Dog’s funky toenail needs to be trimmed, kept short

Q: Bratford, our Morgan Hill fieldhound (aka: mutt), broke a toenail two months ago. It really didn’t hurt him, but the new nail grew out crooked and it points up in the air. It looks goofy, and I’m more worried that it might get bumped or caught on the carpet when he runs around. Can this nail be trimmed and straightened to grow normally again?
A:
Not very likely. And that toenail is a potential problem if he likes to dig and run through the bushes and do all those things that “fieldhounds” do. So it’s important to keep it trimmed short all the time. Most dogs keep their toenails at proper length just running around. But Bratford’s odd nail never touches the ground and it’ll grow out longer and longer, becoming a potential hazard. So twice-a-month trimming will be necessary to keep him from re-injuring that digit.
Q:
Our dog, Sirrud, is 6 years old. He’s part basset and has crooked legs that make him cute. Sirrud started limping a week ago, so we took him to the vet, thinking he injured a leg. They found a painful spot on one of his footpads. It was really small, but very hard. The vet called it a corn and wanted to surgically remove it. We decided we’d probably let her do this, but we wanted another opinion first. How often do dogs get corns on their feet? 
A:
Not often at all. But a corn, which is a small hard knot on the sole of a footpad, can be very uncomfortable. It’s usually caused by a previous injury (maybe a puncture) that leads to a buildup of granulation or scar tissue at the site. But dogs with crooked legs can also develop corns if they tend to walk unevenly. A pooch that lands on one side and rolls his foot with each step may develop an irritation where the toe pads continually rub each other. Chronic irritation like this can lead to a corn.
Surgical treatment might be necessary, but usually a more conservative approach works just as well. Try using a pumice stone (available at most drug stores), rubbing the corn for just a few minutes every day for a few days. A warm water soak for a few minutes prior to treatment will help to soften the corn and make the treatment more effective. If you do this several days in a row, you might be able to reduce that corn to a size that doesn’t cause him any discomfort. You may have to repeat this treatment occasionally, but it’s pretty simple and better than surgical removal. Surgery for this condition should be a last resort.
Q:
Our cat, Teeser, is very healthy. But lately he’s decided not to use his litterbox, and there have been little messes left all around the house. My husband thinks the cat’s doing this on purpose. But I wonder; is this a sign of some illness?
A:
Teeser might be trying to tell you something. He might be feeling a little under the weather. Or he might have a behavioral problem that needs your attention. Any big change in a pet’s behavior can be an early sign that there’s a health problem.
But before you take him to the vet for a checkup, here are a few questions. Have you made any changes to his routine? Is he using a new litterbox, new litter or is the box in a different room? Some cats are finicky about this, and don’t like change. I know more than a few kitties that have refused to use their box when their owner started using a different brand of litter.
Besides all this, other changes can trigger bad bathroom habits in felines. A new member in the house – a dog, cat or even a new person – can upset some kitty-cats. And of course, if you moved to a new home or moved Teeser to a new room, he might be protesting.
But if everything has otherwise been status quo, and there’s no obvious reason for his new “accidents,” a visit to the vet is a good idea. Inappropriate elimination can be an early sign of health problems.