Infected Claw?

[Ashley&me]

Hi there! My gal - Ashley is a long hair breed. She always have some gunk/crust when her claws are extended but they can always easily get brushed away when I give her a bath. The last time I try to clip her nails, she was really uncomfortable. The crust is now brownish and greenish and I can’t remove it at all. She is normal all the time but when I try to reach for her claws, she will make a lot of noise and exhibit discomfort. Am scheduling an appt with her vet but has anyone experience this before?

 

[neely]

Welcome to TCS! I'm glad you joined the site and came here for advice about Ashley. Has she scratched anything unusual lately or got her claw stuck in something and had difficulty removing it? Although I've never had any personal experience with one of my cat's claws having a brown and green crust I think it would concern me and 'possibly' be a sign of infection. I'm glad you have scheduled an appointment with your vet. Please keep us posted on her progress.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Yep...there may well be some infection there. That's the first thing I think of when I hear "green and crusty." It could well be that she caught her claw in something and damaged the nailbed pulling it out.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I don't have any experience with this at all. But, is this crusty stuff just on one nail bed or all? If only one, it is likely to be from an infection due to an injury. If it is on multiple nails, that could possibly mean some sort of fungal infection.

Since she is sensitive about it is probably a bacterial or fungal infection, and most likely can be easily treated with antibiotics once the vet has had an opportunity to look at it.