Broken toenail :(

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 12sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 1 month ago by Cinnamon Bun.

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- 01/15/2022 at 7:05 PM
  henry2809
  Participant
  160 posts
  Hi everyone. I went to check on my bunny tonight and I found a toenail on the ground. He ran right up to me and begged for treats as he normally would. I picked him up to examine him and found that it was from the outside toe on his hind left foot. He pulled his foot away when I touched it because I’m sure it is tender, but he is banking around and thumping like normal. There is not much left of the nail, just a tiny little nub, it looks like it broke at the quick. I didn’t see any active bleeding and I did not see any blood on his bedding, but there was a bit of dark dried blood on his toenail. I tried to clean it, but he wouldn’t let me and I don’t want to stress him out. Should I be concerned about this? Is it common for them to get an infection this way? With him hopping around the room and sitting in his litter box and other things like that I am just worried about bacteria entering the wound and causing an infection.
- 01/15/2022 at 7:07 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5834 posts
  Infection and/or some sort of injury is possible — I would recommend seeing a rabbit-savvy vet to better examine the foot. If it snagged on something, it’d be good to get a professional to thoroughly examine the foot for signs of injury, as well as prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 01/15/2022 at 7:31 PM
    henry2809
    Participant
    160 posts
    Thank you! He has an appointment with a specialist on Tuesday for unrelated issues, so I will mention it to her then. He is being seen for GI issues, so I would like to avoid oral antibiotics if possible to prevent any further GI upset. Hopefully it will heal on its own.
- 01/15/2022 at 10:49 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17225 posts
  It could be an “old” injury. Sometimes a nail will get caught on the carpet and it will be damaged, but it won’t fall off right away. This can happen with people too, if they smash a fingernail and injure the nail bed. The nail eventually falls off. With rabbits, when the damaged nail falls off, it will often leave a little nub behind that has the quick. It will be sensitive to the touch because it’s exposed now. The nerve endings are close to the surface. In cases like this, the chance of infection is low. You can certainly clean the area though. And if you’re worried, having a vet take a look is never a bad idea.
  - 01/16/2022 at 6:12 AM
    henry2809
    Participant
    160 posts
    Thank you so much! I didn’t see any blood anywhere on his blankets or bedding! He is grooming the foot, but it doesn’t seem to bother him when he’s hopping around- he even jumped up on my bed right after and binkied around!
  - 01/16/2022 at 9:17 AM
    LBJ10
    Moderator
    17225 posts
    This suggests to me that the nail was damaged before and it just now fell off.
  - 01/16/2022 at 9:50 AM
    henry2809
    Participant
    160 posts
    That makes sense! He is still running, binkying, hopping on/off of my bed and standing up on his hind legs to take treats from me. I tried to examine it but anytime I touched the toe or the nail, he just thumped at me, so I left him alone. I’ll keep an eye on him, but he doesn’t seem to bothered!
- 01/16/2022 at 8:06 AM
  Cinnamon Bun
  Participant
  205 posts
  My bun, Binkie, broke one of her toenails a few years ago. There was some blood on her paw and the floor so I cleaned it up. When the nail grew back it was crooked for a while, but after a bit it eventually grew out properly and went back to normal. She was okay, no infection and didn’t require a vet visit. Sending some love for your bun, anyway! ♡
  - 01/16/2022 at 11:49 AM
    henry2809
    Participant
    160 posts
    Awesome thank you! He is acting totally normal and seems to be using the foot just fine. It is tender and sensitive if I touch it, which doesn’t surprise me, but he is still hopping, binkying, jumping, etc. I just examined it and it did break pretty close to the toe and there is a small amount of dried blood on the end of the nail, but I didn’t see any active bleeding. My main worry is that it will get infected, and since he has such a sensitive stomach, I don’t want him to go into stasis from oral antibiotics (of course I would give them if necessary, but I want to avoid it if possible). I know that nail injuries are pretty common, so hopefully it heals up on its own.
  - 01/17/2022 at 1:01 AM
    Cinnamon Bun
    Participant
    205 posts
    No problem! I agree, it sounds like an old injury so I don’t think it’s that serious. But monitor him anyway, and give him some loving nose rubs from us! ♡
- 01/17/2022 at 1:14 AM
  BZOO
  Participant
  331 posts
  Extra lovin’to your bun.
  
  I had a dog rip a nail completely out and I have done the same after slamming my toe into something. Wow, the pain is unreal…took me 20 minutes to walk 20 feet!
  
  Extra goodies seem to be in order.🥰
- 01/17/2022 at 1:22 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  I doubt he’ll get an infection. They rarely do. Some buns have brittle nails that break easily, but most (if not all) buns that lead an active life will break a nail at one time or another. Sometimes the nail grows back all crooked. I had a bun with a crooked toenail, I don’t know what had happened because it was like that when I got him, but it never seemed to bother him in any way.
  
  Keep keeping an eye, of course. And since you have an appointment already, it’s of course a great idea to show it to the vet.
  - 01/17/2022 at 1:25 AM
    Cinnamon Bun
    Participant
    205 posts
    That’s what happened with my bun’s toenail. It broke off and grew back crooked, but then eventually grew out and went back to normal, so that was a relief! ♡
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