Dear Laura:
 
>At about 5:30 this morning one of our ferrets climbed on top of his cage
>and as he was backing down got his nail caught in something and it was
>pulled out.  To stop the bleeding we held him and applied alittle ice and
>now he is sleeping and his paw is dry.  My question: do we have to worry
>about infection?  Is it possible for the injury to again open and bleeding
>start again?  Is there anything more to do?
 
Calw injuries usually do very well.  Just keep it clean daily with soap and
water.  Without knowing the damage - they can range from a cracked nail to
the loss of the entire nail (like taking off a glove), there is probably
some reisk that it could be caught again and bleed.  You can use a styptic
pencil to stop bleeding from a claw - these are available at any drug
store, or many pet stores carry a similar product for nails that get
clipped too short.  Infection is probably not a problem if you keep the
area clean and the litter box very tidy for a couple of days..
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3228]