My declawed cat has a crooked nail. Should I trim it to avoid pain?

Hello, and thank you for your question. I would try keeping the nails very trim by cutting them every two weeks with cat nail clippers. It may be worth visiting a pet groomer or the vet to be shown how short the nails can be cut. If she is still catching her claws on the furniture even with regular trimming, then you may need to consider declawing. However, declawing is a painful procedure with chance of complications, so I would not encourage doing this unless absolutely necessary. I hope this helps! Good luck with Kiki and I hope trimming the nails regularly does the trick!

This shouldn't be a major concern - many declawed cats live in homes with other cats who have their claws. If there is any fighting, bite wounds are usually a bigger issue that any minor scratches from the claws. And if you keep the claws trimmed, this should minimize the chance of any issues

With these extra nails, it is important to have them trimmed regurally as they won't wear down by walking like the others. If she will not allow you to cut them, or if you don't know how, you can have your veterinarian do it for you, and teach you in the process. Cat nails are very easy once you get the hang of it, depending on your cat's temperament, of course.

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.

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.

Hello and thank you for your question about Maggie. Many polydactyl cats have the same issue and routine nail trimming is a must. This should be done every 2-4 weeks depending on how fast the nails grow. I advise to go online and watch a few videos on trimming cat’s nails. It’s easier to see the process than to read about it. In general, you want to trim off the hook portion of the nail and avoid the quick (that’s the pink tissue within the nail) by at least 5mm. You can use human or smal pet nail trimmers and having a second person to hold Maggie may help. I hope you found this helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

That appears to be an ingrown toe nail. The dewclaw nail can grow into a circle and into the paw pad. I would take it to the vet as soon as possible. This is very painful but also usually needs antibiotics due to infection.