Cats are the cutest pets on the earth. After petting a cat, you are not the owner anymore; the cat will become your owner. Cat lovers will agree with me without a doubt. There is a term called split cat claw, in which cats often shed the outer skin of the nails. They do this by scratching different surfaces with their nails.

 But normally, this is not why the cat claws are splitting. There must be a serious case that your cat is splitting its nails. Today, we are going to discuss this issue in very detail. 

Reasons behind split cat claw

The reasons must be more than one that your cat claws splitting. We should go through each of them to the awareness of this serious matter.

Shed out old nail

The natural shedding appears in cats after two to three months on average. Cats shed out their old nail when they have a new nail under them. For shedding, cats mostly scratch their claws on different surfaces to help the nail out. This scratching helps to make the place for new nails. This can be the main reason for cat claws splitting.

Age

As time passes cats get older and most of their activities slow down. They lose interest in scratching the things they love to tear. Most cats when grow older, can fall into osteoarthritis. This is the condition where the protective cartilage lowers down which causes discomfort. Joints start rubbing with each other, causing pain and make the joints hard to move.

In this scenerio, you should make your cat comfortable to nail clipper. If they are not scratching, you can trim their nails and make them feel easy.

Wrong tools for trimming

Trimming the nails is the basic need of cats as well as humans. You have to make this routine to cut down your cat’s nails. For this purpose, you should have a sharp nail clipper. If the blade is blunt, it can cause a cat nail split when trimming. After this, if you leave the nail as it is, you are welcoming an infection. It will become worse and your cat can suffer a lot. Be careful in terms of your cats as they are delicate pets.

Cat claw split could be a health issue

The outer body condition is the inner health image. If the cat is healthy from the inside, you can see it from its outer body condition. If the cat nail split bleeding, there must be some health problem with your kitten. Validate that you are feeding your pet with a healthy diet along with all nutrients. Cat’s food should contain equal portions of protein, calcium and other nutrients. Dietary proteins can help to develop a cat’s nails, fur, muscles, and hormones. Moreover,  if you are a cat passionate, you should take care of it in every manner.

Nail disorders

If your cat’s claw does not seem healthy, you should worry about it. Nails are a crucial part of a cat’s body. If the nail is not growing properly or is not healthy, you should examine its claws every inch. Maybe the cat has broken down its nail by scratching a hard surface. These traumatic injuries can lead to an infection under the nail structure. Bacterial, fungal or viral infections can be the cause of split cat claw. 

Nail diseases

Cat nail split can be caused by many diseases like Onycholysis. In this condition, the nail can split from the underlying structure of the claw. As nailbed tumours are not common in cats, other common cancers can hit your cat. If you keep a cat as your pet, make sure you are examining it from ear to nail.

Nail biting

As cats love to be clean, they practice their grooming often daily. At this stage, if they see a nail split, they start biting it. Nail biting or chewing can be caused by the ringworm, a fungal infection under the nails. It can cause irritation and excessive dandruff on the body and nails. On the other side, extra grooming habits can be a symptom of anxiety in cats. This can be the major reason for nail biting and cat nail split after cutting. For this, make sure you are taking care of their nails properly.

Splintering

Cats are habitual of scratching almost every surface. Most of the time, nails grow longer and when a cat scratches, it can be stuck inside a surface like a blanket. At that time, the cat will try to free its nail without managing, nail can split. This condition is called quick.

If the quick does not affect the nail, it can not be a major issue. If the cat nail split bleeding, you should get it seriously and run to the vet. 

The veteran will washed the wound and give the split cat claw treatment to your kitten. You can manage the minor cut at home.

Some precautions related to split cat claw treatment

• Use a sharp clipper to trim the nails
• Keep a strict eye on your cat’s daily activities
• Keep them clean as infections cannot hit them
• Regularly trim the cat’s nails
• Keep them in a clean and healthy environment
• Feed them a healthy diet with all the nutrients

Wind it up

We have discussed almost every reason behind the split cat claw. As you are very close to your cat, you cannot take any risk related to its health. You have to keep in mind all of these reasons and try to achieve the precautions related to the cause. If the split is minor, you can look after of it at home. If the wound seems worse, plan a visit to a vet. For more pets information like this, stay in touch with us. Have a happy cat-owning.

FAQs

How to help my cat claw that split in half?

If the nail is broken and the cut is normal, you can cut the extended nail with a clipper. If the nail is bleeding, you should consult an expert vet. For the first aid at home, you can take such steps.

• Clean the wound and put pressure to control the bleeding
• Wrape an adhesive bandage on the wound.
• Keep the cat away from walking or scratching.

Why are my cat’s claws splitting?

Splitting the claws is normal in cats. It often happens when cats are shedding out their old nail for the new coming nail. There is no need to worry if it is happening in two to three months. But if the slitting occurs mostly, there must be a reason behind it. It can be an infection of viral or bacterial as well as fungal. You should see it at your well-known vet.

How to help split claw for a cat?

Keep using the precautions that keep your cat away from splitting the nails. Keep trimming the nails regularly. Keep their nails clean as there will be no fungal or bacterial infection.

How to treat a split cat nail?

On the very first, you should go to the vet. He should apply some antibiotic powder to clear the wound. After cleaning the cut, he must bandage the split to reduce bleeding. After all this treatment, you have to look after your kitten at home.

Should I take my cat to a vet for a broken claw?

If the split is normal and you can manage it at home, no need to go to the vet. If the claw is broken wrongly, you should go to a vet. It can cause a major infection for the cat.

Will cat split nails heal on their own?

If it is the normal shedding of the old nail, it will heal on its own. But if you notice the splitting frequently, you should take it seriously. There must be some health issues as the nail is splitting this much.

How long does it take for a cat split nail to heal?

It will take almost four to six weeks to heal the split nail. Conversely, healing can depend on the condition of the nail split. If it is normal shedding, it will take some weeks to grow a new nail.

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