Claw infection?

Wondering if my Jack Russell has an infection or a sprain? (Can most likely be a sprain because he’s wild) I included 2 pics to compare his 2 claws. He’s been licking it and is in pain. I did cut his nails 2 days before it started bothering him.

Hello!  I think the clinical signs we're looking at here may be licking repeatedly at a single claw and redness of the nail bed.  It's possible too that the claw is at a different angle, but in person or video examination might be required to determine that. You correctly suggest that the licking could be a sign of pain.  It is, however, difficult to pinpoint from this photo where the pain would be coming from.  The possible differentials range broadly from the deep (eg a dislocation of p3 - the last bone at the end of the digit, which has the nail attached, perhaps due to getting the claw caught causing ligament damage.  Sometimes when the nail is cut, it can be pushed it into the nail-bed, exacerbating things or bringing the dogs' attention to it.  In extremis, another possibility could be bone cancer).  However there are more superficial possibilities also:  inflamed or infected skin which has chosen to manifest there just because of thin skin's exposure to an allergen, or  because of mites, or just because of nervousness and the nail's convent nose-front position to lick.  Whatever the cause, secondary problems, such as fungal or bacterial skin infection, can occur as a result of the sore, licked skin; when an area is licked, the skin often becomes more permeable to infection . So: what to do?  Discouraging licking might be helpful as licking does worsen the integrity of the skin in that area and leads to secondary infections if they are not already present.  Your vet may provide you with a buster collar or basket muzzle if necessary.  Meanwhile, stopping any pain / itch by treating the underlying cause is also important, because not being able to get at something sore must be hard.  Depending on the cause, other treatment may also be needed.  In short, a vet trip to assess the joints and bones and the skin overlying them, may be well worth your while.

(Please do not try to treat any pain / itch without consulting your vet; the required treatment will vary according to their findings).   We would love to hear how you get on.

Finally I also wanted to say Thankyou for including a picture of your dogs' family; it is always lovely to know more about who a pet belongs to.  Because I can see a beautiful little one there, it's worth mentioning that licked claws are often sore and it's worth keeping your little one clear of that foot in case of accidental exacerbation of pain; even the gentlest, loveliest of dogs can sometimes overreact to other stimuli when they are hurting. All the best.