Returning from a walk over fields I noticed my dog had  a slight limp. I did check when out couldn't see anything and as he was vocalising a lot at me trying to look (he does tend to be quite touchy with his paws when trimming pads/paws) He walked no problems the last 1/2 mile , if he had of complained or not walked I'd have rang for a lift.
With the other half's help I checked his front paw closer at home. It looks like the claw has separated?  Bit like a torn nail wonky, No blood, no oozing etc. His eaten tea and run round garden with plastic bottle as usual. If I try to look more he runs off or sporadically holds up his paw. He isn't complaining otherwise so should I just keep an eye on it? Online advice offers tape it up? Bathe it and To leave it and it will come away itself?
Should I go to vets in am? As I look his sitting in the garden trying to catch a butterfly. Any tips?

You have to be careful with broken claws as the quick can swell up, a bit like a mushroom, so that the claw cannot grow back down over it. It can also get infected quite easily. Can you see which way the crack runs? If it's lengthways it could be more problematic. We had a similar issue a couple of months ago, no idea how she managed it, but the underside of the dew claw had come completely off leaving the upper half in place, this caught on the ground and caused bleeding. Anyway the upshot was, because of the lengthwise crack which would apparently continue up the nail as it grew back, we were advised to have the nail removed and the quick cauterised. A new nail is now growing back nicely and all is well. We have coped with other odd broken claws by bathing the paw in salty water to shrink the quick so the nail can grow over it. Years ago one of our dogs got a claw caught in some block paving and pulled a claw clean off! Don't take any chances with it, because if you leave it, it will get worse.

I have bathed it and looked under the dew claw, looks clean no blood. It's still attached but wobbly to touch when bathed. No apparent crack length or width just wonky. He let me bathe it but kept licking at it. He is walking on it just sometimes lifting it. It's the vets I think calling first thing?

Problem is if it's wobbly then it's more likely to come off than not, in which case that's when you'll get bleeding and infection. Paws come into contact with anything on the ground that's mucky, so infection is hard to avoid. I think the vets visit is inevitable I'm afraid.

Update taken our boy to the vets and upshot going in tomorrow to be sedated and removed! Not bloody or infected but had injection of antibiotics and vet thought best to remove wonky dew claw before any more damage done. Big thank you to Rozzietriever for help.

Glad to be of help. Fingers crossed for tomorrow, hope all goes well. It is just the nail isn't it, not the whole digit?
You'll need to keep the dressing dry, I customised an old rubber glove and taped it over her paw so she could still go out for a walk and took it off when we got back. A plastic back tied over was sufficient when going out for wees at home.

Think it's just the nail not the whole digit. Other half took him down in car. He had had his breakfast with a birthday treat (2 years today) so they arranged for tomorrow to do sedation. I'll pop and get a rubber glove good tip thanks. His currently fast asleep and oblivious to paw. Bet tomorrow night he will put me in doghouse!

I would have said get it taken off - it's too easy for a nail to become infected.   Are they going to do both because it might be a good idea, so there's only need for one anaesthetic - if he's managed to catch one, he may well catch the other.

They didn't mention doing both . As he jumped up step  today he yelped as must have knocked it again so may be best to ask if taking all digit off tomorrow? I just don't wish him to go under a GA then knock it again

We just had the nail off as taking the whole digit off up to the joint is a much bigger deal. And this was hopefully a random one-off incident. She's also having a biotin supplement to strengthen the new nail. I think you'll find that once the nails off, he's not going to be catching it so often so less ouchy. The swelling took a while to go down, but it didn't bother her at all, and now she's completely back to her normal self. Good luck for tomorrow.

Thank you Rozzietriever, a little nervous this am. A pair of sad eyes from the kitchen "What no breakfast?" Reminding me his having a GA. Taking him at 9 and then have to ring after 3? The biotin supplement did you buy that from the vet or elsewhere?

From the vet, tub of 100 for about £18 - she has one a day. I don't know if they're available elsewhere. Keep us posted.

Hum. A quick check on the internet suggests they're available more cheaply elsewhere.

Collected my boy an hour ago. Still a little sleepy and no bandage advised best leave to fresh air. The vet nurse I'm not keen on advised me as he had been sedated and vet washing hands she twiddled the claw a few times and hey presto it came off (later she said smiling didn't charge you for removal) The quick has been left vet checked it and advised it was swollen but no discharge. We waited as nurse thought more antibiotics needed? We advised vet gave him injection yesterday?Same vet nurse said ooh I'll check and oh no more required!  oh I trimmed his nails too even thou you didn't ask. Then advised me bill thirty pounds plus more! She hadn't added sedation to estimate gave my hubby yesterday grr ,as you can tell not keen on her.
Have glove for his toilet trips outside. Asked about other dew claw advised it looked a little torn but they decided it looked ok.
His settled by me now asleep. I'll check for  the supplements in a bit.  Thank you again Rozzietriever for being there and advice very much appreciated

Update heathspan.co.uk Biotin Capsules For £11.95. Free P&P. Or vets UK 13:49 will order some

My pleasure! Keep an eye on the quick though, when our girl left hers in the block paving that was the one that swelled up and had to be bathed in salt water twice a day to shrink it! Glad it went well, they soon grow back.

How is your boy today Saxonjus?

Hi his much better today thank you ! A restless night as I had to put on the dreaded helmet to stop him licking the area. It still looks swollen but he isn't complaining and eating, drinking well. Had a few looks today when I took him a short walk with taped rubber glove on! I am keeping an eye on swelling and bathing it twice a day hopefully it will go down on its own? If not by Tuesday am I shall check with vet.

Sounds like what happened to one of mine about a year ago. I'd watch very carefully in future because it's happened again to my bitch -same dewclaw. This time, having seen the vet just give a gentle tug and the claw came off the first time, I was going to try it myself. Let her out for a wee first and she came in minus the claw. So it seems to be weak now and I imagine the entire digit will have to be removed at some point.

I am watching the other as it was torn a little but vet advised nothing to worry about. I guess it's like one of our nails regrowing, could split as regrows and another replaces it? Think vets differ with their views re dew claws.
Did your vet advise if it keeps happening to remove digit?

Our vet said it might be necessary IF it happens again. She's 3 and a half, the other claw is fine, so I will worry about it then. We only have the odd broken claw in summer, if the ground is hard.

Usually when one of mine has damaged a dew claw it grows back very short and then doesn't get damaged again, but it depends on how bad it was.  Both of Rai's are just little nubs now but Ren snapped one of hers a few months ago and you couldn't tell anything had happened to it, if you didn't know.  It seems strong enough.

Thanks all. If it happens again I'll check with vet and see what they say. Now to find glove and tape to take him out.