Ozeta's foot mystery (mostly) solved - Page 1

So, after two weeks on two different antibiotics, Ozie's dewclaw is still slightly swollen. Lat night I started inspecting it closely (yet again) and found a crack in the dewclaw. I had to actually push the skin at the base of the claw up a hair to see it. So, now we know where the bacteria got in.  Now, I guess we'll have to clip that claw off right at the base (ouch!) and keep it wrapped for a while till it starts to grow back.  I knew there had to be SOME dang reason for all this, just took forever to locate it.  In my defense, though, it was really nearly impossible to find, especially when it was so swollen.

that's gotta hurt!

Well, at least you know now!  Glad you figured it out and can do something about it.  Good luck and keep us posted.

Deb

I hope you realize that you cannot clip the claw off right at the base as there is a BONE inside there? It would be the same as removing the first joint of your finger, nail and all!  That's exactly what the vet does when he removes dewclaws, or declaws a cat.

You can try to clip the claw as close as you can without hitting the quick. Sometimes a claw will just fall off, or be torn off, leaving a little pink stub. Then it will regrow from the base of the nail. (Had this happen once.)

Right. The base of the nail is where it is cracked.  The nail itself has to come off, not the whole dewclaw. I've seen a few nails torn off by various means and it leaves a little white nub. VERY sensitive, but we'll keep a padded wrap on it for a week or so.