I have a two year old male Border Collie whom I have had for five months. Someone knew he was looking for a home and I decided to have him.
He is an absolute sweetheart but he has rather large feet with long fast growing claws which are very brittle and keep splitting.
He is a very nervous boy but is slowly coming along nicely with me but I recently found out he had been hit quite a bit in his previous home so it's no wonder he is nervous. My problem is when I have taken him to the vet about his claws which have split, in spite of being muzzled, the vets cannot stop him from snapping and he gets very stressed and the only way they have been able to clip his claws is to anaesthetise him. This cannot be good for him in the long term.
The vet suggested giving him biotin but so far this hasn't done much.
He gets several walks on pavements each day but I am at a loss as to what to do for the best.
Incidentally when he came to me, his coat was dry and dull-looking and now it is lovely and glossy and he has gained weight which he needed. So I think his diet is balanced.
Has anyone got any ideas because I don't want the poor lad to suffer too much more as he is gaining confidence and I want him to continue.
Sue Delaney, Worthing, West Sussex
We covered a similar question not long ago - so do check out the answers to see if there's anything that might be helpful. Click here.
As a Beardie person I'm always a little nervous when someone mentions nail problems as our breed is one of those that does suffer from autoimmune problems and nail issues can be one of the first signs.
SLO is an autoimmune disease of dogs which can cause severe claw problems in otherwise apparently healthy dogs. It can result in the loss of claws from more than one paw - eventually all claws may be lost. Other symptoms may include: receding quicks, secondary infection (often with a strong smell), claw splitting (usually down the back of the claw), pain, distorted/twisted claws and lameness.
Might be worth asking the vet whether he or she thinks the claw problems may be autoimmune related? It may just be he has suffered from very poor nutrition in his previous home and the nails grown in that period are weak, things may improve as the new nail growth starts coming through.
It might be worth investing in a tool which grinds down your dogs nails, then you'd be able to do this at home - but it would take lots of positive reinforcement to get him to accept the noise and the vibration.
I found a Dremel 761-03 Cordless Pet Nail Grooming Rotary Tool sale for about £36 on Amazon - and I believe Oster also do a version, too.
Dog groomers tend to be very confident at doing nails and a good local one may help you - especially as their shop would not have the same smells as a vet's surgery.
I would enlist the help of a good dog behaviourist who should be able to help you with a plan on how to introduce the nail filing tool and recondition your dog's behaviour so he is less fearful at the vets, too.
Do let us know how you get on,
Beverley Cuddy, Editor
Problems with nails are a reflection of what is happening inside his body. It may be that you have improved his diet but there will be a time-lag for the new nails to come through.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, the best results can be had using a holistic-type diet based on whole grains such as Burns. There are a number of varieties which should be suitable. They are low in fat and protein and should help with the de-toxifying process.
John Burns BVMS MRCVS
Burns Pet Nutrition
Hi Sue
ReplyDeleteCan you not find a different muzzle that doesn't allow him to bite the vet and hold his head still while the vet is clipping his nails?
It sounds as though you might still need to have his nails clipped at the vet's a few more times until you find another way of curing the split nails.
My former dog used to go beserk at the surgery but my vet said that even though my dog was frightened, he must not get away with it. He was snarling and snapping and lungeing in all directions.
The vet said it was vital to hold him firmly until, realising he was not coming to any harm, or being hurt, he would finally submit and lie still.
That is exactly what happened - the struggles grew less and less, then he gave up.
The vet was absolutely right, so in this instance it does not pay to appear too soft-hearted or feel sorry for the dog.
And tt's certainly not good to have him anaesthetised every time. That's quite a risk.
I used to use a soft muzzle. Getting him used to tolerating that took a bit of practice but after a while I only had to slip it on before we went into the surgery and he instantly became very calm and never struggled or snapped.
As for the poor state of your dog's claws, it may well be the result of poor nutrition, if not the auto immune disease (which I know nothing about).
I personally recommend a BARF diet,
as per vet Ian Billinghurst's book, Give Your Dog a Bone, which involves feeding raw chicken wings, raw eggs and raw veggies.
It is meant to be good for their bones - and, presumably, their claws too.
But you need to get the book or do an internet search on BARF for details.
It's sad that your poor dog might have been ill-treated but at least you are making progress with his health.
Julia Lewis
Yep, we use a Dremel and have found it to be invaluable. We can shape the nail and smooth away rough edges which may snag or tear. Using a good quality nail varnish could also help to protect the nail - there are a few 'strengthener types' on the market. I agree with John that diet will take a lot longer to have an effect on nail growth.
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