We are the happy guardians of 3 Maine Coone cats. One is a 9 month old female named Sashi. We clipped her nails about 6 weeks ago and all was well. Recently we decided to give them another trim and noticed a crusty, dark brown accumulation at the base of ALL 20 of her nails, accompanied by tender, swollen, inflamed, weepy skin that covers/sheaths the retracted claws. Our vet said he had never seen this before - he is well respected so I guess it is a rather rare affliction. He gave her some antibiotics - we are 10 days into the treatment and no change. He also suggested that we should clean them up with dilute hydrogen peroxide and a toothbrush, which we have been doing though it seems to hurt Sashi quite badly. It is amazing the amount of this dark, waxy material that is generated around the nails in just one day. I examined some of it under a microscope and I see flakes of claw, a brown waxy material and lots of fibers that I take to also be claw material?
I searched through past messages and found one from diamond (posted Fri, Sept 12, 2003), with a response from mizmeowski suggesting that Pemphigus may be the culprit. Mention was made of Prednisone, low-allergy food and Feliway plug-ins, which put mizmeowski's cat's problem into remission.
We will take her back to the vet in a couple of days, and ask that he do a full series of tests for fungal, viral, bacterial, etc via an outside lab.
Diamond, if you are out there, can you report on the outcome for your cat? Mizmeowski, does this sound like what your cat has? Can you please give us some specifics about treatments (what is a Feliway plug-in?). Any suggestions for litter and food? Anyone else out there have suggestions that I can talk to the vet about?
Many thanks - Scott
brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all claws
Re: brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all c
Scott, you said you looked at the material under a scope, but did your vet?? I would think that would have been the first thing he should have done, plus culture. If a culture doesn't reveal anything, the next step may be to opt for blood profiling (serology) to rule out fungal disease. Did he also examine her ears carefully for signs of mites or infection?
Another possibility is checking your home thoroughly for any sign she got into something. Any evidence of spilled chemicals, or have you recently used a floor/carpet cleaner she could be reacting to? Is she allowed outdoors?
Until you get a clear diagnosis, I would suggest soaking the paws/nails in a dilute solution of betadine/water instead of hydrogen peroxide, providing your vet doesn't think she is allergic to betadine. After 10 days of antibiotics and no response, your vet needs to culture this and consider a serology...fungal disease rarely responds to broad spectrum antibiotics, ....instead you may have to consider sulfa- or cephalosporin medications. If your vet is stumped or by chance doesn't have an in clinic lab, don't hesitate to get a second opinion immediately.
Another possibility is checking your home thoroughly for any sign she got into something. Any evidence of spilled chemicals, or have you recently used a floor/carpet cleaner she could be reacting to? Is she allowed outdoors?
Until you get a clear diagnosis, I would suggest soaking the paws/nails in a dilute solution of betadine/water instead of hydrogen peroxide, providing your vet doesn't think she is allergic to betadine. After 10 days of antibiotics and no response, your vet needs to culture this and consider a serology...fungal disease rarely responds to broad spectrum antibiotics, ....instead you may have to consider sulfa- or cephalosporin medications. If your vet is stumped or by chance doesn't have an in clinic lab, don't hesitate to get a second opinion immediately.
..........Traci
Re: brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all c
Dear Traci,
Thak you for your immediate response. No, our vet did nothing but provide the antibiotics and tell us to return in a month if she was still having the problem. We will get a second opinion if our next visit is not significantly different. in fact, I have already located dermatological vets in neighboring New Hampshire and Massachusetts if we need to see one (We live in Orono, Maine - there are no derms in Maine).
Sashi is very adventurous, and we have in fact caught her in places where she should not be (cabinet under the kitchen sink, for example, where there are various detergents and the normal particles of ajex, etc). We don't let them run outside, but they are allowed in the garage. We'll do a thorough sweep for possible contacts in the garage (pesticides, gasoline, etc). We also brought basil, resemary, bay and parseley plants in for the winter, and the cats spend a lot of time messing around there, including drinking the water in the catchment containers under the plants.
