Why are my dog's black nails turning white, brittle, and splitting?

Question

Hi! My dog is a GSD Mix and his nails are the issue. Lately over the past month we have noticed that his black nails have been gradullay turning an off white color and they are pretty brittle. We keep noticing them splitting in half exposing the upper half of the quick. He was severely abused and neglected before we adopted him and has always been freaked out about us touching his feet so that is nothing new. They seem to be bothering him and when we try to help he gets upset. Please help! Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 3 years and 8 months old | 55 lbs

Christie Long, DVM · Accepted Answer

Poor Ruger - I'm so sorry for his past difficulties as well as for what he's going through now - he's so lucky to have found you. The first thing I would want to rule out is ringworm in this location. I know it sounds strange, however it can get into the nailbed and cause the kind of brittle, discolored nails you're seeing. Ringworm is actually a fungus and not a worm as some people think. Your vet can run a fungal culture using shavings from the nails to check for this. If the culture comes back negative, I would probably next consider whether this could be a case of lupoid onychodystrophy. German Shepherds are predisposed to this disease, and since Ruger is a mix it's worth considering. Treatment can be challenging, but it's worth trying several things including omega-3 fatty acids, antibiotics such as doxycycline, and pentoxyfillne to increase blood flow to the region. Some dogs will also respond to steroid therapy. Best of luck getting this figured out.

Why are my dog's black nails turning white, brittle, and splitting?

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