Wondering if anyone else has experience trimming dark claws?

[Moonshade]

My cat Echo, 13, has arthritis and is not as steady on his feet as he used to be. His legs and hind feet in particular are sensitive, and his hind claws are longer and thicker than his front claws, enough to click on the floor and it seems to make it uncomfortable for him to walk (he waddles). I have a quality claw trimmer meant for cats, but it only seems to crush the thick hind claws.
Lately, ONE of his middle hind claws has grown longer than the others, sticking out almost at an angle, and it has a dark line going through the middle. I've read before that the line is simply discoloration from age, but I worry about hurting him, since his feet are sensitive. Has anyone else had this experience and clipped it anyway? Or does anyone know how to prevent the claw getting splintered?

 

[Kris107]

Crushing and splintering makes me think the clippers aren't good? Are they the scissor type? Can you see where the quick ends on that nail? Look from the side? Or just nip the very tip so it isn't sharp, leaving length.

 

[amethyst]

Would using a nail grinder be an option at all rather then cutting? I haven't had much luck with that for my cats so I don't have any advise there. What I normally do with my older cats or ones that don't like getting nails done so don't sit still is just clip the tip of the nail rather then trying to cut the whole nail. You may need to try nail clippers for dogs if the nails are thick and the cat clippers splinter them, dog's nails are normally thicker and tougher then cats so dog nail clippers might work better.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Feeby's back claws were thicker as she aged, and while they didn't exactly splinter, the outer sheath would crumble/break apart during trimming. Could that be what you are experiencing? The thin line you are seeing sounds like the vein that runs through part of the nail; that is considered the 'quick' and you want to cut beyond where that line ends, or you could get some bleeding. It seems to me that Feeby's middle nail was also longer, and I could more easily see that line compared to all the other nails, so I always made sure to leave it a bit longer just to make sure I avoided the vein.

All cats don't seem to be as steady on non-carpeted flooring, and it does get worse with age and arthritis. If you can, you might consider getting some rug runners to place down in areas where Echo frequents.

 

[iPappy]

When you trim his nails, is he standing on a surface or are you holding him in your lap?
I would make sure your clippers are sharp. I'm more comfortable handling a small set of dog nail clippers vs. the cat style, so that's what I use. Most of my cats have gotten thicker, longer rear nails as they age and if darkness of the nail is a concern, a good rule of thumb is to clip just below the area where the nail begins to curl a bit back up into the foot. In other words, taking off just the tips and then a little bit should work.
Sarah let me dremel her back toenails as she aged. It was great because the trim lasted much longer, and it got all those little pieces of nail sheaths off. But not all cats will allow this, if you attempt it make sure you let him hear the sound of the dremel and keep it on the lowest rotating setting.

 

[Meowmee]

You might need to try one of the dog clippers. I have never had that where they had a dark line going through their nails so I would ask the DVM about it. I used the little scissor type cat clippers and they seem to work pretty well for me.

However, I do not trim my cats back claws because they won’t let me and they were always thicker Even when they were younger… occasionally on my past cats if I saw that one of them got sharp I would just cut the tip off.

it’s always good to do it with a bright light nearby so you can see what you are doing, and I try to do my cats as quickly as possible before they get too upset about it because none of them are easy to do. I usually sneak up on them when they’re half asleep that helps.

 

[Moonshade]

Feeby's back claws were thicker as she aged, and while they didn't exactly splinter, the outer sheath would crumble/break apart during trimming. Could that be what you are experiencing? The thin line you are seeing sounds like the vein that runs through part of the nail; that is considered the 'quick' and you want to cut beyond where that line ends, or you could get some bleeding. It seems to me that Feeby's middle nail was also longer, and I could more easily see that line compared to all the other nails, so I always made sure to leave it a bit longer just to make sure I avoided the vein.

All cats don't seem to be as steady on non-carpeted flooring, and it does get worse with age and arthritis. If you can, you might consider getting some rug runners to place down in areas where Echo frequents.

Yes, it is more like the outer sheath that splinters. I just worry it could hurt him! But I have a steady hand and I'm experienced with trimming front claws, been doing it since I was a kid so I know to just get the tips. It's just harder with hind claws because like I said, I worry the sheath crumbling might hurt him. And the dark line runs along the very front of the claw all the way to the tip.

 

[Moonshade]

Crushing and splintering makes me think the clippers aren't good? Are they the scissor type? Can you see where the quick ends on that nail? Look from the side? Or just nip the very tip so it isn't sharp, leaving length.

It's the scissor type, and they work perfect on front claws. I'm experienced with trimming the front no problems, and I can see where the quick ends, but it's like a few of his hind claws are too thick to clip the very tips cleanly, that's why it splinters. And that's what I worry might hurt him, i was wondering if anyone has experienced splintered sheaths hurting the kitty. Would it be best to just leave it alone then?

 

[Kris107]

The outer sheath is something that typically sheds off, so when you clip, it isn't that uncommon that that loosens. I often find those all around the house. I've also pulled loose ones out. It shouldn't be painful to do that.

