Brittle nails

Does anyone have any suggestions for brittle nails?

Shamas has ANOTHER split nail, and we're off to the vet tommorrow to have it cut and filed back.

Seems like it happens every 3-4 months.

Anything I can feed him to help?
 

Cath

MLF Sales Coordinator
Can you tell us about Biotin, where do you get it from and how much to you give your dog. Thanks
 
I can't find where I got mine, I think they may have changed the packaging to confuse me.

I deal with petsupermarket, petdrugsonline and zooplus so it could have been any of them or amazon.
I give 2 tablets a day but it will tell you on the tub, I think it was about £15.
 
So the vet doesn't seem to think anything will help his nails, except cutting them more often. Since they grow unevenly, I may just set up biweekly trims at the local groomer for any nail that needs it.

This is his worst one yet- They had to use a local aenesthetic before he'd let them touch his paw.
 
Well, we're back in again for another nail that came off yesterday. I had to trim it right back behind the break, which left it jagged, so we're meeting a new vet today to have it looked at. They know he's anxious. And that he growled at our last back-up vet for moving in too fast. He needs time and understanding. They also know that sometimes his broken nails need a local before he'll let them look.

what I want from them is advice on perhaps a diet that will support strengthening his nails. If they can give me a supplement I'll be happy. I wasn't able to get biotin from the pet store.

I think this is the same digit that he was in for in December, only it grew back separated from the quick- which may need some further care than simply grinding it down. We'll see how it grows in this time. He also broke two back claws since then, so I'm going to have Firth run bloodwork next week when he goes in for his vaccines
 
Homer went though a phase of breaking and splitting his nails. He hasn't had a split once since the summer. At one point no sooner had one healed and grown back than another one went. They all look quite strong and heathy at the moment, he has one that grows out at a slightly funny angle after being damaged. I'm not sure what has changed that may have had an effect. I've mixed up the flavours of his food with fish or turkey or pork, and he's been a lot less anxious recently.
 
So the nail we're in for today is not the first nail growing in wrong....it's the first nail breaking a second time. OOF!

Dr Trina trimmed it back as much as Shamas would allow, but stopped when he got stressed out. She's of the opinion that the trauma of pushing the issue and filing the nail is more than the potential trauma of leaving it and possibly getting it caught. Which she thinks is unlikely due to the location of the snag on the top of the toe.

I officially have my back-up vet.

Best part--Dr Trina, and her assistant, Wendy are both former employees at Dr Firth's office! So we already know them :)

I'm thrilled to bits!
 
So we had Dr Firth look at the nail today, and it's been diagnosed as a fungal infection of the nail bed. I'm to wash it twice daily with preoxide, followed by the blue stuff they gave me to wash Matt's cyst when it was drained. I can't pronounce it, but it's a strong wound cleanser.


And we're starting Shamas on collagen 1 tsp daily.
 
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