A broken or torn nail - or a snagged dewclaw - is painful out of all proportion to its size, because it exposes the sensitive quick underneath. After the vet trims it back and cleans it up, the recovery is mostly at home: keeping it clean, stopping the licking, and watching for infection while the nail bed heals over a week or two. PetHealthLog lets you track the whole thing: log the bleeding, the limping and the licking, keep any medication on schedule, and note the bandage changes, so you can see it healing and catch a problem early. Free, no account, works offline.
Start tracking - it's freeA torn nail exposes the quick, the living tissue inside the nail, which is why it bleeds and hurts so much. Once your vet has trimmed back the damaged nail, controlled the bleeding and cleaned the wound, mild injuries often heal in one to two weeks, while a damaged nail bed or a badly torn dewclaw can take a few weeks. The thing owners most need to stay on top of is infection - an exposed nail bed is prone to it - so the swelling, the licking and any discharge are worth watching closely.
That is exactly where a daily record earns its place. A dated log of the limping, the licking and how the toe looks turns "it seems about the same" into a trend you can actually see, keeps any medication on schedule, and makes new swelling or discharge stand out instead of slipping past.
PetHealthLog is free, asks for no account and works offline, so each note, dose and bandage change lands in one place. By the recheck, you have a real picture of the recovery instead of a guess.
A recovery log only helps if it is quick to keep and matches the plan your vet gave you. Here is how PetHealthLog handles a dog's broken or torn nail.
Note any bleeding and how swollen the toe looks each day. Over the first week that turns into a clear line you can see settling - or flag if swelling is building when it should be easing.
Record how much your dog is limping and whether it is putting weight on the paw. A returning limp after things had improved is exactly the kind of detail your vet wants to hear.
Constant licking slows healing and invites infection. Mark how much your dog is going at the paw so you know whether the recovery collar is doing its job.
Add any pain relief or antibiotic your vet prescribed and tick each dose, and note when a bandage was changed. A clear record means a missed dose or an overdue change is obvious.
Keep any recheck date in view, and export a clean PDF of the healing trend and the doses, so a follow-up conversation starts from a real record - not a guess.
How the nail is treated and whether it needs trimming back are your vet's department - but day to day, the work is usually keeping the paw clean and dry, stopping your dog from licking the toe, and keeping any bandage intact. The everyday things owners reach for are a comfortable recovery cone or collar to stop the licking, clean gauze and self-adhering wrap for the dressing, and a protective bootie to keep the bandage clean on walks.
These search links show popular options on Amazon. They are just the everyday extras that make the recovery easier - the wound care and any medication come from your vet.
Recovery cones → Bandage wrap → Protective booties → Styptic powder →#ad - affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate, PetHealthLog may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Informational only, not veterinary advice. A torn nail usually needs to be seen by a vet - styptic powder only slows minor bleeding, and bandaging should follow your vet's instructions.
Checking a sore paw, changing a bandage, fending off the licking - these happen in the thick of a busy day, often with a reluctant patient. The last thing that should stand between you and logging any of it is a login screen or a dead signal.
PetHealthLog stores everything locally on your device. There is no account to create, nothing is uploaded to a server, and there is no tracking. It opens instantly, lets you note a symptom or a dose whether or not you are online, and keeps the data yours. You can export a backup any time and restore it on another phone.
Free, offline, and ready the moment you open it.
Start with PetHealthLogFor ongoing paw licking beyond a single injury - track the triggers and the pattern.
Track a limp over time when it is not down to a single, obvious nail injury.
For a bigger procedure - log the incision, the rest and the medication day by day.
Another wound that needs a cone and a clean, dry recovery - track it healing here.
Keep every dose of any pain relief or antibiotic on schedule during the recovery.