Kitten's claw is split - what do I do?

Our 9-month old kitten has split the "thumb" claw on her right paw. She went to chase a squirrel, and nearly fell off of our second-story terrace in her excitement. The terrace is concrete - she was hanging for a second before being able to pull herself back up, however the scratching on the concrete is what we think has split her nail.

Basically, it looks as though she has two nails - and there was slight bleeding which has stopped. She's even jumping up and down from windowsills, etc. with no visible problems.

Is there anything we can do to help this heal and fight off any infection? We have several products from previous "illnesses", such as "Animax" anti-biotic ointment, and "Clavamox" anti-biotic tablets. Of course, we also have standard Bacitracin ointment, plus gauze and tape if necessary.

Should we try to wrap the paw? Is it necessary to apply anything to the area? She seems to be okay - no limping (although she did a little limping at first), and she has stopped licking the paw now that the bleeding has stopped.

Is there anything we can do to help this heal quickly and easily? Does she need to be taken to the vet, or can we handle this on our own? If it looks infected at any point, we will of course go to the vet, but we'd like to avoid the trip if at all possible.

Thanks so much for any information.

I would just clip the claw as close to the quick as you can. When it starts growing again, keep clipping until the nail is whole again. There's not too much to worry about since the whole nail was not ripped out.

Sandie is so knowledgable that I hate to add anything. The only thing I worry about is the fact that it bled. Cats get infections so easily. I would keep it clean and keep my eyes open for swelling, and check for heat or any other signs of infection-for a little while, anyway.

My kitty did the same thing, and when I asked the vet he said unless she was showing signs that it might be infected or be bothering her there was nothing that needed to be done. As long as she doesn't start favoring it, running a fever, or having a hot or swollen paw, she'll be okay.