Reasons for “Why are my dogs nails red?” depend on different factors, including environmental allergies, health issues, skin disorders, or other sensitive impacts.
To limit the risks of getting red nails, it is not easy for you to adopt. You must get basic knowledge and follow strict expert guides to have good solutions for this problem.
My blog today will provide some useful tips to detect warning signs of infection. Let’s find out soon.
Why Are My Dogs Nails Red? 5 Reasons
Taking care of nail health is important in maintaining and improving medical conditions for pets, including your dogs.
When you get some common reasons for forcing dogs to be stuck in abnormal nail colors (cause of saliva stains, trauma phenomenon, aging effects, allergies, or fungal infection), you can better protect your dogs from system diseases daily.
Fungal Infection On Dogs
Your dog’s nail base is not supposed to be red. If they are, it means he may have a fungal nail infection. A nasty fungus called yeast is making his nails look bleeding.
It can also cause his nails to crack, deform, swell, and itch. This fungus can infect other parts of his body and your family.
You may also have heard of another nail fungus type called organism, which also brings similar signs of infection to your dogs.
Serious Allergies
Your dogs’ paws are itching like crazy. But their nails are not having changes in color. What’s going on? They have allergies.
Something he touches, eats, or breathes makes his immune system go haywire. It thinks the harmless thing is an enemy and sends antibodies to fight it.
But the antibodies don’t kill the thing. They stick to your dog and make new things that hook up with some cells in your dog’s body and cause them to release histamines.
These harmful components make your dog itch, sneeze, cough, or worse. Don’t let allergies ruin your dog’s day.
Aging Effects
Dogs’ nails can change color as they age or grow. This can be due to lower nutrient intake, weaker immunity, or mild injuries.
These factors make dogs more prone to infections, which can cause redness in the nails.
Puppies are especially vulnerable to this problem because they have a weaker immune system than mature dogs.
You can also see that your puppies may also have their nails change color naturally during their first year, but they may not always be red.
It means that your puppies are in the normal development stages.
Trauma Phenomenon
Your dog suffers more than you think when he goes through a traumatic ordeal.
Trauma leaves deep scars on his mind and body, whether it’s a car crash, a hurricane, or a cruel owner.
Red nails are a telltale of trauma, indicating that your dog is in pain and stress due to his swollen and inflamed blood vessels. Don’t ignore this warning sign.
Your dog needs your care and requires you to take it to a vet who can treat his trauma and heal his nails.
Problems Of Staining From Saliva
If you usually catch your dog licking its nails constantly, the saliva problem may stain its nails to turn red.
It is explained that porphyrin in your dog’s saliva tends to make things become brown or red in color. It is not avoided in any kind of dog!
In urgent situations, when porphyrin strains your dog’s nails extremely, or your dog’s health may fail, you must take him to experts.
The reason can come from dental issues like higher acidic levels. Please ignore this problem; your dogs can be seriously damaged.
What Right Is Dog Nails Turning Red Treatment?
After a long time, your dog nails turning reddish brown will put them in an emergency.
It would be best to find the right approaches to restrict bacterial nail infections and allergic reactions to keep your dog’s nails healthy anytime.
We will suggest five common treatments to improve health conditions for your dogs from the serious impacts of growth rate in nail disorder. Including:
Treatment For Fungal Infections
Suppose your dog suffers from a yeast infection or another fungal disease.
In that case, you should take your dog to the vet to take a sample of the affected area to confirm the diagnosis, especially if there is any yeast discharge.
The vet will then recommend an antifungal treatment for your dog, such as shampoo, spray, wipes, cream, or pills.
This treatment will eliminate the fungus and relieve the symptoms. Your dog will feel much better and stop scratching and biting its paws.
Treatment For Allergies
Your dogs may be allergic to something in their food or the air, but you may not know what it is.
An experienced vet can help you find out the cause of your dog’s symptoms and suggest a trial of a new diet with different ingredients than your dog’s usual food.
If your dog does better on this diet, the vet can reintroduce the old elements one by one to see which triggers the allergy. This process may take some time, but it is worth it.
Remember that avoiding allergenic food is the best way to treat food allergies in your dog. For environmental allergies, the vet may recommend various treatments.
Treatment For Aging Problems
Dog nails turning red treatment due to aging issues are not effective.
This can be explained by the fact that any pet must experience growth in their age, which has little or much impact on their health.
You must maintain a balanced diet for your dogs in any phase of their life to restrict bad consequences from aging better, especially in Pit Bull dogs.
Treatment For Trauma Phenomenon
To heal your dog’s nail trauma, the vet may stop the bleeding, remove the broken nail, and clean the wound. They may also prescribe painkillers or antibiotics.
You can prevent further injuries by trimming your dog’s nails regularly and avoiding rough or sharp objects that can snag them. This works wonders!
