Dogs Brittle Nails and Their Causes

Among the frequently experienced nail problems found with pet dogs is the problem of dry and brittle nails. Usually you will see the nails crumbling quite readily whilst trimming or cutting nails during grooming. While breaking nails could be caused by your dog's active lifestyle that involves digging holes and scratching posts, brittle nails in dogs is usually a sign of particular nail or nail bed problems resulting from an infection, disorders or trauma of the nails.

Brittle Nails Causes

Physical Trauma or Injury: Injuries to the nails is often very painful for dogs in particular those dogs having long nails. Untrimmed nails on dogs can easily split or break up especially during intense exercise or activity and can even happen if the dog is not used to walking on hard surfaces. Routine nail trimming making use of specially designed nail trimmers is extremely important for your dog's overall health and well-being.

Symmetrical Lupoid 

Onychodystrophy: 

This is an immune centered condition which will bring about dry and brittle nails in dogs. The disease causesan overactive immune system which in turn has an effect on the nail and nail beds. As a result this results in splitting and breaking of nails which usually rarely really heals. Sooner or later you could notice the loss of nails from all of the paws. Other indications of Lupoid Onychodystrophy may include twisted nails, painful paws, secondary infection and lameness. To identify the condition a biopsy of a claw has to be carried out. As soon as a firm diagnosis is attained from the veterinarian, treatment can start. This could include the use of essential fatty acid (EFA) supplements such as fish oil, vitamin A treatment, antibiotic treatment with tetracycline and niacinamide. In some severe cases the removal of the nails may be required in order to relieve the pain. The dog breeds most prone to this condition are rottweilers and greyhounds.

Yeast Infection in Dogs: Canine yeast infection is caused by Candida albicans yeast which resides in your pet's body and consumes sugar and fats in order to thrive and grow. It affects the immune system, mouth, nose, ears, and gastrointestinal and genital tracts of the dogs causing health problems such as allergies, vaginal and bladder infection and skin disorders. Although a healthy dog with an immune system which is healthy has the ability to fight off the infection, a dog with a weak immune system can be afflicted by a number of health problems. Besides brittle and dry nails, yeast infections in dogs may also trigger allergies, constipation, ear infections, itching, skin rashes and lots of other dog health issues.

Nail Bed Tumors in Dogs: Nail bed tumors in dogs affect the nail matrix, the nail beds which contains nerves, blood vessels and the melanin-producing cells. In addition to brittle nails, these tumors cause tumor like growth on the nail bed, limping, bleeding and ulcerations. Because they are very easily mistaken for bone

inflammation or nail infections, the diagnostic procedures for this condition will include cytology and tissue biopsy. The treatment for this cancerous growth is the surgical removeal of the grouth or in serious cases, amputation of the digits to avoid the re-occurrence of the tumor.

Fungal Infection: Onychomycosis is the name widely used to describe a fungal infection in the nail folds or around the nail bed. This infection is characterized by the dog constantly licking it’s paws, brittle nails and swelling of the feet. To diagnose a fungal

infection, a skin scraping may be required. The possible causes of fungal infections could possibly be particular medication to suppress it's immune system. Antifungal medication is prescribed by your veterinarian for the treatment of the condition.

The other symptoms of nail infections or ailments affecting the nails include licking of the paws, lameness, pain in the feet, swelling and inflammation of the surrounding tissues and abnormal nail color. These symptoms will probably become apparent when you become aware of your dog limping .

As well as these things that cause brittle nails, lack of essential vitamins and other nutritional deficiencies may well bring about chipping and cracking of the nails. Adding zinc supplements to your dog's diet and giving foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids can resolve this issue. The success of brittle nails treatment is dependant upon identifying the underlying cause of the problem. Whilst fungal and bacterial infections may be treated by topical treatments or ointments which are applied to the affected area, in some severe circumstances surgical removal of the nail plate could be required. The simplest and the best brittle nails treatment and prevention is to keep your dog's nails groomed well. Avoid clipping your dog's nails too close to the nail bed. If nicked it might cause bleeding and infection in the dog's paws. For further information regarding the treatment of the other nail disorders, it would be advisble to consult a veterinarian as soon as a problem was noticed.