Cat's claw falling off :S

[turtle_901]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them before and if so what should be done about it:

One of my cat's claws on her hind leg seems to be coming completely off. (I don't mean just the cuticle of the claw I know that's normal.) It is still attached now by a bit of skin, and it is not bleeding and doesn't seem to be swollen or infected. She is also still walking fine and doesn't seem to be in pain when I touch the area.

Is there anything I can or should do about this? Is it safe to use disinfectants on the area? should I clip the remaining claw off? and will it grow back?

Thanks for any help anyone can provide!

[krdahmer]

Hm... I've never heard of something like that I imagine that your vet could answer those questions over the phone. If it doesn't seem to bother her, or look infected... doesn't sound like anything to panick over. I imagine also though it would be kind of irritating.

[Love4himies]

I have never seen that either. I would have thought I would be bleeding?? Are you able to vet a quick call?

[Dr Lee]

Originally Posted by turtle_901

...It is still attached now by a bit of skin, and it is not bleeding and doesn't seem to be swollen or infected. She is also still walking fine and doesn't seem to be in pain when I touch the area.

Is there anything I can or should do about this? Is it safe to use disinfectants on the area? should I clip the remaining claw off? and will it grow back?

This is actually fairly common and usually occurs from the cat trying to catch it self during a jump or any other activity that placed a lot of pressure on the nails. It is called nail avulsion. It can also happen in certain diseases that affect the nail bed but this is less common, especially in cats.

The process of avulsion is as painful as it sounds, but once off, the foot is not painful unless the nail bed it touched. If the nail is still 'hanging on" this is painful if pulled or touched - like a really bad 'hang nail'. It is beneficial to remove or cut/trim it off. The nail bed usually will heal with little to no care. If it becomes covered in dirt/litter/etc.. then washing it is helpful. You can place neosporin or other triple antibiotic creams on it but it is usually not necessary. In most all cases, the nail will grow back normally.

Good luck. Let me know if i can help further.