Broken nail at base

Hello, my dog cracked his nail at the base. The bleeding had stopped but the nail looks almost  broken off. I applied neosporin and a sock bandage. It’s the first nail of the front paw that sits higher and doesn’t touch the ground. His are thick. He is in pain. Is going to the vet the only option? I read that acetaminophen is ok to give to dogs and wanted to know if that was true. Are there alternative at home options that will keep him from hurting or should I take him to the vet immediately ? Thank you

Hello - Lets talk about the drug first.  In the UK (this is a uk site)  Paracetamol use is regulated more in cats and in dogs than in humans, because they are generally much smaller and it is easy (and potentially fatal) to get wrong.  As such, a professional does need to OK the drug for your particular pet.  This doesnt need to be a vet - a pharmacyst can do it.

However, if you yourself had a nail hanging off too close to the base, you would probably control the pain, not by taking drugs or applying dressings, but by clipping the nail.  In dogs, there are a couple of issues with this.  One is that it can be really, really painful.  This can easily be cut too low and bleed rather badly, which in extremis can be dangerous.   So, if this is still causing a problem, my advice would be to see the vet.