Eleanor broke her nail?.. (might be graphic photos)

LogNic

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I’m not really sure since I haven’t dealt with this before.. but is there anything I can do without taking her to the vet? Money is so tight right now. Obviously, I’ll take her if need be, but I’m curious if there are other options.
She jumped into the tub and landed wrong on her foot. She isn’t complaining too much, she lets me clean it and I have a sock over it as of right now so she can walk and go to the bathroom without getting litter all mixed in there.. I also have a cone on her just in case she’s an escape artist again and gets out of the sock while I’m sleeping. The bleeding has stopped and I was able to clean it better today. The pictures are from yesterday after it happened.
I’m not even sure what a broken nail looks like on a cat or anything like that. She’s my first one. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
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verna davies

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I've no experience with this but in your position I would gentle bathe the nail to make sure it's clean. If you have any antiseptic cream suitable for a cat, please ensure it is suitable, apply a little. Keep checking for infection and if you see any signs such as weeping, swelling or redness, you need to go to the vet. I would imagine it is sore so if you can restrict her movements all the better. Is it bleeding?
 
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LogNic

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I've no experience with this but in your position I would gentle bathe the nail to make sure it's clean. If you have any antiseptic cream suitable for a cat, please ensure it is suitable, apply a little. Keep checking for infection and if you see any signs such as weeping, swelling or redness, you need to go to the vet. I would imagine it is sore so if you can restrict her movements all the better. Is it bleeding?
I appreciate you answering. I’ll definitely keep doing what I’m doing then and make sure to keep an extra eye on it. I’ll also go to the pet store and make sure I’m getting her the right cream.
It did bleed last night when it happened, but it has stopped since. (Took about 10 minutes)
 

silent meowlook

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Don’t put anything on it. She will just lick it off and that won’t be good for her. I personally would not get it wet because you want it to dry up.
Use shredded paper instead of litter.
 

Antonio65

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I can't understand where the nail has broken in the picture, but it seems that the bleeding has stopped or it is very little. I guess you put some disinfectant on the broken nail. As long as the nail is protected and kept clean, I think you shouldn't worry.

Looks very much like when I trim my cats' nails too much and they bleed for a while, but in a few days everything is back to fine.
Just keep an eye on the wound and if you see your cat is limping or feeling pain when you touch her, call a vet and explain them what happened.
 

verna davies

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I agree it needs to dry up but you also need to make sure it's clean first. As for any ointment, you only put a tiny amount so it will be absorbed quickly so just stop her from licking it for a little while. It's important that it doesn't get infected. I use Leucillin. Let us know how you get on.

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LogNic

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Thank you everyone for replying. I’ll definitely let everyone know how it goes. Just kind of scary since it’s my first time dealing with this. I appreciate everyone’s input.
 

DreamerRose

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Hi! My Lily tore off her whole claw about a year ago. I did take her to the vet because the bleeding wouldn't stop. The claw eventually grew out and is fine now.
Just put an antiseptic on the claw and keep it clean. It will grow out eventually.
 

IndyJones

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You can also use Epsom salt mixed with water to soak it. This is what I did for Indy after her nail was torn off.

Antiseptic might sting since the quick is exposed. The quick is like your nail bed, think slamming your finger in the car door and the nail tears off. That's what this is like. The quick is the fleshy stub where the nail grows from.

If your cat will use it switch to a pellet litter like yesterday's news or fresh news until the claw starts to grow back. Regular litter can cause infection if it sticks to the quick.
 
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LogNic

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Hey everyone, just wanted to give everyone an update. I did take her to the vet today and they said she tore a tendon. So pretty much how she explained it to me is she most likely caught it on something and pulled. Then that pulling motion dislocated the tip of her "finger" and the reason it's sticking up is because the top tendon didn't tear so it's contracting.

She said antibiotics and an anti inflammatory and then see if it "heals" on its own, but it'll never be normal. Or we can go in to surgery and take off the tip of her finger. She said if she keeps getting it snagged on things and is noticeably bothered by it then surgery is recommended.
 
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