Treatment For Saliva Staining
Saliva stains lead to claw disorders in your dogs, putting them under many secondary issues and damaging their active lifestyles for a long time.
Many people suggest using water to wash the dog nails dark red at base by water to remove all saliva stains.
Nevertheless, water alone won’t do much to remove the discoloration.
Shampooing your dog may help with their fur, but not with their nails. It would help if you had something stronger, like white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, to remove the stains.
How To Detect Unhealthy Nails On Dogs
You can tell if your dog’s nails are unhealthy by looking and listening; not difficult to explain why your dog pushes his bum into other dogs.
Healthy nails are smooth, white, oval, and curved, with a dark tip.
They are short and don’t crack, curl, or bother your dog. Unhealthy nails are brittle, ridged, grooved, or dark and could be bent or broken.
They can snag on things or make your dog limp.
Healthy nails don’t hurt your dog. They don’t make your dog lick, bite, or chew their paws too much. Your dog doesn’t flinch or cry when you touch their feet.
However, unhealthy nails can do all these things. They can also make pus, crust, or swelling around the nail or nail bed.
If your dog’s nails are unhealthy, take them to the vet. Your vet may cut the bad nail, clean the wound, stop the blood, and give painkillers or antibiotics.
You can also keep your dog’s nails healthy by cutting them often and avoiding rough or sharp things that can harm them. This will make your dog’s nails happy and healthy.
Important Considerations About Dog Nail Red At Base
Red or black nails on your dog should be considered carefully anytime and anywhere.
If you do not know to get rid of secondary infections or how to apply topical treatment for this problem, please check here for some useful tips:
- Be gentle and learn how to cut the nails for your dogs right from a professional to restrict cutting too close to the skin.
- Leave your dog to a groomer to cut or trim the black dog nails if you do not know how much to cut.
- Check your dog’s paws regularly for any problems or foreign objects.
- Remember to trim the extra claw on the side of the foot, like our thumb.
- Frequently touch your dog’s paws and inspect them for nail condition and any foreign objects (such as grass, twigs, tar, etc.) stuck in the paw hairs.
What Should You Do To Keep Your Dogs Away From Red Nails?
The nail discoloration (like red) makes your dogs feel uncomfortable sometimes; thus, you can test a 21-day antibiotic treatment on your dog or try some methods listed below:
Use Direct Pressure
There are two ways to use direct pressure to keep your dogs from red nails, all relating to blood drainage problems, including:
- If it is bleeding, cover the wound with a clean cloth or gauze and press firmly until the bleeding stops. This may take several minutes.
- If it is not bleeding but is swollen or inflamed, apply a cold compress to the affected area for 10 to 15 minutes to ease the pain and swelling.
Use Styptic Powder
To use styptic powder, you need to clean the wound, apply the powder with light pressure, and leave it on until it falls off.
You must also keep your dog calm and prevent them from licking or biting the affected area.
The styptic powder can help your dog heal faster and avoid infections. However, if the bleeding is severe or does not stop, you should consult your vet immediately.
Use Styptic Pencil
Styptic pencils are useful for stopping nail bleeding in dogs. They contain a substance that contracts the blood vessels and clots the blood.
You must clean the wound, apply the pencil with pressure, and leave it on. You also need to keep your dog calm and prevent licking.
Use Baking Soda Or Flour
If you don’t have styptic powder or a pencil, you can use baking soda or flour as an alternative solution for nail bleeding in dogs.
These common kitchen ingredients can act as absorbents and clotting agents for minor wounds.
You need first to clean the wound with water and a mild antiseptic.
Then, apply a generous amount of baking soda or flour to the bleeding area and press it firmly with your fingers or a clean cloth.
FAQs
How Can You Prevent Nail Infection For Your Dogs?
Nail infection from systemic disease can cause pain, swelling, and discharge. It’s best to have regular nail trimming and avoid cutting your dog’s nails quickly.
You should also keep your dog’s paws clean and dry and check for any signs of injury or infection. If you notice any problems, contact your vet.
Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar To Treat Fungal Infections?
Infected nails can be treated effectively with Apple cider vinegar.
The simplest way is to apply it on the dog’s nails as a topical antibiotic, then conduct the process constantly for a certain time to monitor the improving level of bacterial infection on your dog’s nails.
Should I Take My Dog To Check With The Vet?
Regularly taking your dog to the vet is important for their health and well-being.
You ought to take your dog to the vet at least once a year for a check-up, vaccinations, and parasite prevention.
It’d better take your dog to the vet if it shows any illness, injury, or pain.
Conclusion
You should not ignore “Why are my dogs nails red” as a minor cosmetic issue. It could mean yeast, fungus, or allergy – all painful and dangerous.
Take your dogs to the vet now to have the right treatment for these abnormal signs effectively. Your dog needs strong nails for running, digging, and playing.
