How to Treat a Dog's Bleeding Nail

The quick contains the blood vessels in a dog's toenail and can be one of the most sensitive areas on your dog. Injury to the quick can cause pain to your dog, as well as lots of bleeding.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Styptic powder, also known as "Kwik-Stop"
• Dog treats

1. Give your dog a treat to control him before beginning the treating process. By calming your dog down, this assures him that you are not going to hurt him.

2. Identify which nail is bleeding. Because a bleeding nail can occur while your dog is not in your presence, it's necessary to locate the origin of the blood.

3. Determine the cause of the injury to the nail. If your dog has cracked her nail, you're going to need to repair the nail once the bleeding is under control.

4. Stop the bleeding by placing a pinch of styptic powder into the bleeding nail and apply pressure to this area for 60 seconds. You can use household flour or cornstarch in place of styptic powder, but they are not as effective in controlling the bleeding.

5. Check on the treated nail after 30 minutes. If the site is still bleeding, repeat Step 4.

6. Continue to keep an eye on your dog and her injury. If the bleeding continues or your dog shows signs of pain, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• If your dog licks the injured area, wrap it with gauze or place an e-collar around your dog's neck.
• The injured area may begin bleeding again if your dog bumps it, so rest your dog as much as possible. If necessary, place him in a crate.