Split Toenail

[karenz]

Well, Xander managed to split one of his toenails. It did not bleed. I just noticed him favoring his paw. I cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide and sprayed some neosporin on it. Of course he will not let me touch it. I bought some nail glue hoping I could glue it together so it won't split any further. I have not attempted this yet. Is there anything else I can do for it? I don't think it requires a vet visit. How long does it take for a toenail to heal? Also, someone told me that adding some olive oil to his food would help strengthen his nails to help keep them from splitting. Has anyone else heard of this?

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

I can't attest for fixing a split toenail. Poor Xander though!!!

I believe Vit E and Salmon oil help with nails? Stacy may have more insight...

[Raven]

I don't know what you'll use to glue, but something that came to mind was that the glue women use to repair a nail often doesn't work as intended...so with the added pressure from bearing weight on the foot to walk...????

He doesn't want it touched now, but did you see pulp when you cleaned the split? Was the split more down the center, tip toward base, or off-side? Not sure about putting chemicals if the pulp can absorb them. Just a thought....

Poor boy.

Don't know about oils preventing splits; can only say that Thor gets cold-pressed EVOO/coconut oils and salmon oil, and as rugged as he runs, his nails have never split nor broken (and this summer, the length does get away from me more than I'd like admit).

[karenz]

I haven't used the glue yet. The only thing I have done yet is washed it with peroxide and sprayed it with neosporin. They spray neosporin dries quick. And he isn't liking it off which is good. The split is off to the side slightly and starts near the tip and runs towards his paw. If need be I will take him to the vet but it never bled and isn't infected.

I could see a little bit of the quick near the tip where the split starts. He keeps his nails worn down so short there isn't much nail to begin with.

He favors his foot but yet it hasn't slowed him down. He still grabs his ball and runs around the house wanting to go play. But I'm trying to limit his activity. I don't know how long I can keep that up though. It's going to require a trip to the liquor store.

[Raven]

He favors his foot but yet it hasn't slowed him down

Know the feeling. They're like the Black Knight in the woods in "Monty Python Searches For The Holy Grail."

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

"Limited activity" is what we're going through with H.... also "walk on soft surfaces" and he purposely chooses the sidewalk every single time leaving me walking on the grass like an idiot. Lots of OB/nosework/problems to solve and working on place/base helps... Alcohol too...

You may want to do just a tepid water soak after being outside to keep any dirt that may get in it from staying in it. We've been doing that with H because he has several cuts on his paw and I'll admit I have no idea REALLY what it's supposed to do, just that the vet recommended it for cleaning and possibly inflammation (I think). I was too busy attempting to get him off me as he decided I was a great chair while she told me why I should do it.

[karenz]

Thanks. I will try the soaking and see if that helps. I mainly want to keep it clean until it heals up.

[karenz]

Update:

Xander is going to the vet this afternoon. His foot is still tender and painful. It's starting to get some redness. I'm not taking any chances on infection. He is due next week for his shots so I figured we could get it all done at once.

I will feel better once he is fixed up. Of course I dread his horrible behavior that he displays at the vet but it must be done. It's a good thing I have kept him up with wearing the muzzle.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

Oh no poor Xander! I wouldn't mess around with infection either. If he's licking it it could be the start of a granuloma. H's paw got real hot and red and nasty and I was afraid of infection and they told me it was partly from him licking it. Keep us updated.

PS - ask about diluted iodine soaks... I did that with H before switching to the tepid water soaks to help clear any nasty stuff and seemed to help... H didn't like it after, and I put some Zymox on it, but a few minutes of vigorous play and he forgot about it.

[karenz]

The vet said it was just beginning to show signs of infection. So I'm glad I didn't wait and got him there before it got bad. He got an injection for pain and inflammation and some antibiotics. He is already felling better and his foot already looks better. The vet said he should be back to normal in a couple days.

Owned by Hendrix: He hasn't been liking it which surprises me. He is a foot cleaner. He lucks he feet several times a day to clean them. But for whatever reason he didn't luck his hurt toe but a couple times. I have been soaking it in water but I may try your suggestion tomorrow.

So, lesson learned, split toenails can be a bigger issue than I thought. I've had several dogs rip one off and never had an issue. But leave it to Xander.... Guess I should re-read the post from today on pet insurance.

Oh and we won't talk about his despicable behavior at the vet. It was like something from the exorcist.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

That's good! I don't like to mess around with infections either. H is a notorious licker or any owie so I'm far more versed in lick granulomas (unfortunately). I really liked the iodine - or betadine - and I made it really super diluted (I think you're supposed to make it the color of watered down tea, but I used the white of the bathtub as my "contrast" and made it "off white" rather than "white") and it seemed to help a lot. Put him in a down on a towel after and gently patted dry or let him dry, then put zymox spray on it (he licks off neosporin). Did that twice the first day I started to see infection and once a day for two more days before going to solely tepid water soaks. Or you could try vetricyn to help keep it clean.

