My dog's nail has white spots and is breaking. Fungus? Treatment?

Hello my name is Dr. Shines and I am happy to help. The nail looks yellow and brittle from the photo. Most often this is due to an infection. Fungus can make nails look like this. I recommend to make an appointment with Elle's veterinarian. She'll get tested for fungus and likely get a medicated, pet safe, ointment. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

This may be a resistant infection or the area may keep getting reinfected because it is in a highly mobile spot where contamination is very easy (the foot). I would recommend taking your dog back to the vet for a recheck and having her sedated for the examination. This way the doctor will be able to closely examine the toe and the nail. The doctor will then be able to clip the nails back far enough to hopefully remove the problem. There is also a specific disease of the toenails that may need long-term treatment from specific medications. This is an auto-immune disease, lipoid onchodystrophy, and has a very specific presentation. Your vet should be able to determine if your dog has this condition with a thorough exam. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I don’t think that the spot in the picture looks like a bruise. To me it looks like maybe a spit of yeast overgrowth. It can cause some itchiness and licking, which makes it grow even faster. You can try bathing the affected areas with a medicated shampoo, like the one linked below. Do this three times a week for a couple weeks. If it seems to increase, affect more toes, you see more licking, etc I would see a vet for more specific treatment. Dechra MiconaHex + Triz Shampoo for Dogs, Cats & Horses (8oz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YFFLL4F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_N5G89AEZF1GJXN3R0TKH

Poor Ruger - I'm so sorry for his past difficulties as well as for what he's going through now - he's so lucky to have found you. The first thing I would want to rule out is ringworm in this location. I know it sounds strange, however it can get into the nailbed and cause the kind of brittle, discolored nails you're seeing. Ringworm is actually a fungus and not a worm as some people think. Your vet can run a fungal culture using shavings from the nails to check for this. If the culture comes back negative, I would probably next consider whether this could be a case of lupoid onychodystrophy. German Shepherds are predisposed to this disease, and since Ruger is a mix it's worth considering. Treatment can be challenging, but it's worth trying several things including omega-3 fatty acids, antibiotics such as doxycycline, and pentoxyfillne to increase blood flow to the region. Some dogs will also respond to steroid therapy. Best of luck getting this figured out.

Well done for spotting this! It is most likely due to abrasion during exercise but i would continue to monitor for any progression further up the nail or to other toes which may require further investigation to rule out fungal infections and autoimmune disorders

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Brando. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. There are diseases that can leave the toe nails brittle. If he is healthy, then a fatty acid supplement may help. I hope this information helps!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Brittle nails or nails that split easily may be due to them being overgrown, due to nutritional imbalance, or certain diseases such as endocrine diseases like Cushing's disease. Certain autoimmune diseases like Lupoid Onychodystrophy can sometimes cause nails to become fragile and crack. I would make sure Chloe is eating a high quality commercial diet that contains fatty acids such as Omega 3 fatty acids and also vitamin E. I would also recommend having Chloe seen by her veterinarian for this as well to rule out any underlying disorders that could be contributing. Your veterinarian may recommend blood work or other diagnostics tests to help determine if any underlying cause is present. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!