OMG!! I feel like a bad mom!

So I was cuddling with my old kitty, Amadeus today and I noticed his foot looked funny. I took a closer look and one of his nails had grown all the way around and partially in to the pad!:( I feel to bad I hadn't even noticed! It was like it hadn't shed like normal. He wasn't limping or licking it or anything. So I carefully clipped the nail away (with much grumpiness and hissing lemme tell ya!) and cleaned up the pad with some peroxide and put some panalog ointment on it. It looks better already and he's leaving it alone.

I've never had this happen before, has anyone else? Is it more common with older kitties? Amadeus is 13 and I'll be keeping an eye out to make sure it doesn't happen again. I felt so neglectful!

Kat,

How often to you clip your cat's nails? That is what happens when they aren't trimmed. No, you're not a bad mother. Sometimes a nail can be overlooked (like the dew claw) and it will grow into the pad. You did the right thing in clipping and removing it and treating the pad. I inspect my cats claws every week just to make sure. And I am religious about clipping them every 2 weeks.

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Originally posted by moosmom
Kat,

How often to you clip your cat's nails? That is what happens when they aren't trimmed. No, you're not a bad mother. Sometimes a nail can be overlooked (like the dew claw) and it will grow into the pad. You did the right thing in clipping and removing it and treating the pad. I inspect my cats claws every week just to make sure. And I am religious about clipping them every 2 weeks.

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I don't normally clip their nails. Elvis has a funky one that will grow weird so I keep an eye on it. I like them to be sharp in case they need to bap the dogs, but I guess I'll have to make it a routine to inspect them. :)

That did happen to me once with Max, but he wouldn't let me clip it so I had to take him to the Vet. Anyway it's a lesson well-learned and now I check his nails every few weeks. Don't feel bad at all. It happens to best of us.

It is very hard to notice something wrong with a pet when she or he is showing no symptoms! I am sure that you are a very good meowmie :)

I don't trim Pixel's claws as she keeps them worn down by scratching everything in site. I will be investing in a cat tree as soon as I can :)