Dog toenail pain is caused by irritation due to long nails, foreign objects in paws, fungi and bacterial infections, heredity and environmental factors like weather. Signs and treatment of dog toenail pain relate to the cause of pain. According to PetsWellBeing.com, "Since there are practically endless potential hazards that can give rise to a canine paw injury, specific symptoms will depend upon the type of injury sustained."
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Visible Toenail Damage
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Dog toenail pain can be associated with a visible injury. The nail and its toe may appear discolored, broken or swollen. If a foreign object is caught between the toe and nail, you should be able to notice it. It is a good idea to inspect your dog's toenails regularly to look for signs of trauma to them.
Licking
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Dogs may lick their paws incessantly when they experience toenail or foot pain. This is their way of soothing the discomfort they feel. Licking also is how dogs clean themselves so if they are in pain, they will lick their wounds in an effort to clean them.
Limping
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When a dog limps or favors one or more paws over the others, chances are it has tenderness in the paw(s) being favored, which can include toenail pain. Just like people, dogs tend to compensate for their discomfort by minimizing the amount of stress they put on the injured foot.
Biting
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Biting is a common method dogs use to indicate pain in toenails. They will gently nibble and chew at the affected nail(s) in an effort to remove the problem. There could be a thorn or other foreign object causing irritation, and dogs will do their best to remove it with their teeth by biting at it. Sometimes their nails are simply too long, and dogs will bite at them to reduce irritation when they walk.
Sleeping
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Dogs may become less active if they have toenail pain, opting to sleep more and play less. Pain causes fatigue. Dogs will sleep to avoid further irritating sore toenails and also because the pain makes them tired.
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