My cat's claw is bent and won't retract. What can I do at home?

Poor Zippo. I do think this is worth having him seen by a vet. This claw could get caught on something if he isn't able to retract it, and it could rip out, causing him a lot of pain and bleeding. I think this is something the vet needs to remove. I hope this helps.

Anything you apply will likely be licked off and ingested. This could further complicate his condition. If a vet visit is not possible now, you can try soaking the paw in a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution twice daily. Dry it thoroughly afterwards. An e-collar (cone) is your best bet at preventing licking which could delay healing. If this doesn't work, Thor will need to be seen by your veterinarian. He may need antibiotics to resolve any infection and pain medication to manage discomfort. Do not medicate him at home without the advice of your veterinarian.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, Alina! I can see that James has an ingrown claw on one of his paw pads. This can be painful and result in infections of the paw pad which can be very serious. Unfortunately, James should be seen by a vet for this, because when the nail is cut the tissue that it punctured can bleed profusely. There are vets who do house calls, so you may want to search for one in your area. I hope this helps and that all is well with James!

By your description, your dog may have a partially [broken nail](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/broken-nails/) which can be a bit painful. You can take him to your veterinary office and ask them to cut the nail back to promote normal growth, or you can monitor the toe and see if the nail grows out naturally. Just watch for any signs of infection (redness, swelling, discharge) in the toe. Do not allow your dog to lick or chew at it. An e-collar (cone) can be placed on him until he has healed.

Hello and thank your contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is hard to say what happened to the nail without seeing and examining it in person. I suspect the claw is shedding and the hanging bit is only a thin layer of the shedding claw. If that is the case, you should be able to gently pull it off with your fingers or clip it off with a nail clippers (you should clip the white part of the claw only). If the claw is broken close to the nail base, touching the toe will be painful to your cat and there will be usually blood around the nail. So, try very gently to pull off the hanging part of the claw. If it is causing pain or discomfort, most likely there is also some damage to the nail base and you may need to take your cat to your local vets to clip the nail very short to remove the damaged part.

Hi there. It looks like Mae ripped off her nail while she was out and about. There isn't much to do for that other than let the nail grow back. If she'll tolerate it, you can try soaking her feet in warm water with some epsom salts sprinkled in, this can be very soothing. Otherwise, I think you are fine to just monitor at home and see the vet if there are any changes. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Please keep in mind that without seeing Eartha in person I can't say this for sure, but I'm wondering if what you are seeing is part of her bone. It may be that she injured the area leading to opening of the skin and the bone sticking out. The claw doesn't grow back when it's removed, but it could be that all of the claw wasn't removed properly and that's what you are seeing. The pus indicates it's infected. I would have her seen by a vet for this as soon as possible. She will need antibiotics for the infection, and the vet can diagnose exactly what you are seeing and how best to treat it. Keep her foot as clean and dry as possible until you see a vet, and put an Ecollar on her to keep her from licking her food (I will put a link below on how to make one at home). Don't squeeze it again, and keep her indoors if she is allowed outside. You might want to tape a sock over her foot to keep litter from getting into the area. I hope this helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M