Sorry - don`t believe it. I think your friend is winding you up.

If the nail was hanging off it may have been pulled off, but I can't imagine that it's common practice. My mum's Louie snapped his dewclaw and was in a lot of pain. He was sedated and had the mail pulled out, then when it happened again after a few months they did the op to have both removed.

Someone brought a GSD into my shop only last week with a broken dewclaw and asked me if I could pull it out. Err... no sorry, I'm a groomer not a vet!

When I had severely mashed and damaged a toenail, leaving just shards of it in the toenail bed - at the hospital they did use tweezers to put the remaining bits out - it was horrific for me but their reasoning was I was in agony anyway (and I was!) but ... to try to imagine anyone pulling the WHOLE THING OUT without any sedative? As I said - I can hardly believe it - that is the stuff that TORTURE is made of!

I don't believe it either!

Hers is a wierd case she has a lump in her nail bed (?) which causes her nail to split. It had all broke of except one bit whIch was annoying her and causing infections. She's 16 turning 17 so the vet doesn't want to put her under ga at all for anything and it would have caused more problems cutting it so she was slightly sedated and she yanked it out.random coincidence it is muffin my beardie x it happened to

I actually still have the nail somewhere you can tell where it was in her pad. Looks very wierd and uncomfortable

There was a thread called claw injury by majuka a few weeks back www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=163335 which might be similar.

Hope this helps

Nails aren't in pads are they ? They grow from the toes & consist of keratin just like hair/fur.

Not a clue to be honest the top bit was a lighter colour I'll look it out. I don't actually know what the lump is in. It's exactly where her nail grows from. Her nail looks awful now poor girl.