What causes a kitten's claws to break and fall off repeatedly?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Stitch. The nails can become brittle in older cats and come off more easily. This is especially true if he does a lot of scratching or climbing. There are also diseases such as autoimmune disorders and fungal problems that can affect the nail beds. It is best for him to see his veterinarian to determine the cause of his symptoms. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jack! It can be from allergies (food or environment) or immune. I would take him back to the Vet for an evaluation and full blood work. Consider antibiotics, medicated foot soaks, steroids and a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Good luck!

Hello. This could be a behavioral issue, or a behavioral issue plus paronychia ( skin infection around the nail/claws ). Even though you do not see anything unusual, a veterinarian can examine the skin, do a skin impression to see if there is a population of bacteria or yeast organisms present around the nail beds. An appropriate treatment can then be started. Often, this could also be an indication, & the only evidence of, an allergy. Allergies can come from the food or the environment & can be challenging to distinguish in cats with mild symptoms. So it is very helpful to get professional help with this. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Sometimes the outter cuticles will shred due to injury, infection or a diet not high enough in fatty acids. I recommend to start Bruce on an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for cats and change his diet to Nutro or Royal Canin. Monitor the nail daily for any signs of reddness around the base of the nail, swelling of the toe, additional injury to the nail or excessive licking of the area. If these signs are seen, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Is it possible that Mickey got in a fight with something? I can't tell from the photo's if the nail is actually broken or not. They do have an outter cuticle that can shed but the nail is still fine and intact. Examine the 'quik' of the nail (that's the pinkish area at the base of the nail). If the break is through that area, if you see blood or redness around the base of the nail, have Mickey examined by the veterinarian. Clean off his paws as best he will let you. Check him all over for any bite wounds and have him examined if any area found. You may also just have him examined to be safe. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!

Hi and thanks for your request. This presentation could be due to a deep infection of the nails affecting the nail bed and going deeper. Fungal and bacterial infections are both possible. Please take Norman immediately to your local veterinarian as this suspicion needs to be confirmed asap and appropriate treatment given (anti-fungal meds or antibiotics). In the meantime, disinfection can be provided with hibiscrub solution with water 1:5 twice daily. If he tolerates that, please submerge the paw inside the solution.