Claws Shredded To The Quick

[furmonster mom]

Soooo....
My neighbor found a cat alongside the freeway on-ramp to one of the main roads nearby.
I took her in and noticed that she was favoring her front feet and she definitely didn't want them touched. So, I took her to the vet to get a better (and more professional) look at them.

Sure enough, all her claws (front & back) were shredded to the quick, plus her pads where chapped and blistered.
We gave her some pain meds for a few days and kept her in a bathroom to restrict her movement until her feet felt better.
Now, she seems fairly recovered as far as her pads go; they are peeling, but showing healthy skin. She's running around, putting weight on them, jumping, etc.,.

But the claws... the claws.... I just don't know ...
She is using the scratching post, but she tends to shake her paws afterward (like, ouch!). I don't see any new growth, though it's been a couple weeks now. Should I? or am I being impatient and overly anxious? I've never seen claws that were in such bad shape.

Here's a pic of one... they are all like this, some even worse.
Will they even grow back? Will they grow back deformed?
What can I do to encourage healthy growth?

 

[jcat]

Ouch! The poor thing really needed the care you've provided her!

Jamie, our last cat, managed to tear a claw out, i.e., break it almost completely off, after getting it caught in the top of a radiator. While the wound was healing, antiseptic had to be applied every day. It took months - IIRC about four - for the claw to grow back. When it did, it was gray rather than white and crooked, so I had to keep it clipped for the rest of his life. Otherwise it would have put pressure on the adjoining toe. The vet had warned that there was a possibility of it becoming ingrown as it grew, but that didn't happen.

I imagine that's the type of thing you'll have to look out for as her claws regrow.

 

[Jem]

We had a cat who also ripped out a claw, thankfully it grew back with no problems but as jcat mentioned, it was several months before it grew back and we did saline dips on his paw to keep it clean and prevent infection until the hole left behind was all scabbed over. (Yeah, THAT was fun! LOL!) His paw stayed sore (that we noticed) for almost 2 weeks. He also sprained
Did the vet mention if the quick was damaged at all? As far as my understanding is, if the quick was not damaged, they should grow back fine, but it will take some time.
I wonder if you could try to not let use the scratching post for a bit, or cover them in a soft blanket, pillow case, anything without texture, so it's not too rough on her paws that are still quite sensitive. (I mean, without claws, she won't be ripping it all up). I honestly don't know if she'll use them if their covered but, I'm just thinking of how sensitive her paws must be. Poor thing!
Glad she has you to care for her!!!

 

[Willowy]

Ooow! I've heard that cats who have a close call with a car will have shredded nails, because they scrambled on the road to get away, but I've never seen it myself. She's a lucky girl!

They should grow back just fine, though it may take a few months. Just keep an eye out for infection or complications.

 

[furmonster mom]

As far as I can tell, none of the claws have actually been torn out. They've just been worn down.

Not sure about wrapping the tree... it's pretty big... that would be a lot of wrapping, lol. WE also have our resident 15 year old cat to think about.

I asked the vet about an ointment, but she said that cats always seem to find a way to lick the stuff off... which, given the feline's delicate system, could cause other problems. When I suggested an epsom salt bath, she basically said "good luck with that!". I understand what she's saying, and at the time we weren't looking to invest a lot of extra because we were looking for her home.

And yes, we do believe she has a family missing her out there. She had collar fur (collar missing, no chip), was clean and fed, has been spayed, and is not carrying any diseases (had her tested). Our guess is that she escaped, found herself in a desperate situation, and tried to climb one of the many cinderblock/stucco walls that surround most of our neighborhoods.

Now, however, it's been a couple weeks (going on 3) and not a single call or response to the flyers/signs we've put up. Hubby has been looking at online boards and found a few close possibilities. We called on the one that was the closest match, but no response.

We've not named her... but she's definitely attached herself to hubby.

 

[Willowy]

Does your town have a Facebook lost and found pet page? That can be a good way to find the owners.

 

[Kflowers]

We rescued one who had worn his claws down to nubs. He patiently waited until they grew back, about 4-5 months. No medicines, just time. The day they were fully grown back he demanded to be let outside (will not go into how he made his demands, I've never had one so ... nevermind.) He spent the first night yowling out challenges to any and all cats within the sound of his voice.

He was always a difficult cat.

 

[furmonster mom]

Hubby has been looking at online boards and found a few close possibilities. We called on the one that was the closest match, but no response.

I'm not on FB but Hubby is.

 

[catapault]

If the cat was found near a freeway o-nramp it may have been dumped. Which is also an explanation for the shredded claws.