You have one of those too huh? I always hit the liquor store on the way back... sometimes I bring the small airline bottles and hand them to the tech/vet and am like "here you go... you'll need it."

[Raven]

Oh and we won't talk about his despicable behavior at the vet. It was like something from the exorcist.

Can we talk about it, though--what he did????? (Thor didn't used to be a beast at the vets, until one particular standard vet trip, and it's never been good since.)

Smart, good mom, you are, keeping your eye on it and taking him in.

[karenz]

Oh and we won't talk about his despicable behavior at the vet. It was like something from the exorcist.

Can we talk about it, though--what he did????? (Thor didn't used to be a beast at the vets, until one particular standard vet trip, and it's never been good since.)

Smart, good mom, you are, keeping your eye on it and taking him in.

Ever since Xander's 2nd puppy shots he has had a serious problem with the vet. For whatever reason the shots were very painful to him. He will literally try to eat the vet. I'm not talking about a snarl and nip. If Xander wasn't wearing his muzzle my vet would lose an arm. The people in the lobby and outside the building become terrified when they hear him. He growls and screams soooo loud. It sounds like something from the exorcist.

Fortunately my vet is wonderful. He is not scared and does what he needs to do and handles business. He used to treat the military police dogs years ago. He said everyone of them tried to eat him.

The vet picks him up and gets him on the table. Of course Xander is resisting the whole time. Then me and the vet tech hold him still while the vet gives shots and does whatever needs to be done... as Xander growls and screams and tries to eat the vet through the muzzle. He looks like a dog version of a rabid Hannibal Lector crossed with the girl from exorcist. This experience makes me realize how strong these dogs are.

The crazy thing is while I hold Xander along with the vet tech trying to keep him from biting through the muzzle, the vet just does his thing, he talks calmly, he carries on a conversation with me about how is work going, how's your mom and dad doing, blah blah blah. And he just ignores Xander's homicidal actions. And usually by the end of the ordeal Xander, although not happy, has calmed down and is laying still.

I truly feel bad for Xander, I feel that he is just scared and is anticipating the pain, but it must be done. The vet says Xander is head strong and when he decides he doesn't want something done he resists. This may be true for the vet, but Xander has no problem with me doing anything to him now that he is grown up. I can grab toes, ears, clean ears, brush, muzzle, anything and Xander does not resist. But he may very well resist the vet or other people because he isn't use to them and doesn't completely trust them.

Sooooo, I'm sure Thor isn't quite that bad at the vet.

[Raven]

Sooooo, I'm sure Thor isn't quite that bad at the vet.

I wish this were true.

He used to be fine, but our old vet did something kind of foolish on our last visit, and when Thor responded, she literally fled the room (so in Thor's mind, he "won"). I didn't think he'd associate that visit with future visits, but I was wrong.

We had to sign a waiver at the new vet. And he's considered "basic treatment only," meaning rabies shots, and weight taken for blood draws for heart worm meds. That's it.

They keep the halls clear while we take Thor to a special room at the new vet's--the lab, which is bigger than exam rooms. We arrive with his leather fight muzzle zip-tied to his collar. The husband, who's "strong like bull," restrains him in a sit-stay, and Thor respects his father's hold. The vet tech squats on the floor and nervously tries to find a vein in a back leg which Thor is sitting on. Hard to do. We exit through a back door.

The husband and I are calm about the whole thing, and the new vet isn't unnerved at all, but man, we hate it. (His staff are great, but clearly very scared, which adds to the drama.)

Our last adopted DS, another problem child, ended up getting better at the vets, to a point.

I'm surprised they put Xander on a table. I've never heard of or had that experience with a big dog.

[Raven]

This may be true for the vet, but Xander has no problem with me doing anything to him now that he is grown up. I can grab toes, ears, clean ears, brush, muzzle, anything and Xander does not resist.

Same here. I can do anything, anywhere, to Thor, and even when he doesn't like something, he's calm and patient.

[karenz]

Well I stand corrected. But I'm glad I'm not the only one with a vet trip disaster. Your trip sounds as bad as mine. The girl at the desk has to warn the people in the lobby when we go back so they don't think they are killing dogs in the back when Xander starts his vocal resistance.

Usually the vet techs look on in horror as we do what we need to do. Luckily my vet isnt phased and isn't the least bit scared. Just another day in the office for him. I have been told by the staff that he is probably the only vet in eastern nc that would take him. And I believe them. Luckily his son is now in practice with him and also seems to have the same success with Xander.

