Possible Injury from Claw Caps

[fleshflowers]

You guys..

Murphy just got these claw caps put on by a vet tech the other day and I just noticed one is missing and this is the state of her claw. This isn't normal, right??

 

[verna davies]

It looks fine to me. By the look of it they cut her claws down before putting on the caps but that nail looks fine.

 

[fleshflowers]

It looks fine to me. By the look of it they cut her claws down before putting on the caps but that nail looks fine.

Oh good! It looked like the nail bed was exposed to me, and it looks wet. But maybe she just got done licking it. I was worried!

 

[verna davies]

There is no redness showing and it looks healthy.

 

[silent meowlook]

It looks like the cap took some of the nail when it came off.
There are tricks to apply these. You don’t trim the nails first. Use a smaller size than they say to. Fill the cap only 1/2 way with glue and don’t have the cap or the glue get on the skin. Also only use the nail cap glue. Don’t substitute with super glue.

 

[fleshflowers]

It looks like the cap took some of the nail when it came off.
There are tricks to apply these. You don’t trim the nails first. Use a smaller size than they say to. Fill the cap only 1/2 way with glue and don’t have the cap or the glue get on the skin. Also only use the nail cap glue. Don’t substitute with super glue.

Thank you! I think they did it wrong because there is no glue at the tip of the caps where the end of the claws are, her claws look like they were trimmed and all her fur around her claws is torn off and sticking to the nail cap.. making me think they put the glue on her nail itself or around the top of the the cap. Ugh. I will try and do it myself next time!

 

[silent meowlook]

That is frustrating.
Let those grow out a bit. Do check her nails daily to make sure the glued hair isn't being pulled off her skin. Poor kitty. The best way to remove them. when you and kitty are ready., is to cut the very tip of the nail cap. Once the point is cut, the cat will usually work on it themselves and they come off in a day or two. With them being applied wrong, you might run into some problems. So please post again if you do. Either way, once they are off give the nails a couple of days to normalize again. It is tempting to want to pull them off but that can damage the nail bed and the nail itself. And obviously don't use any sort of solvent to remove.

If you have ever had acrylic nails with caps, it is very similar.

Whatever size caps you have, I would go one size smaller. Always better to small than to large. Most cats wear small to medium size. I assume you are using "Soft Paws" brand, if not get them next time. Thje glue that comes with the kit also has a small tube tip that you put on the tip of the glue after you pop a hole in it with a needle. Don't cut the tip off or your glue will dry up. Start without using the glue checking the size. Slip the cap onto the nail and make sure it doesn't come all the way down to the skin. It should only cover the nail, not skin. You should be able to see about 1 to 2 mm of nail before the base of the nail cap. Then leave the cat alone for a while. When ready to actually apply the nails, just do one nail at a time. Get a nail cap and using the tip provided put a drop or two into the nail cap. No more than half full. It can be helpful prior to glueing, to squeeze the nail cap in order to open it a bit more to make it easier to get the glue into the tip of the nail cap. Find your cat and where the cat is laying, extend the nail of one toe on the most easily accessed paw. Slip the cap onto the nail and hold the nail cap in place for a few seconds. Then distract your cat with some food.

For now, I would only do one nail at a time. That way you are ending on a good note before he gets to stressed. When done with the glue you can use the pin to plug up the hole and then store the glue away from the caps upright in the fridge.

It sounds complicated but it isn't once you get the hang of it. Most important is to not stress out and give up easily if something goes south. Work quickly and confidently. The cap application on one toe shouldn't take more than 30 seconds, tops. You do want to distract your cat from messing with the nail for about 5 minutes after application.