Lab With Fragile Toe Nails

[COEngineer]

Our lab is from a reputable breeder and is a stellar dog in many ways. However, she is psycho when she chases her ball and has torn her toe nails to pieces. She plays/trains on grass (snow this time of year) and not on pavement or gravel. She is almost 2 years old now and she is not growing out of it. We feed her the brand her breeder suggested: Kinetic Performance Active 26K and give her a daily multi-vitamin.

The broken nails do not slow her down, but they are sensitive to the touch and bleed a little. I've never had a dog with this problem.

Any suggestions on how to strengthen her nails? Or get her to stop tearing them up?

 

[OntarioHunter]

Are you keeping nails properly trimmed?

Forget about the fancy dogfood. I have had problems in the past with expensive high protein stuff even when working the dogs hard. Not crumbling nails ... mostly shitting themselves. Your breeder may have been recommending puppy diet but your dog is grown up. I suggest changing the diet ... and seeing a vet. Now. If that young dog is having this kind of problem in those conditions (playing on grass, etc) something is wrong! And it is likely more than the dog's nails that is suffering. I would be worried about bones and teeth. FYI I have always fed my dogs "normal" Pedigree dry dogfood. Or Iames low fat during the off season (when I can find it). Or good old Purina One if those two are not available. My dogs have always thrived on that diet. The vets are always astonished at what good condition they are in, even old age.

 

[COEngineer]

Are you keeping nails properly trimmed?

Forget about the fancy dogfood. I have had problems in the past with expensive high protein stuff even when working the dogs hard. Not crumbling nails ... mostly shitting themselves. Your breeder may have been recommending puppy diet but your dog is grown up. I suggest changing the diet ... and seeing a vet. Now. If that young dog is having this kind of problem in those conditions (playing on grass, etc) something is wrong! And it is likely more than the dog's nails that is suffering. I would be worried about bones and teeth. FYI I have always fed my dogs "normal" Pedigree dry dogfood. Or Iames low fat during the off season (when I can find it). Or good old Purina One if those two are not available. My dogs have always thrived on that diet. The vets are always astonished at what good condition they are in, even old age.

Never trimmed the nails, she hardly has any.

Thanks for the advice on dog food.

 

[jejack26]

Lots of labs in my kennel over years, never had that problem. Advice of going to vet the best. If when your figure it out post the solution. I figure a dog problem I haven't experienced is just around the corner. Good luck

 

[CowboyLeroy]

Anecdotal, but I've never seen a concrete dog with frigged up nails

 

[Huntmt28]

1 if our Border Collies has a Carnitine issue and her nails are never long enough to trim, they break off, we've taken her to a specialist in Billings and she is on some medication for it now which seem to be helping. Would be a good idea to see the vet.

 

[A207X2]

Had a border collie who had a similar problem. Vet told us to clip them frequently - even though they didn’t really grow. He said to trim them anyways as that will help them to grow. It will also move back the quick by frequently clipping them. Took awhile but it worked.

 

[LuketheDog]

Our cattle dog pup does this fairly often chasing the ball on our gravel drive, she goes ballistic for it. It doesn't seem to bother her for more than an hour or so.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Idk what to suggest, just buy a nice pair of doggy nail clippers and really be diligent… the sound is atrocious but it helps a lot.. sorry about your pooch.

They don’t display pain like us.. if the obvious sign of pain persists more than a day I’d see a vet…

 

[Ben Lamb]

Groot does this from time to time. Her first two years it was about every month, especially in the winter.

She grew out of it about 3, but it still happens. Just have to get good at wrapping the paw. If it splits bad, go to the vet & have them cut the nail back.

 

[Mallardsx2]

My guess is that she is chewing them.

 

[aj427ci]

Take her to the vet and get her blood drawn and checked for thyroid issues. My lab mix did the same thing.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Groot does this from time to time. Her first two years it was about every month, especially in the winter.

She grew out of it about 3, but it still happens. Just have to get good at wrapping the paw. If it splits bad, go to the vet & have them cut the nail back.

I also see this problem only in the winter. Frequent nail trimming and avoid retrieving on hard surfaces which can lead to
split nails in the winter and is not good on the dog's joints.

Thyroid production can be related to photoperiod, when I moved to Alaska I had a lab that had that problem with
low production in the winter and off the chart production in the summer. She put on a synthetic thoroxine which solved the problem.

 

[RyGuy]

My dad has 4 labs, all about a year or 2 apart in age. They are all fed the same diet, all live the same life, exercise on the same surfaces etc.
One of the dogs has a similar problem to yours! Nails always cracking, crumbling, falling off.
Dad consulted with a vet a few times and they determined he has some rare disorder/disease that causes this to happen but doesn’t really affect the dog in any other way. He is happy and otherwise healthy. When he was a young dog it bothered him, but as he’s gotten older it seems like he doesn’t even notice.
I can’t remember the name of the disorder though