is a picture of him enjoying our recent snowfall, we had to take him in and put him in the shower to melt these off!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is the kind of thing that sends me flying to the vet, but I have no idea. The part about swelling bothers me. If it's split all the way down past where it inserts into the toe, I wonder if there's a chance of infection?

Hopefully someone who's not as big a worrywart as I am will reassure you. I hope it's nothing to worry about.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Check this out.  It sounds like there's not a whole lot that needs to be done...but this should help with comfort for him.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5877561_treat-split-nail-dog.html

[Judi, David & Maddie Irishdoodle]

My last dog ripped her nail almost off - it was just hanging there on one side and it was bleeding all over so I put a sock on her foot - taped it with masking tape - called the vet and took her over. 

They actually pulled the nail completely out, wrapped it up, put a pink gauzy bandage on it and sprayed it with yuky stuff so she wouldn't bite it off.  We had to keep the bandage dry so I taped a baggy on it when she went out to do her business. I can't rememer if she had to take antibiotics though.

They said it would grow back and it did.  She didn't even seem to be in any pain.

[Stella]

I'll keep an eye on it and see how it goes, any sign of infection we'll be off to the vet.  He is such a nut job that he does everything at 100 miles/hour!!  He probably did it trying to turn on the spot after his ball, the ground here is frozen solid, so not very forgiving (-20C on my way to work this morning!!).

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

oh look at all those snow berries!! He is adorable and looks cold!!  Sorry to hear about his nail, maybe you can call your vet?  I am sure I would be rarcing to the vet cuz I am crazed about either one of them being hurt!! 

[Ginny Nightingale]

This is a pretty gross story but maybe helpful...years ago, I had a terrier that was playing in the stream near our house with my daughter. She accidentally dropped a rock on his foot and he pulled his foot away and actually pulled his nail out completely. His foot was very cold from the spring-fed water in the stream so he didn't feel it much at the time and he didn't bleed much. He did limp for a few days afterwards though, once his foot warmed up and it became painful. The nail never grew back and he had no trouble after the pain went away in a few days. 

So, the point is--no antibiotics used, no nail came back and no problem--like you said, keep an eye on it and see what happens. 

[Camilla and Darwin]

Wow, those are big snow clumps! I would take him in if the swelling gets worse, he starts limping, or it starts bleeding. I hope it isn't serious and that he's okay!

[Donna K & Quincy]

No advice on the nail, but those are some great snowballs.

[Stella]

I clipped him today so got a closer look at the nail.  It doesn't look like it is split all the way up to the toe, so hopefully it will be ok.  I am nervous about cutting that nail though, but at least I can see where the quick is - his nails are black so I always feel like I am playing russian roulette cutting them! 

The snow sticks to his fur so badly, he always gets huge snowballs when we have had fresh snowfall.  We have got to the point where all we can do it bring him in and melt them off in the shower when they get too bad!