Broken Claw

[FunfettiSquid]

I was trimming the claws of one of my cats this afternoon, and it looks like he's somehow broken one on his back foot right at the base. It was hard to get a good picture holding both him and my phone, but it looks like the whole thing is turned almost 90 degrees. He's totally an indoor cat and is running around like normal, but he was unusually wriggly and uncooperative when I picked him up and started touching his paws, so I think it must be at least uncomfortable for him. Is there anything I can or should do to help him out?

 

[silent meowlook]

He may have broken a toe if I am seeing that correctly. Do you have a vet you can send that picture to? Is he walking ok? Could this be an old injury? I’m talking about the toe that’s going in the wrong direction. What does the toe and nail do when he walks?

 

[FunfettiSquid]

I just checked his paw again - from the bottom you can see all his toe pads lined up normally, looking fine, and not eliciting a pain reaction when handled. A lot of the quick of that claw is visible now, and most of the end part of the nail that is separated and sideways in the prior photo is even more detached and looking ready to just fall off now. He is climbing up onto the back of the sofa to hang out and running over to the food bowl to beg for early dinner, so I believe he is likely fine. I think in the prior photo I was kind of pressing on paw in the way I would when I trim his claws, but I'll sent a photo over to my vet to see what she thinks.

 

[FunfettiSquid]

I should also add that he just had his annual checkup with the vet in March with no issues then, but obviously I'll see what she recommends.

 

[silent meowlook]

Ok, if it is just the claw, sometimes vets will put them on antibiotics.

I am not a vet. If this was my own cat, I would keep an eye on it and make sure litter doesn’t get stuck to it, and if it did I would use shredded paper until it was healed.