If you do use an epsom salt soak, finish with a plain water rinse. Should the cat lick any of the epsom salt moisture off its feet they can get diarrhea.

 

[furmonster mom]

If the cat was found near a freeway o-nramp it may have been dumped. Which is also an explanation for the shredded claws.

Yah... it makes me very sad to contemplate this possibility. She was obviously well taken care of at one time. I understand that sometimes life takes bad turn, but why anyone would dump an animal on the freeway instead of taking to a rescue shelter is beyond me.

 

[FelisCatus]

Yah... it makes me very sad to contemplate this possibility. She was obviously well taken care of at one time. I understand that sometimes life takes bad turn, but why anyone would dump an animal on the freeway instead of taking to a rescue shelter is beyond me.

Some shelters charge you a fee to drop off a cat, if you’re a bad person who is getting rid of a cat, you are also most likely thinking why waste the money.

For example in my city it costs $150 CAD for an intake.

As for my recommendation as to what you can do to promote healing... coconut oil... coconut oil to the max. This should fix up her peeling pawpads and might help the claws/quick. Just buy a jar of cold-pressed coconut oil at any grocery store/Walmart. If it’s in a solid state, put it in a warm room like the kitchen during cooking and apply it to the paws. It’s also safe for them to lick off (unlike ointments your vet recommended) and will help with hairballs. Shouldn’t cost more than $6 CAD.

Thanks for taking her in, the world needs more people like you and your husband !

If you’re taking name suggestions... by the paw coat (Didn’t see a full body pic): I would name her ‘Coco’ or ‘Coconut’, hehe

 

[LittleShadow]

You may also want to see if there are any feral colony caretakers around your area. Since this cat isn't tipped and had collar fur, it's probably a pet, but the colony caretaker may know other cat people and might hear something.

 

[Kflowers]

Sometimes cats and dogs turn up miles away from home because a disgruntled SO or ex-SO is pissed off and takes them and dumps them just so their owner will never know what happened to them.

Sometimes an SO or parent just doesn't want to deal with the animal any more and dumps it.

Sometimes it's someone who hates the owner.

Sometimes the owner dies and the family doesn't want to keep the pet or take it to a shelter and turns it out to survive.

 

[furmonster mom]

You may also want to see if there are any feral colony caretakers around your area. Since this cat isn't tipped and had collar fur, it's probably a pet, but the colony caretaker may know other cat people and might hear something.

Yah... We are in the middle of suburbia, and our neighborhood butts right up against a freeway. The cat was actually found on the other side of the freeway from our neighborhood. I've papered all the neighborhoods on that side... most were gated, so that was tricky.

I actually run the back roads on that side of the freeway, so am familiar with the neighborhoods and traffic patterns over there. While I was posting flyers, I ran into a lady who mentioned they had a feral colony in an empty lot (which is part of my running route). Heck, I even posted flyers at the local churches.

This is not my first rodeo looking for owners... I've actually been fairly successful at it, and I usually get a few calls each time before finding the right owners. This time, not a single call. So, I am leaning more and more to the possibility that she was dumped.

 

[LittleShadow]

I hate it when people dump. Our old cat Simon was (probably) a dump. His fur was so long and plumey he couldn't groom it properly himself, and he was neutered so he'd probably been a pet at some point. At first glance we mistook him for a munchkin cross of some sort, though once we were able to touch him, we realized his legs were the regular length, it was just that his upper legs were fully matted to his body and he couldn't move them without pain. A trip to the groomers for a shave to the skin fixed that, so it was a much easier fix that shredded claws at least. He never did learn to accept brushing again though, so we had to have him trimmed 3-4 times a year to keep his fur to a length that wouldn't mat again.

I wish you best of luck in finding the owner, and if you can't, I hope the cat settles in and lives a long and happy life with you or whoever you rehome it with.

 

[furmonster mom]

couple pics....

 

[LittleShadow]

Oh my god, she's gorgeous! Are those beautiful blue eyes I see? Awwww.....I want to cuddle her.....blow her a kiss from me?

 

[FelisCatus]

couple pics....

She’s so beautiful!

I would still name her Coco/Coconut

 

[furmonster mom]

Yes, she is really very pretty, and has beautiful blue eyes. The pics only do partial justice.
She's also really sweet tempered... still a little put off with Loki (our resident ol' man), but not to the point of aggression.
She is ALL about Hubby. If she's downstairs and hears him come home or move around in his office, she has to greet/investigate what he's doing.
Hubby says if we don't find her family soon, all bets are off! lol

 

[CL56]

What a love she is !
And what loves you guys are for taking care of her.