Ingrown Nail!

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Lauren and Lucy

Lauren and Lucy

Member Since 2017
1. Sorry I keep posting like every day there's always something new with this girl
2. Sorry it's not diabetic related!


So yesterday we noticed Lucy was walking funny. Falling or slipping when being placed down or jumping, not really using her back paw. Kind of moon walking to get places as if trying to put extra weight on her front paws. It was almost funny and I figured it might be the new hard wood until I realized she was falling, not just walking like she's on Mars.

Basically we found that she has an ingrown nail on her back left paw. She has an appointment on Wednesday.

For the time being I'm just wondering what I can do to minimize the pain she most definitely has? I was told not to touch the ingrown nail in case of infection (it doesn't look like she has one, and I don't want to be the cause of one by doing something stupid!). Any ideas of making her not feel the need to be walking the way she is or not be in as much pain until Wednesday?

Also she's an outdoor cat. She seemed to be just hanging on the porch until I got a call from the neighbor basically saying she looked like crap (excuse the French). Which was a great anxiety producer until I realized it was just Lucy being the way she has all day! I've been trying to keep her inside and gate her access outside, but cats will be cats.

Thanks!
 
If Lucy can tolerate it you can cut it out. Just clip the exposed part of the nail leaving enough to pull the part for the paw pad. Then clean the area with a antiseptic solution.
 
Agree with above... If you don't want to attempt that maybe put on some neosporin ointment with pain relief.
 
I second Larry's post above. If you have sharp clippers, instead of clipping the whole nail, just clip into the outer curve of the nail a little ways first. Many times cutting thru the outside part releases enough of the stress of the curve that it separates a bit. It's then much easier to cut the rest of the way through as well as causes less irritation/pain for kitty.

Since we are blessed mostly with people's 'dumps', this is something that we deal with at times in both cats and dogs.
 
Lucy is barley letting me be close enough to her paw to even see it so I'm not sure if I'll be able to hold her still long enough for the job! She flinches away every time it's being touched. Any ideas there?
 
Lauren and Lucy said:
Lucy is barley letting me be close enough to her paw to even see it so I'm not sure if I'll be able to hold her still long enough for the job! She flinches away every time it's being touched. Any ideas there?
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Wrap her in a towel - for ones that I can't easily do that, I have the big towel, long to the sides, in my hands and reach down putting the towel over their back as I pick them up. As you get her off the ground, continue to wrap the towel quickly trapping her front legs downward. Wrap completely, sit in chair with cat upright and pull only the 'offender' out. Be sure to not let other ones get you or get out. Try covering her head if she freaks out, it might calm her. Hold behind the elbow to keep her from jerking leg back. 'Do' for nail - have everything ready including somehting to clean it and doctor it even if just vaseline if there's no infection.

HUGS and good luck...
 
Can you get someone to help you? In you case I would not attempt to do it yourself, too hard to hold the cat, paw and clipper by yourself
 
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