Polydactyl -- Extra Toes And Issues They Can Cause?

[servals]

Hello!

I've got a wonderful polydactyl cat named Nico. I've had him for about a year and a half so far. I remember when I first brought him into the vet I asked if there's anything I should know or any extra issues that having that extra toe can cause. The answer was something along the lines of "no I don't think so," but this was at a veterinary teaching hospital and I was speaking with a student, and I'm not sure what experience he'd had so far with polydactyls.

I've had no issues so far, but I am noticing that.. The extra claw can't retract? Or so it seems? His "thumb" claws need to be trimmed anyway, it's about that time.

For you other polydactyl owners or vets out there, are the extra toes non-retractable, and have you noticed any other paw issues throughout their lives? I know that keeping an eye out for overgrown claws is an issue since they don't generally use those claws on scratching posts and don't get naturally trimmed, but that's the limit of my knowledge.

He only has this mutation on his front paws and only has one extra toe per paw. He's only 4 years old right now.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

just bumping this up for you, since I don't have any polydactyl's

 

[IndyJones]

I don't have any myself but when I worked at the shelter there was a three year old cat who would always get the extra toes stuck on bedding and rip them opened. She wound up having the extra toes amputated because she ripped one of them right off.

 

[shadowplay]

One of my cats is polydactyl, and when I took her in to get spayed, my vet called me to warn me. She has normal size extra toes, and then some tiny toes in between the large ones. She recommended that I have the claws on the tiny toes removed, as they tend to get infected. I have no idea if this is common practice, so I'm sharing to let you know what my vet said, but I'm also wondering if others have heard the same thing.

 

[servals]

His paws so far haven't caused any issue like that, thankfully. I'm bringing him into a different vet to get his shots updated, and I will ask for a second opinion. His is indeed the mutation where it's not a complete extra and separate toe, the two pads are sort of conjoined on his thumb pad and there are two claws in the location.

He plays a little rough on the scratching post when he's really excited, and it's a post that's wrapped in rope. Luckily he hasn't snagged his extra claw. Perhaps he's learned to navigate it since it wasn't removed whenever he was neutered. I have no knowledge of his past before I adopted him, only that he was found as a stray.

I found an article written by a vet who says that she tends to remove the claw on the, er, toe-and-a-half's. So it could be standard/common.

 

[meuzettesmom]

I have three. You have to keep those nails trimmed short. Cazzy has issues with his nails growing into his foot.

 

[meuzettesmom]

See...this is Peanuts poe poes....

 

[meuzettesmom]

My other two ....both brothers.
Mittens the Brown tick tabbie. Cazzy is black and white.

 

[lyrajean]

We had a polydactyl named "Midori" that we got as a 4 yr old from our local HS. I asked the same questions of my Vet when I adopted her. the answer was and usually is 'no'. In rare cases there is something so wrong with the toes or nails that the extra digits have to be removed or declawed, but that is very rare.

Midori was only a poly on her front paws. She had double "thumbs" on each from paw. In between the regular paw and the extra digits she had non-retractible claws that were strangely thick (like 2 claws fused together). Luckily she was very cooperative with the nail trimming. It was almost like she knew she needed help.

I would not have the claws removed unless a problem develops.

She lived to be 13yrs old, a very nice kitty.