Question:
My 6-year-old cat has an infection in the toenails -- black. For the past three years, we tried antibiotics, soaking with MalAcetic solution, cod-liver oil and Evo (chicken), broccoli and yogurt. The infection goes away and then comes back. What would you do?
M.H., Washington, DC Sep 27, 2009
Answer:
Recurrent nail-bed infections are difficult to eradicate. The retractile nature of cats' claws and their resistance to having their paws squeezed makes the job even harder.
I would first try an old remedy for many ills: equal parts of organic cider vinegar in warm water. Soak and massage each infected paw twice daily for two weeks. Repeat again two weeks later for another seven to 10 days. If this fails, paint the base of each claw with tea-tree oil (Melaleuca oil), but only if your cat is otherwise healthy (especially in terms of liver function). Give two treatments, three days apart, and do not allow your cat to lick her paws. After the oil has been on for about an hour, soak and massage the paws in the diluted cider vinegar, and dry thoroughly. Outdoor-indoor cats may pick up such infections from contaminated soil and from scratching "marking posts" where infected cats have clawed. In some instances, a contact-allergy may play a role in your cat's condition, so if you are using a corn-based cat litter, to which some cats are highly allergic, you may wish to try a different kind of litter. I would opt for shredded or pelletized paper. The fine particles in clay litter could irritate your cat's paws if there are open sores.
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