When Xander got neutered and I went to pick him up no one would bring him to the lobby. They made me go back and get him from the operating / ICU/ Observation Area. He had already bit one of the vet techs and wouldn't let anyone touch him. The vet was busy doing another surgery so he couldn't get him. As soon as I walked in his whole demeanor changed. He was happy and trying to get the vet techs to give him loving.

Yep he puts him right up on the table. Some of the rooms have tables that they walk onto and then they push a button and the table raises up. But this trip the vet picked him right up and plopped him on the table. It's not like Xander is going to voluntarily walk onto a vet table anyway.

My vet said Xander may eventually realize he is not going to win the battle and things may get easier. He said that's why it's important to make sure he is the one to draw blood and do everything because he is not going to back down and run out of the room. The vet techs would and then Xander wins.

And I must say as horrible as the visit was it was still better than last year's visit. So maybe there is hope.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

H has his own "room" at the vet. It's a big room with benches and no tables. H immediately starts billy goat-ing and hoping around on the benches. The front office staff lead him in and pop treats in his mouth and most of the techs have bribed him with treats so he happily bounces around to them. The new ones get the "Ignore him until I say so then start offering treats" line" and H gets corrected for trying to intimidate the new person. There's two vet techs who usually take him back - the regulars - and who usually work on him. His vet is a woman and usually hands are off unless they need to touch him; at which point the muzzle goes on and a towel is put over his head and I stand in front of him. Apparently he's much better in the back with the techs shoving treats down his mouth and he lets them take blood and do things.

Now the emergency vet is another story... I usually have to handle him, short leash walking in, vets are plastered on the side of the wall with wide eyes, go directly into a room, and take him back to the kennels, the techs are terrified of him, the vets are terrified of him, he's in a muzzle and I'm calmly sitting there retraining him as I tell them what's happening while he's snarling and barking and terrifying everyone.

[Stacy_R]

Also, someone told me that adding some olive oil to his food would help strengthen his nails to help keep them from splitting. Has anyone else heard of this?

Sorry I'm late to the party... I hope your boy is doing better.

Are you currently giving him fish oil and vitamin E with his meals? Both of these will help with nails. You can also add coconut oil to his diet. Start small and work up.

The foot soak Kira mentioned is awesome. I also keep colloidal silver on hand at all times..dab it, spray it, whatever works best.

[karenz]

Sorry I'm late to the party... I hope your boy is doing better.

Xander is doing much better. I'm going to try fish oil just in case. It may be an isolated incident but it certainly won't hurt to do a little preventative maintenance.

[fetch]

Highly active dogs break nails, that's what they do. My MWDs were always avulsing them. To the point I dedicated an entire quarterly training to teaching the handlers how to handle them along with the common kenneling injuries they could treat in-house. Our girl has avulsed three in four years because she's the ball crazy one. The pup will likely be prone to them, too, as his toy drive has been strong since three months or so and getting stronger.

A couple of things to keep in mind when it happens to you:

1. Please don't use hydrogen peroxide on broken skin/toenails/anything. It will kill healthy tissue along with only a minimal amount of stuff you think it'd be good to try to kill with the H2O2. And it isn't exactly pleasant feeling. Same with even plain water on freshly exposed nerve endings (painful).

2. Please don't try to glue a split nail back together. Even if it's "just" a hairline fracture. You will invariably trap stuff and nearly guarantee an infection, +/- worse. If it is split to the point it needs to be removed, and you aren't of the constitution to clip or yank the elevated nail portion yourself (and, yes, it *will* hurt!), then see your veterinary doctor for him/her to do it for you. Preferably under sedation or a local block since, again, it hurts!

3. It takes about two weeks for a broken nail to be to the point where it isn't painful when they hit it against something/the ground and aren't trying to lick it all the time (if predisposed to lick their wounds). Kiddie socks, athletic tape, tape remover/iso alcohol, and Elizabethan collars when alone/you're asleep are your friends to convince him/her to leave it alone. It takes a couple months for the nail to grow back out. Nail wall deformities and defects are common post-traumatic injury and frequently persist.

4. Broken toenails only sometimes need antimicrobials but they always need analgesics. Have you even had a true split nail? Down to the nail bed? They friggin' hurt! For days! Throbbing with random shooting stabs of pain. I once slipped with an elevator and elevated 1/2 of a thumbnail down to the cuticle so I kinda know what I'm talking about when it comes to traumatic nail avulsions. If you don't have a stock of appropriate pain meds on hand and know how to dose your dog, see your doctor for them even if you've got a handle on treating the toe/toenail at home.

Hopefully since it's been almost another whole week, Xander is well on the road to recovery. It sounds like a little reversible sedation could have come in handy to nip the visit being stressful for everyone involved. ):