The answer is yes. While there are many things that can cause a dog's nail to become damaged or fall off, most of the time, it is nothing to worry about.
A bleeding or broken toenail is a very common injury in dogs. It often requires a visit to the vet, immediately, if serious. Left untreated, a bleeding or broken toenail can result in blood loss, pain or infection, though it is rarely a life-threatening condition. Nail breaks or tears can be major or minor.
Dog's nails peel or detach from the bed because of injuries, often from overgrown nails. However, it can also happen because of bacterial or fungal infections, poor nutrition, and underlying health issues like lupoid onychodystrophy (SLO).
Nails that are too long can cause a dog to slip and fall more easily. Long nails cause a dog to place their feet differently, in a “plantigrade” position. In other words the nails “push” the dogs toes up and the “heel” comes down to balance, placing strain on the muscles and ligaments in the legs.
Long nails can turn a sound paw into a splayed foot and reduce traction, and they can cause deformed feet and injure the tendons over an extended period.
The amount of time between nail trims depends on how quickly your dog's nails grow and how quickly they are worn down. The average dog should have his nails clipped every three to four weeks, but it should be done as often as needed to keep the nail from touching the ground when your dog is standing.
Chronic or persistent fungal infections, immune-mediated or hereditary diseases such as lupoid onychodystrophy, and nutritional deficiencies can lead to brittle nails that break easy. If your pet likes to dig, broken toenails can be a common problem as well.
Healthy dog nails don't extend past the pads of your dog's paw and they are unbroken and unsplit. Unhealthy dog nails can become discolored, dry, split, and peel. As dog owners, we need to be able to recognize those symptoms so we know when to call the vet.
Nail and Nail Bed Disorders in Dogs
Fungal infections, such as onychomycosis, can also occur in or around the nail bed. Dogs may suffer from extremely brittle nails (onychorrhexis), or have nails that slough, peel, or chip away excessively (oychomadesis).
Treatment of a broken or fractured nail
The most important thing to do straight away is to stop your dog from licking its foot or nail. Dogs and cats have bacteria in their mouth, which can cause an infection if they lick a broken nail.
If you leave the detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in.
Keep the nail bed dry, clean, and covered with petroleum jelly and an adhesive bandage until the nail bed is firm or the nail has grown back. Apply a new adhesive bandage whenever the bandage gets wet. Watch for signs of infection such as increasing heat, redness, pain, tenderness, swelling, or pus.
A dog's nails are oval; they are wider at the toe and narrower as they grow out. Inside each nail is the quick, a highly sensitive bundle of nerves and blood vessels. When cut or injured, it bleeds. If nails are clear, the quick appears pink and the nail growing past the quick is white.
Just like human nails, dogs do not have any feeling in the nail itself, but the quick contains a nerve that transmits sensations back to the brain. When trimming the nail, it is important to stay far enough from the quick to avoid causing pain or drawing blood.
Signs that your pet may have a nail or nailbed infection could include redness, swelling, or discharge from the skin surrounding the nail, or discoloration or deformation of the claw itself. Your dog may also lick her paw or exhibit signs of pain or lameness on the affected paw or paws.
Over time the damaged nail will fall off on its own and be replaced with a new pink healthy nail. On some occasions when the memory part known as the matrix is damaged the nail may grow back abnormal including slightly discoloured and thickened.
Dogs need their nails clipped on a regular basis, approximately every 3-4 weeks; however, it is common for owners to wait too long in between trimmings which can lead to a number of health issues for the animal. For cats, a routine claw trimming every 10-14 days will keep your pet healthy.
A healthy canine's nails are oval-shaped but broader at the toe and narrower towards the tips. Like human nails, dog claws are made of the protein keratin. Dog nails are typically a similar color to the skin of their paw pads. So if the paw pads are pink, the nails will be transparent with a visible light pink quick.
A dog's nails should be clipped often enough that they remain short enough to not click on the ground when a dog walks. Long nails that touch the ground may cause discomfort for your dog, and potentially cause problems down the road.
It might take awhile for your pup to get comfortable having his nails trimmed again if you've cut into their quick, but they will forgive you. Be sure to give him lots of treats and praise every time you get out the nail clippers; that will help make the experience more positive.
It's best to not cut within 2 millimeters of the quick. As you cut the nail deeper, a gray to pink oval starts to appear at the top of the cut surface of the nail. Stop cutting the nail at this point as additional cutting will cut into the quick and cause bleeding.
Taking your dog for regular walks, including on hard surfaces such as pavements, will help to shorten their claws, but may not be enough to keep them as short as they should be.