Claw Deformation And Missing Whiskers

[oblomova]

Dear cat lovers out there,
I recently adopted a 5 years old cat, which has no whiskers (never had) and his claws are weirdly deformed. They are very brittle, and sometimes break off when he walks. There are several toes where the claw has not grown back.
In spite of his condition he is very gentle, and quite assertive with regard to the other cats on the block.
The one problem is that his claws grow very fast, and, especially on the front paws, should be cut back every 3 to 4 months. Understandably he goes ballistic when one wants to touch his toes, so that I have to bring him to the vet and sedate him each time for his pedicure.
For completeness I should say that recently he was found to have inflammatory bowel, so now he gets cortisone injections.
So my question to you is, has anyone ever seen such such a condition? Here in Brussels, nobody has. Is there any other solution to anaesthesia every three months, or, brutally, declawing, which neither me nor my vet want to do.
I add a photo of his claw.
Thank you very much for your ideas
Claudia

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! It sounds as though when he was a kitten he didn't get all the appropriate nutrients, but I don't know. Hopefully those claws aren't painful - I'm assuming he walks just fine.

I would try working with your kitty. When he's relaxed, reach out towards his feet but don't touch them. Then next day or whenever, gently touch a paw and then back away.

Gradually over time, increase the time that you're touching his paws. Eventually, repeat this with claw clippers. At first just lay them on the floor somewhat near to him, but then pick them up after he's noticed them. Over time move them closer and closer, then touch his body with them.
Then touch his hip, or shoulder. Gradually move down his legs towards his paws.

Somewhere in the future, you hopefully will be able to actually touch a claw with a pair of clippers.

Then, the next step would be to gently take a hold of a paw, and touch a claw with the clippers.

Here's another way to think about it;
How To Best Take Care Of Cat Claws

It'll take time and patience, and if you use those to your advantage plus a treat after each positive interaction, I think you'll have good results

 

[Willowy]

Actually, that's what it looks like when a de-clawed cat's claws try to grow back because the nail bed wasn't properly removed :/. Is non-medical de-clawing legal in Brussels? It really looks like a botched de-claw to me. And since some of his claws are missing that may be a clue too. Unfortunately it is pretty painful for them when the claws grow back all wonky like that. Are his rear claws the same way?

Sadly, it may be best to do the nail bed removal surgery. If there's no way to make his claws grow back properly it would be more humane in the long run to just get it over with.

 

[silkenpaw]

The (human) geneticist in me says this is an ectodermal dysplasia of some sort. Please have someone look at his teeth, they may be abnormal and have an increased incidence of carries. The IBD is not part of the syndrome.

Good luck with getting him to tolerate nail clipping, you will get there with patience. I hope you don't have to declaw him but I think this is one of those rare cases where declawing needs to be considered. You have to decide whether the abnormal claws are causing him more pain than would be caused by the surgery an possibly subsequent complication of the abnormal gait.