Why is my young cat's dew claw thick and yellow? Should I worry?

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It’s difficult to tell for sure what’s going on without examining Timmy myself, but from the appearance of that discharge in the photo I’m concerned Timmy may have an infection in that nail bed. This could happen after trauma, or if he punctured his foot on something sharp. I recommend having Timmy seen by a vet, as he may need a course of antibiotics. It’s also possible he has a mass growing on that toe, but that would be considered less likely at his young age. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Tommy. The picture is very helpful! It looks like either his claw broke off or he shed it, which can happen. I do not see the quick exposed or any sign of infection, so there is no need to be concerned. I hope this helps!

Yes, I would recommend a vet check up. It might just be a skin infection that will benefit from a good clean and possibly antibiotics treatment. It is best that a vet checks it though in case there is anything caught in the paw itself that needs to be removed. Hope this helps !

Hello. In all honesty, all lumps & bumps should be investigated. I can not say with any certainty whether this is a benign or malignant tumor, a cyst or an infection. It really needs a hands on examination, possibly with a small biopsy called a fine needle aspirate, to determine its make-up. If this does need to be removed, the best time to do so is while it is relatively small. I do recommend having this looked at soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can be quite painful. I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can consider removing the dew claw to take the source of pain away or it can be treated with pain medications and antibiotics for instance. In the meantime, keep him from being able to reach it as he will likely want to lick or chew at it which can make it a lot worse. You may use an e-collar for that purpose. Good luck!

It’s difficult to see exactly what that is in the photo. I would try to pull it out if it’s moveable. You can also soak the paw in warm water with epsoms salt or an antibacterial solution. As long as she’s not lame I’m not overly concerned about it. Some cats get a callus on their pads, and some have an extra underdeveloped toenail, either of which could be her issue. If she becomes lame or this is painful then please take her in for an exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lucy.