The first sign of an infection is usually swelling and redness around the dew claw. An abscessed dew claw is usually caused by a deep tear or puncture wound. One such infection is an abscessed dew claw. How Do I Know If My Cat’s Dew Claw Is Infected?Īs a cat owner, it’s important to be aware of the signs of an infection, as they can often be subtle. With proper care, most cats recover quickly from a torn dew claw and experience no long-term problems. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the damaged nail bed. The vet will clean the wound and may recommend antibiotics to prevent infection. However, if the nail is completely ripped off, your cat will need to see a veterinarian for treatment. If the dew claw is only partially torn, it will usually heal on its own within a few days. While a torn dew claw is not generally considered to be a serious injury, it can be painful for your cat and may require treatment. Unfortunately, these vestigial limbs can sometimes get caught on things and tear, which can be extremely painful.ĭepending on how serious the injury was, the vet might just dress the wound and discharge your cat to go and recuperate from home.īut even if they are admitted for surgery, your feline friend should recover in just a couple of days. These sharp nails are located on the inside of the front legs and do not seem to serve any purpose, leading many people to wonder why they exist at all. Thank you very much to Joanne Letts for allowing me to use these pictures of her beautiful boy.As an Amazon Associate, we may receive a small commission from qualifying purchases but at no extra cost to you.įor anyone who has ever owned a cat, one of the most intriguing-and perhaps unsettling-features is their dew claws. Secure the sock in place with some vet wrap high up the leg, and whisk them off to the vet as soon as possible before the situation becomes any worse. Carefully wrap the injured paw in a loose wound dressing and pop a sock over it. The best tool for the job is nothing more specialised than a sock. The damaged nail or claw really does need covering up to prevent them nibbling at it in the car. What you can do is protect them from doing further damage to the injured nail as you take them to the vet.
#Broken dew claw professional
For this reason, wound hygiene is paramount and a professional opinion from your Vet should ideally be sought If possible, soak the paw in saline (salt water) to get the nail as clean as possible if the split in the nail goes right down to the quick or the quick is exposed at all, it could very easily become infected and if the infection travels up the nailbed you will at best be left with a deformed nail and at worse a serious infection which could even travel up the leg.
You certainly wouldn’t want someone to come along and just cut it off now would you? So I’m afraid its definitely a case for the vet as this is something that can only be dealt with under sedation. Imagine if you had bent your fingernail back or ripped it a long way down the nail bed. Please don’t try to use your clippers to sort out the problem. This picture shows the quick of the nail completely exposed after the outer shell has been removed. Broken nail exposing the tender quick inside This picture shows a broken nail, revealing the soft pink quick within the nail shaft. If we leave the dog to deal with it for himself, it tends to end in the nail ripping backwards, even further into the quick and boy does that hurt. If, however, it’s a bit more serious than that, then really human assistance is going to be vital. If there is only a little section of nail hanging off, then as a rule your dog will prefer to nibble and lick at it to deal with it personally. I’ve already covered “impromptu muzzles” in a past blog. If you don’t have a muzzle, you can always use a length of bandage to wrap around the snout and secure behind your dog’s head so he can’t remove it. For this reason I would strongly advise that unless you wish to lose a finger, muzzle your furry friend before you inspect the damage. This can be really very painful indeed and even though you may THINK you’re helping, if ever there was a time you are likely to be bitten for interfering, this is it. Snagged Broken Nails – Because dogs like to tear around when they play, they do sometimes catch the odd claw on the ground or on loose surfaces – particularly their dew claws.
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