 

[FeebysOwner]

And that's what I worry might hurt him, i was wondering if anyone has experienced splintered sheaths hurting the kitty.

Feeby was never 'thrilled' to have her claws trimmed, but I saw no indication that it was due to any discomfort, including the splintering of the sheaths. It looked more to me like general annoyance, particularly after I got through the 3/4 of the nails. It was like 'aren't you done yet?".

 

[iPappy]

Feeby was never 'thrilled' to have her claws trimmed, but I saw no indication that it was due to any discomfort, including the splintering of the sheaths. It looked more to me like general annoyance, particularly after I got through the 3/4 of the nails. It was like 'aren't you done yet?".

This is how Sarah was, too. The sheathes almost always splintered near the ends after clipping, and she never reacted negatively to that sensation. When she was trimmed and dremeled, I'd use my fingers and gently "pull down" on the nail to remove all the loose pieces and she never seemed upset by this.

 

[tabbytom]

It's the scissor type, and they work perfect on front claws. I'm experienced with trimming the front no problems, and I can see where the quick ends, but it's like a few of his hind claws are too thick to clip the very tips cleanly, that's why it splinters. And that's what I worry might hurt him, i was wondering if anyone has experienced splintered sheaths hurting the kitty. Would it be best to just leave it alone then?

I use a good quality medium size hooman nail clipper for my boy. It has a holder (white piece) for the nail clippings so that I don't have to clear the nail clippings after clipping. But if you can't find one with a holder is also ok.



To avoid splinters, (refer to diagram) I trim my boy's nails by holding and gently squeezing the paw to extend the nail and instead of cutting face on to the nail, I turn the clipper sideways so I snip off from the flat part of the nail and I don't cut them too short as the clipper may cut the 'quick' and the nail will bleed and it is very painful for the cat and you may have trouble clipping it the next time as they remember the pain.
Place the clipper and follow the flow of the nail and trim off the tip.

Sheaths are found at places where they usually scratch on something like a scratch board.






Edit : When you clip the nail, clip it in one quick motion to avoid fraying the nail.

 

[Kwik]

I also use human clippers,always have

My cat Echo, 13, has arthritis and is not as steady on his feet as he used to be. His legs and hind feet in particular are sensitive, and his hind claws are longer and thicker than his front claws, enough to click on the floor and it seems to make it uncomfortable for him to walk (he waddles). I have a quality claw trimmer meant for cats, but it only seems to crush the thick hind claws.
Lately, ONE of his middle hind claws has grown longer than the others, sticking out almost at an angle, and it has a dark line going through the middle. I've read before that the line is simply discoloration from age, but I worry about hurting him, since his feet are sensitive. Has anyone else had this experience and clipped it anyway? Or does anyone know how to prevent the claw getting splintered?View attachment 493038View attachment 493039View attachment 493040

Those paw photos are adorable- Wow,is he really Chocolate? A rare beauty!

By " splinter " you mean the outer layer loosening and splitting apart ,right? They naturally shed that sheath off with"new" nail growth,it's a layer that comes off easily.... you've probably seen a thin slice( husk) of Echos nails on the floor many times throughout the years because their claws grow in layers..... so what you've described is very normal,with an emery board you can smooth the " spintered" or separated part and its likely the husk will come off

I've always used human clippers myself,I always suggest everyone have styptic powder on hand,just in case... if you do accidentally nip the quick it stops the bleeding instantly- or any minor cut......my neighbor nipped her poor cats toe( digital pad) while clipping his nails - many blood vessels so significant bleeding with a teeny nik( & painful too)..the quick can bleed profusely and be very painful so it's much better to cut too little than too much

 

[tabbytom]

I've always used human clippers myself,I always suggest everyone have styptic powder on hand,just in case... if you do accidentally nip the quick it stops the bleeding instantly- or any minor cut......my neighbor nipped her poor cats toe( digital pad) while clipping his nails - many blood vessels so significant bleeding with a teeny nik( & painful too)..the quick can bleed profusely and be very painful so it's much better to cut too little than too much

To add on, if you don't have styptic powder, ordinary corn flour will do.

 

[Kwik]

To add on, if you don't have styptic powder, ordinary corn flour will do.

This is true or a mixture of cornstarch & baking soda as well..... if don't have that ,use
flour

I keep" Kwik Stop" on hand,I like the name, lol

 

[slick_wolfman]

it has a dark line going through the middle. I've read before that the line is simply discoloration from age

I set up an account just to reply to this... No worries about the line, it's not related to age or indicative of any sort of problem... it's a black cat thing!

One of my boys is a black cat, and my prior cat was as well. My current cat is a generic mix with very shiny, true solid black fur (actually black toes, no hidden markings showing up in the sunlight) like a Bombay, and all of his nails have that stripe... He fights me about trimming his nails, but he's still learning to deal with it, because he's only six months old. I don't think he's Benjamin Button, so we can rule out age as the cause of the stripe.

