Okay so today I was playing with my cat (2 1/2 years old, female) when I noticed an unfamiliar dark spot on one of her front paws. Upon closer inspection I discovered that her "pinkie" claw had broken and the dark stuff was blood! I'm freaking out, I don't know what to do. She doesn't appear to be in any pain (was walking around okay, didn't notice a limp) from what I can tell. She is sleeping now in her bed (yes, she has a little "bed"--what can I say, she's my little furry baby ) so I don't want to disturb her. I'm just really worried, this has never happened before, and my vet is closed on saturday ! Very worried, has this ever happened to anyone?

Desperately need advice, worried...What should I do?

Mari

. . . not to worry . . . it's not bleeding right now is it . . . I mean it has clotted and it isn't oozing blood is it?? . . . It will heal on it's own . . . just relax mom . . . your kitty will be fine . . . (I have had dogs and rabbits and cats that have occasionally broken a nail that cuts into the quick . . .
even without any treatment the nail should stop bleeding in about 5 minutes or less)

No, the last time I checked (before work this morning--it killed me to leave her ) it was only dried blood and the nail was somewhat jagged and splintered. Thank you for your reply. Yes relax is what I need to do definitely

My little guy had that happen earlier this year. My first clue that there was a problem was when I found dried blood on the chair he likes to sleep on. If it has already stopped bleeding, there isn't a loose piece of nail hanging on, and she doesn't seem to be bothered by it, I would recommend just keeping an eye on it for the next week or so. If there are any signs of infection (pus, swelling) or if she starts to act like it is hurting, you should probably have the vet check it out.

She will probably lick it more than usual over the next couple of days, because that is how kitties deal with boo-boos.

Give her a big hug when she wakes up.

Thanks so much. One last question, will her nail grow back/heal itself? Might sound like a silly question but again this has never happened to me before. Thank you again.

It's fairly common for that to happen. She probably just got it hung up in something and pulled too hard. My dog got hers stuck in a loop in our berber carpet and pulled hers out, and was fine. The nail grew back, but it took a while.

Hope the kitty is fine. If the bleeding doesn't stop you want to pack it in cornstarch. Just grab some cornstarch, and push it in, and around the nail. This will force the blood to clot.

Mike

Hope your kitty is doing ok. I've had cats all my life and it's happened to me a few times & it's always been ok.

One thing I would like to add.... even though it won't help you right now. Please look at getting some Quikclot. Here is the link.... they sell it for personal use and also for pets. http://www.quikclot.com/ Just look on the left side of the page and there is a tab that says PetClot.

I can't say enough good things about the stuff. My husband carries it for work, and I've seen the training videos. They've used it in Iraq/Afghanistan for terribly severe trauma wounds and the stuff stops bleeding like you wouldn't believe. It is a lifesaver.

They make it in small packs for home use...so you can keep it in the car, at home, wherever.

HTH!
Denise

Thanks all so much for your advice and well wishes. I admit that Saturday I was a little frazzled and a lot freaked out! I've been keeping an eye on it and it seems that either the broken part of the nail has come off or kitty took care of it herself. She is jumping and running and walking normally (and with her normal frequency, all the time!) so I assume that it may not have been as bad as I initially thought. But I will continue to watch her for any sign of infection, etc. Again, many thanks to all of you who responded.

I had to sympathize with you when I read this one! I've had dogs all my life and have had their nails break or be cut too short and bleed. But once I took my baby (umm I mean dog) to the bet and had her nails cut and got her shots. They "forgot" to tell me they cut one too short. Several hours later I found her on the couch with blood on her face, the cushions covered in blood... I freaked out! And I'm a medical professional but there was no reasoning with me at that point. I didn't even think about it being a nail, I was to busy rushing her to the doggy hospital! But it was just a nail, and the vet felt bad I think. From then on I bet they told people when they made that mistake! Our pets are our babies!

Kitty should be fine. Watch for swelling, redness, heat at the site. Also watch for lethergy if she starts acting sluggish, not herself then off to the vet you go. You may not always "see" the infection. And yes it will grow back, it sounds like she torn the nail as opposed to pulling out the whole nail bed. Hope you are both feeling better