Dog Claw

Question
I have a Australian shepard puppy that is 6 months old that has a deformed claw on her back paw. The other nails are fine but this one nail is set back farther on her paw than the rest. When looking at the paw the nail grows out of the top of her toe instead of the bottom. Part of the problem is that the nail does not hit the ground to get filed down and she has caught it several times on toys while playing. I should mention that this is not a dew claw. What are my options about having it removed?

Answer
Well it is not generally recommended to remove a toe because of an errant toenail. Regular trimming of the nail is better for the dog.

However, if you need to have it removed, your vet will have to tell you whether or not he will even do that. He will have to remove the entire bone of the toe to the end of the metatarsal.

Call you vet and ask for a consultation with him.