My last cat was part Siamese/similar breed, and also solid black (purple toes, visible stripes/darker muzzle in the light), but I guess his fur was technically extremely dark brown. Only some of his nails had that stripe. He never had any problems with his toes or claws, and he was always very good about letting me trim them, so I don't think the stripe has anything to do with your baby's sensitive toes, either.

As for the one nail getting extra long/thick, that is an age thing. Another cat I had years ago experienced this. She was too old to use a scratching post much, and she absolutely hated anyone coming near her with nail trimmers (seriously, she gave me a black eye once!). We noticed one of her claws had gotten super thick and long, and our vet told us that yes, this happens when they're older, specifically because they're not as likely to use scratchers and therefore less able to shed the outer sheath of their claws. He also said if we didn't bite the bullet and deal with it, it would just continue getting thicker and longer until it grew back into her toe.

I got a brand new pair of trimmers so they'd be as sharp as possible, and my husband & I (how does it take TWO people to restrain a 6 lb cat‽) teamed up to deal with it. It was very difficult to find the quick of her nail, and it took a lot more force than normal to trim, but eventually I got it.

 

[SueLinda]

So, I have to say this----sounds like a movie character from Star Wars.
Dark Claw......

 

[Kwik]

I set up an account just to reply to this... No worries about the line, it's not related to age or indicative of any sort of problem... it's a black cat thing!

One of my boys is a black cat, and my prior cat was as well. My current cat is a generic mix with very shiny, true solid black fur (actually black toes, no hidden markings showing up in the sunlight) like a Bombay, and all of his nails have that stripe... He fights me about trimming his nails, but he's still learning to deal with it, because he's only six months old. I don't think he's Benjamin Button, so we can rule out age as the cause of the stripe.

My last cat was part Siamese/similar breed, and also solid black (purple toes, visible stripes/darker muzzle in the light), but I guess his fur was technically extremely dark brown. Only some of his nails had that stripe. He never had any problems with his toes or claws, and he was always very good about letting me trim them, so I don't think the stripe has anything to do with your baby's sensitive toes, either.

As for the one nail getting extra long/thick, that is an age thing. Another cat I had years ago experienced this. She was too old to use a scratching post much, and she absolutely hated anyone coming near her with nail trimmers (seriously, she gave me a black eye once!). We noticed one of her claws had gotten super thick and long, and our vet told us that yes, this happens when they're older, specifically because they're not as likely to use scratchers and therefore less able to shed the outer sheath of their claws. He also said if we didn't bite the bullet and deal with it, it would just continue getting thicker and longer until it grew back into her toe.

I got a brand new pair of trimmers so they'd be as sharp as possible, and my husband & I (how does it take TWO people to restrain a 6 lb cat‽) teamed up to deal with it. It was very difficult to find the quick of her nail, and it took a lot more force than normal to trim, but eventually I got it.

Welcome to TCS

A dark line or stripe can very well be " natural" pigments- it's melanin distribution but it can also indicate an underlying issue as well,especially if it was not always there .So if the claw had a line suddenly appear it's a good idea to see the Vet to rule out an infection,fungus or some other issue..
or it can be from age but more likely was a response to infection that msy have been resolved

Echo is 13- with no other symptoms like redness,discharge etc and since that one claw has also started to grow longer and a line is now visible I'd guess there was an inflammation at one time Moonshade - the Vet can give a proper diagnosis to be certain

 

[iPappy]

I set up an account just to reply to this... No worries about the line, it's not related to age or indicative of any sort of problem... it's a black cat thing!

One of my boys is a black cat, and my prior cat was as well. My current cat is a generic mix with very shiny, true solid black fur (actually black toes, no hidden markings showing up in the sunlight) like a Bombay, and all of his nails have that stripe... He fights me about trimming his nails, but he's still learning to deal with it, because he's only six months old. I don't think he's Benjamin Button, so we can rule out age as the cause of the stripe.

My last cat was part Siamese/similar breed, and also solid black (purple toes, visible stripes/darker muzzle in the light), but I guess his fur was technically extremely dark brown. Only some of his nails had that stripe. He never had any problems with his toes or claws, and he was always very good about letting me trim them, so I don't think the stripe has anything to do with your baby's sensitive toes, either.

As for the one nail getting extra long/thick, that is an age thing. Another cat I had years ago experienced this. She was too old to use a scratching post much, and she absolutely hated anyone coming near her with nail trimmers (seriously, she gave me a black eye once!). We noticed one of her claws had gotten super thick and long, and our vet told us that yes, this happens when they're older, specifically because they're not as likely to use scratchers and therefore less able to shed the outer sheath of their claws. He also said if we didn't bite the bullet and deal with it, it would just continue getting thicker and longer until it grew back into her toe.

I got a brand new pair of trimmers so they'd be as sharp as possible, and my husband & I (how does it take TWO people to restrain a 6 lb cat‽) teamed up to deal with it. It was very difficult to find the quick of her nail, and it took a lot more force than normal to trim, but eventually I got it.

Welcome to the site!!!
I hear you on it taking two people to restrain a tiny cat. My Sarah was about 6 pounds but strong as a little ox!