We will schedule an appointment for tomorrow. I am a research scientist and I have spent the past 6 hours combing the web.... I don't like what I see. She seems to have symptoms normally associated with Pemphigus Foliaceus. However, I understand that a diagnosis is made difficult by the large number of possible causes for dermatological afflictions. Today we bought different cat litter, and I am considering putting her strictly on the dry cat food that the breeder has been using for years (diamond). We feed them a range of vet-approved pouches and cans along with cat chow. Maybe she is sensitive to one?
She seems young from what I have read about Pemphigus, but as I say I have only spent 6 hours with the literature. The sudden onset makes me think that some exposure, or a food allergy, or cat-litter sensitivity might be an issue. More honestly, I am HOPING that this is the case, because Pemphigus looks like nasty stuff for such a young kitty to deal with.
Thank you again for your help - Scott
Thak you for your immediate response. No, our vet did nothing but provide the antibiotics and tell us to return in a month if she was still having the problem. We will get a second opinion if our next visit is not significantly different. in fact, I have already located dermatological vets in neighboring New Hampshire and Massachusetts if we need to see one (We live in Orono, Maine - there are no derms in Maine).
Sashi is very adventurous, and we have in fact caught her in places where she should not be (cabinet under the kitchen sink, for example, where there are various detergents and the normal particles of ajex, etc). We don't let them run outside, but they are allowed in the garage. We'll do a thorough sweep for possible contacts in the garage (pesticides, gasoline, etc). We also brought basil, resemary, bay and parseley plants in for the winter, and the cats spend a lot of time messing around there, including drinking the water in the catchment containers under the plants.
We will schedule an appointment for tomorrow. I am a research scientist and I have spent the past 6 hours combing the web.... I don't like what I see. She seems to have symptoms normally associated with Pemphigus Foliaceus. However, I understand that a diagnosis is made difficult by the large number of possible causes for dermatological afflictions. Today we bought different cat litter, and I am considering putting her strictly on the dry cat food that the breeder has been using for years (diamond). We feed them a range of vet-approved pouches and cans along with cat chow. Maybe she is sensitive to one?
She seems young from what I have read about Pemphigus, but as I say I have only spent 6 hours with the literature. The sudden onset makes me think that some exposure, or a food allergy, or cat-litter sensitivity might be an issue. More honestly, I am HOPING that this is the case, because Pemphigus looks like nasty stuff for such a young kitty to deal with.
Thank you again for your help - Scott
Re: brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all c
I agree, it is unlikely that pemphigus is the culprit. However, other types of fungals need to be ruled out (i.e., cryptococcosis, as well as inflammatory conditions like eosinophillic granuloma, immunological, allergies, etc). My concern is your description of the oozing from the skin and nail beds, which generally *is* indicative of a fungal.
But, having said that, a conservative approach would be again, to rule out home/environmental hazards she could have gotten into (symptoms could also be indicative of a caustic substance), and to opt for a fungal serology (blood needs to be sent to an outside lab, you could first try asking a new vet for a culture first, results may be obtained within 7 days right there in the clinic)
As for the diet, I don't recommend Diamond pet foods (sorry, personal reasons), I would instead suggest a hypoallergenic diet for her as part of the elimination process. A new vet can recommend one to you as he investigates during the culture and/or serology. As for litter type, at this point, because of the nature of the swelling, oozing, and seemingly painful paws/pads, I would try using just paper towels or newspaper....litter, debris and bacteria are probably part of the problem right now, you want to ensure her pads and nails are kept as clean as possible, the paper towels would ensure a cleaner box, just replace them at least twice a day.
You shouldn't have to search for a specific dermatologist, a competent and experienced vet should be able to diagnose effectively, based on exam, culture, or serology. You did say that your primary vet requested a recheck in a month, but I sure would not wait a month, I'd get a second opinion immediately (especially since the antibiotic approach has not yielded results). Try to find a feline-only vet.
