Why is my cat suddenly biting her nails and what should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Some dogs and cats actually bite their nails out of stress or habit. If the nails start to bleed or show Hestia signs of discomfort, like lameness, she should be examined by her vet. Consider cutting her nails frequently to see if that deters her self-inflicted damage. If Hestia begins to display other signs of anxiety, such as urinating outside of the litter box or hiding more, talk to her vet about anxiety medications. Otherwise, just continue monitoring her because this may be a habitual behavior for Hestia.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your kitty! The nail does appear malformed. I would recommend an examination by a veterinarian, as we can see this with nailbed infections at times. The vet can more closely examine this nail and the others and determine what the underlying cause may be and how best to treat the claw.

Hello. It does sound like possible allergies, which can start at any age, most commonly around 1-2 years of age. But we can see the presence of mange mites & nail bed infections too. To rule these out, you will need to see your veterinarian who can perform some skin scapes around the base of the nails & look under the microscope for the presence of mange mites. Oce the source of the irritation is found, the proper treatment can be started to stop the chewing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, this looks like his nail has some injury to it but I can't be certain. It appears it may have been pulled or torn and is causing him some pain. Dogs who are in pain often don't act they way they do normally. I would take her to a vet to see if the nail needs to come off or if there is an infection you can treat with antibiotics. You can try soaking it with warm water and a betadine solution to see if that provides any relief. Good luck, i hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to an allergy, infection or inflammation for instance. It would be best to make sure that for example there is not a foreign body or something causing discomfort and possibly an infection and pain. I recommend you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this possibilities and treat accordingly. Have a good night!

Sometimes cats and dogs can have personality changes like this especially if she had a bad experience with with restraint, pain or something else fearful happening while she had a nail trim (ie a car back firing while she had the nails cut). It is possible that she may have some pain in that foot that she did not show the veterinarian. Cats can get a epinephrine rush when they go to the vet and they may not show pain at that time. Watch her very closely for limping on that paw. You can try to create a positive association again by having her look at the trimmers and then get treats. Then have the trimmers touch her and get treats. Then cut one nail and get treats. Build up from there. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.