Nail fungus in dogs?

This is a placeholder text
Group text

by Jackal73 on 04 February 2010 - 19:02

Have any of you ever seen the equivalent of human nail fungus in dogs?

The reason I'm asking: a friend recently left her lab with me for a couple of days because she had to be away on business. Just before dropping him off she'd noticed something odd about one of his nails. She keeps the dog's nails nicely trimmed, but one of them looked abnormal -- you could see some separation between the nail and the core (i.e. the central portion where the quick resides), and the outside edge of the nail looked crumbly. To me it resembled what human nails look like if they have fungus -- or a horse's hooves, if there are issues. (Unfortunately I couldn't get a clear picture of it, and can't find a good example online either.)

I've googled but didn't turn anything up conclusively, but started the dogs(hers and mine) on oregano oil (which I know is a broad spectrum antimicrobial and antifungal, and which is safe for dogs) and wiped the lab's toe down with tea tree oil three times a day (tea tree oil is also a good broad spectrum antibiotic and antifungal, and safe externally provided the dog isn't sensitive to it -- I pre-tested). During the three days he was with me the nail didn't get any worse, but of course it's too soon to say if the problem is fixed.

In the mean time my friend has returned and will take the dog to the vet as soon as possible.

I'm wondering if anyone here has encountered something similar, and if so what your experiences were? I'm obviously hopeful that it's nothing serious and that my friend's dog will recover as soon as possible. I'm also worried about the potential for transmission to my dog.

Thanks for reading, and thank you in advance for any responses.

by yellowrose of Texas on 04 February 2010 - 20:02

Soak fungus toe nails in apple cider vinegar every night...
YR

by hodie on 04 February 2010 - 22:02

Nail beds, just like in humans, can indeed be infected by a variety of organisms, including fungus (yeast) and be subject to immune disorders, or other infections. They can also house tumors. There is a disease called lupoid onchodystrophy that can severely affect nails, as can allergies, ringworm and bacterial infections. So, the bottom line is that there are a host of reasons why nails can look other than they should and it is always very important to have the condition causing the problem to be properly diagnosed. Otherwise, the treatment may or may not be the right thing to do.

by dogshome9 on 05 February 2010 - 00:02

My son had a Police K9, that had an autoimmune problem and would occasionally shed his toe nails.

by Jackal73 on 05 February 2010 - 02:02

Thanks for the input!

I'll be sure to pass on the information about the vinegar to my friend if it turns out to be fungus, and keep a careful eye on my dog. I'll be very interested to hear what the vet has to say as well, but that likely won't happen for a day or two. I'm hoping it's something innocuous and/or readily treatable, and hopefully not contagious.

Apparently fungus isn't uncommon in hunting dogs because they frequently have their feet in locations where molds and fungi thrive, and my friend's dog is an active, hard driving hunting dog (he's performed well at field trials, too). He's a healthy young dog otherwise, and it would be a great shame if he got sick, particularly from doing something he loves.

by yellowrose of Texas on 06 February 2010 - 02:02

Vets do not want to share with you all the remedies all of us old time breeders use...Home remedies are the same for us humans... My vets know I like that kind of homeopathic agenda and they totally agree with me doing anything they think is ok...

Vinegar is used to clean the kennel floors in the plastic crates and our couters in kitchen, the coffee pot to rid of scum inside it , womens hygeine and also used for Chronic acid indigestion 2 tsps of apple cider vinegar in the morning and 2 tsps of apv in the evening...Heart drs agree with this , also even for my best friend who has the Acid Reflux caused from Heart problems..anything is better than some of the drugs that have mega side effects

Take from these ideas and use to your research....just my opinions.

YR

by Jackal73 on 06 February 2010 - 19:02

I've definitely discussed the vinegar thing with my friend.

As an update, she just called to let me know that the vet didn't know what the problem was, and didn't think it was worth being concerned about since the dog hadn't lost the nail and wasn't in any pain, and otherwise seems to be in top form.

We discussed it and I said if it was my dog I'd keep giving him oregano oil and wiping the nail with tea tree oil and trimming until it grows out normally (or unless he starts showing some other symptoms). I think she intends to follow that course, and also give her dog's feet a soak in apple cider vinegar after she washes them when he comes in from the field. Hopefully that will clear this up and prevent a recurrence.

I'm keeping a careful eye on my guy's feet to make certain he hasn't caught anything by association, but if it is fungus it could take weeks before it shows up. We'll see.

Thanks again for the input YellowRose!

Contact information Disclaimer Privacy Statement Copyright Information Terms of Service Cookie policy ↑ Back to top

Nail fungus in dogs? - Page 1

Pedigree Database