My cat has extra toes and bleeding nails. What's the best thing to do?

Yes, I would discuss surgical removal with your vet. It is likely causing pain when he is walking. It will be interesting to see the x-ray of his paw! Simply trimming it down won't help much, he needs to have the nail and the associated bone removed to prevent continued growth.

Some cats will get this around their nail bed. It's a buildup of skin cells, dust and dirt. If he will let you, you can clean the nail by soaking his foot in warm water and using a soft brush to remove the gunk. If the nail bed is reddened and inflamed, it's a good idea to get him seen by your vet as he may need antibiotics to help him clear it up.

You can use epsom salt and soak the paws in a solution of water and epsom salt (2 tbsp to 1 gallon roughly) and soak for 15 minutes twice daily. A better balm to use on cracked pads and skin is a product called Bio Balm by Dermoscent. You can get this online easily and it works quite effectively. If the skin around his nails becomes swollen or begins to discharge pus, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the area for further treatment.

Absolutely! It is easy to clip a cat's nails at home as long as she is relatively cooperative. You can squeeze the tip of each toenail to extrude the claw and identify the pink quick. Clip the claw avoiding the quick. If you're unsure or your cat is frisky most grooming facilities and some veterinarians will trim nails and can probably demonstrate the proper technique.

It looks like your cat’s toenail has been sheared off, probably from an injury, fight or being hit by a car. My best recommendation is to take your car to the vet where they will be able to fully clean the area around the nail, trim the nails if necessary, and give your cat an antibiotic and pain medication if needed. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Poor girl. This happens even to the best nail trimmers. He only thing that will successfully stop a bleeding nail every time is an over the counter Kwik Stop styptic powder from your local pet store. It is good that it has stopped bleeding; however, I would pick up some of this powder from the store first thing in the morning. Otherwise, place newspaper in the litter box tonight and monitor it until you go to bed. A light bandage can also be tried; however, cats in particular won't allow a bandage to stay in place. Hopefully things have stabilized for now and she will continue to do well until morning. Most of these nail bleeding situations are fine and don't result in serious complications (i.e. anemia). Best wishes and take care.

Yes you should very carefully cut this nail before it causes skin problems. If you are afraid to do this, take her to your vet to have it cut properly. They may show you how, so you can do it yourself the next time when it is necessary.