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Ripped Nail

piggl

piggl

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My Reggie ripped his nail off, I believe he did so by failing to jump ontop of his hide but I can't be sure. Thankfully I was there when it happened, it was bleeding quite a bit but stopped maybe 4 minutes later.
It was quite purple and a little swollen so I held a cold compress on it for about 20ish minutes, then let it dry. I own sterile solution used to clean piercings, so once dry I gave it a quick spray with it and changed the mats in his hutch to keep everything as sterile as I can.

He is able to walk on it and doesn't seem in too much pain. Anything I should look for for tomorrow? Or anything that would indicate a trip to the vets?
I have also attached pictures, I am not 100% sure if this is his quick that is exposed or just a tiny nail.
 

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piggl said:
My Reggie ripped his nail off, I believe he did so by failing to jump ontop of his hide but I can't be sure. Thankfully I was there when it happened, it was bleeding quite a bit but stopped maybe 4 minutes later.
It was quite purple and a little swollen so I held a cold compress on it for about 20ish minutes, then let it dry. I own sterile solution used to clean piercings, so once dry I gave it a quick spray with it and changed the mats in his hutch to keep everything as sterile as I can.

He is able to walk on it and doesn't seem in too much pain. Anything I should look for for tomorrow? Or anything that would indicate a trip to the vets?
I have also attached pictures, I am not 100% sure if this is his quick that is exposed or just a tiny nail.
Click to expand...

Poor boy. Just keep an eye on it and see a vet if you notice any signs of swelling, heat or infection in the coming two weeks or so. With a little luck it will heal off on its own. The nail may grow out normal or a bit deformed depending on whether the nail bed is impacted or not.
 
Wiebke said:
Poor boy. Just keep an eye on it and see a vet if you notice any signs of swelling, heat or infection in the coming two weeks or so. With a little luck it will heal off on its own. The nail may grow out normal or a bit deformed depending on whether the nail bed is impacted or not.
Click to expand...
Can I give him some painkiller? He seems reluctant to put the foot down. I have some dog strength metacam that was opened within the past 6 months.

Thankfully he seems to find it easier to put down on fleece, likely as it’s a softer “cushion” for it.
 
piggl said:
Can I give him some painkiller? He seems reluctant to put the foot down. I have some dog strength metacam that was opened within the past 6 months.

Thankfully he seems to find it easier to put down on fleece, likely as it’s a softer “cushion” for it.
Click to expand...

Hi

Yes, you can, a little. The front feet are the weight bearing; just like you are not keen putting weight on an injured foot, leg or hip. It is pretty normal but see a vet during regular hours as a non-emergency if you have concerns that the injury is more than just the ripped nail. It takes about two days for the healing process to get fully underway.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Yes, you can, a little. The front feet are the weight bearing; just like you are not keen putting weight on an injured foot, leg or hip. It is pretty normal but see a vet during regular hours as a non-emergency if you have concerns that the injury is more than just the ripped nail. It takes about two days for the healing process to get fully underway.
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you for your reply! I gave him 0.1ml this morning, as I hoped that would be an okay dose for him and his situation based off of previous doses given by my vet.

Would it be best to get him seen anyway? Or should I leave it and just look for any signs of it getting worse?
 
piggl said:
Hi, thank you for your reply! I gave him 0.1ml this morning, as I hoped that would be an okay dose for him and his situation based off of previous doses given by my vet.

Would it be best to get him seen anyway? Or should I leave it and just look for any signs of it getting worse?
Click to expand...

Hi

It depends on how anxious you feel, as to whether you want to see a vet or not but if in doubt, have the toe checked .

The dosage is pretty low, so no problem.
 
Our Olive did a similar thing. She got her nail caught and panicked, ripping it off in the process.

Her toe looked identical to Reggies, and we thought that it wouldn't grow back..but it did!

She acted like it never happened, was happy to put weight on it and was running/eating/drinking like normal so I would suggest if Reggie's nonplussed, then just keep an eye on it and If he acts abnormal or it gets worse or you just want peace of mind, then a book a vets appointment.
 
Mr.chris said:
Our Olive did a similar thing. She got her nail caught and panicked, ripping it off in the process.

Her toe looked identical to Reggies, and we thought that it wouldn't grow back..but it did!

She acted like it never happened, was happy to put weight on it and was running/eating/drinking like normal so I would suggest if Reggie's nonplussed, then just keep an eye on it and If he acts abnormal or it gets worse or you just want peace of mind, then a book a vets appointment.
Click to expand...
Thank you for sharing your experience!

He definitely still seems himself, only a tiny amount of potential pain when putting the foot down on his wood shavings, but as it is a much rougher surface I am not surprised. I plan to change his cage to full bath mats for a bit while he recovers.
Thanks again for sharing, it makes me feel much better knowing you had such a similar experience!
 
I had a similar experience with Caspy (RB). His toe was a bit swollen for a few days but it didn't seem to bother him. The nail grew back, it was a little bit thicker but never seemed to cause him any bother. He did it again with another toe a couple of years later, that one grew back okay too.

IMG_0481 (1).webpHere he is on the sofa being kept an eye on while we waited foe the bleeding to stop.
 
piggieminder said:
I had a similar experience with Caspy (RB). His toe was a bit swollen for a few days but it didn't seem to bother him. The nail grew back, it was a little bit thicker but never seemed to cause him any bother. He did it again with another toe a couple of years later, that one grew back okay too.

View attachment 252061Here he is on the sofa being kept an eye on while we waited foe the bleeding to stop.
Click to expand...
What a cutie! Glad he was good in the end x
 
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