As a safety measure, try putting safety locks or whatever on your cupboards, and don't let the cats drink the water from plants, herbs or others.
But, having said that, a conservative approach would be again, to rule out home/environmental hazards she could have gotten into (symptoms could also be indicative of a caustic substance), and to opt for a fungal serology (blood needs to be sent to an outside lab, you could first try asking a new vet for a culture first, results may be obtained within 7 days right there in the clinic)
As for the diet, I don't recommend Diamond pet foods (sorry, personal reasons), I would instead suggest a hypoallergenic diet for her as part of the elimination process. A new vet can recommend one to you as he investigates during the culture and/or serology. As for litter type, at this point, because of the nature of the swelling, oozing, and seemingly painful paws/pads, I would try using just paper towels or newspaper....litter, debris and bacteria are probably part of the problem right now, you want to ensure her pads and nails are kept as clean as possible, the paper towels would ensure a cleaner box, just replace them at least twice a day.
You shouldn't have to search for a specific dermatologist, a competent and experienced vet should be able to diagnose effectively, based on exam, culture, or serology. You did say that your primary vet requested a recheck in a month, but I sure would not wait a month, I'd get a second opinion immediately (especially since the antibiotic approach has not yielded results). Try to find a feline-only vet.
As a safety measure, try putting safety locks or whatever on your cupboards, and don't let the cats drink the water from plants, herbs or others.
..........Traci
Re: brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all c
OK Traci,
Tomorrow Sashi goes to a second vet for a second opinion and some tests. We'll try to find a feline-only vet. We bought some cedar shavings for the catbox for now, and we'll try papers towels as well (we have three cats that use one box that is about 3 ft by 3 ft. Hard to separate them unless we lock her away in a spare room). Tonite we clean the cabinets etc..... and the garage. I'll be getting rid of the plants, just to be safe. We'll get the hypoallergenic food.... for all of them probably. They love to do everything together, including waking us up at hourly intervals starting at 3 am....
Thanks so much for taking the time on a Sunday - Scott
Tomorrow Sashi goes to a second vet for a second opinion and some tests. We'll try to find a feline-only vet. We bought some cedar shavings for the catbox for now, and we'll try papers towels as well (we have three cats that use one box that is about 3 ft by 3 ft. Hard to separate them unless we lock her away in a spare room). Tonite we clean the cabinets etc..... and the garage. I'll be getting rid of the plants, just to be safe. We'll get the hypoallergenic food.... for all of them probably. They love to do everything together, including waking us up at hourly intervals starting at 3 am....
Thanks so much for taking the time on a Sunday - Scott
Re: brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all c
Scott, I'd really be interested in what the new vet finds....please post an update when you can....
..........Traci
Re: brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all c
Scott what state are you in? You can go to Meowhoo.com and look under Health Care/Veterinarians and find cat specialists listed there. We don't have them separted by State yet though. Best of luck with this puzzling affliction!
The smallest feline is a masterpiece.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Re: brown accumulation on claws, claw sheath swelling, all c
My Siamese Mona gets that somtimes. She bites her nails too much sometimes and I think it's a bit of dried blood mixed with saliva and nail bits. The vet has seen her when it's like this and she said she was fine. I keep her nails trimmed and keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get icky. You can wash them like Traci said with some diluted solution. I can't say she has the same thing your cat has but the dark waxy build up between the nail and the sheath part sounds really familiar. I just checked her and all her nails are fine but she had a bit of that on her front thumbnail. It looks like she has been biting it. I just watch her nails really close and clip her nails every couple of weeks. I also have the vet keep a close watch. Let me know what you find out. BTW, Mona's pads and toes are fine. No reddness or soreness or anything. I do notice she sheds the outer layers of nails when this happens. I think pulling on them too much pulls the outer layer right out of the skin.
Sara and her 6 kitties. Clover , Saharan, Mona, Negrito, Nando and Silvestre (Vest/The Vest).