Why are my senior cat's nails missing, bleeding, and causing pain?

I think your vet will have to do more investigation to determine what is going on with Tiberius' nails. I do not think you are likely dealing with a vitamin deficiency (especially if he is on a commercial diet) or a birth problem. Since he is young, he may have a fungal infection that is involving his nail beds. Another possibility is an auto-immune condition or a drug reaction (both of which would be unusual in a young cat). Unfortunately, cases involving nail beds can sometimes be difficult to diagnose and will sometimes require a biopsy. Hopefully your veterinarian can determine what is going on with a little more testing and determine the best treatment for Tiberius. Good luck! I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

She probably got the nails stuck on a blanket or something and they got ripped. I doubt a tussle with the other cat would do that but I guess it's possible. If it is not bothering her it is best to just leave it alone for now. Monitor her for any worsening by looking at it once a day and keep her nails trimmed to prevent this from happening again! Great question!

Cuty’s foot looks very irritated and abnormal. I’d worry that she has an infection or a tumor that has caused her nails to fall off. I would recommend having a vet examine her foot right away. They might recommend an x-ray of her foot.

This presentation may be compatible with a infection and the weird smell may come from the presence of pus. A picture would be extremely helpful to confirm it. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This can be a sign of a fungal infection of the nail base. If the nails do not appear normal it could also be a sign of certain autoimmune nail diseases. I would recommend seeing a veterinarian - ringworm is one type of fungus that could cause an infection and the treatment is very different from a yeast fungal infection so your veterinarian may want to run some tests. If there are changes to the nail or paw pads your veterinarian may want to take a sample for biopsy to rule out immune diseases like pemphigus.

It is normal for cats to shed some of their nails as they grow out. This is why it is helpful to have things like a scratching post in your home so she can keep up with her nail health. I would look for signs of limping or excessive licking of the feet, if you see any of these it could indicate that her feet are hurting her and a trip to the vet would be indicated.