[phylken]

Daisy is a 9 yr old, female lab/golden - good activity level and wieght. I have always groomed her myself from day 1. Within the last couple weeks I have noticed her nails on the front paws have started cracking. They are splitting longitudinally along the bottoms and there is some separation of the outer shell in spots. She runs and plays and does not act like there is pain, but this is a new development. Anybody seen this before?

Thanks,

Ken

[Yogi]

This may offer some explanation as to the cause of the problem.

NAIL CONDITIONS IN DOGS plus links to some of the top Grooming & Clipping articles and tips on the net! Clipping Your Dog's Nails!

[CorkyMax]

Wow, that is a very long article Yogi sent you--the link. I skimmed over some of it but this is what stood out for me: Though they don't look or feel like skin, nails are really an extension of the skin layer. Anything that causes unhealthy skin, like dietary or immune system problems, can also cause cracked nails, says Dr. Wiswall. Pets eating low-quality food will sometimes develop cracked nails because they are not getting all the nutrients that they need, she adds.

So I am wondering what kind of dog food you are feeding? Being a 9 yr. old means your dog is a senior now and may not be getting enough nutrition at this late stage. Do you give any supplements like fish oil for one. I would look into other things also like Solid Gold seameal (put those 3 words in your browser if you want to check it out. I use it for my 2 older dogs. The directions I wish the company would change---It says to use a little warm water to mix it in with the food--BUT it should say very lukewarm as heat destroys the ingredients! I have no problem with that as I raw feed so I don't need to add any warm water to get the seameal to adhere to the food unlike dry dog food that you have to get the seameal mixed in order to stick to the dry dog food.

The other thing that comes to my mind---Being a senior especially, a check-up from the vet should be done yearly--called a wellness exam. These senior years are when a lot of things can happen you may not be aware of.

A bit about the seameal: Solid Gold Seameal contains 60 trace minerals, 12 vitamins, 22 amino acids, digestive enzymes, and flaxseed meal. It is excellent for animals with allergy problems and/or skin and coat problems. When Seameal is added to food, it increases the digestibility of the food. It is made with 19 different species of sea vegetation, an excellent source of nutrients. The addition of seaweed and kelp to an animal's diet can produce many great benefits. SeaMeal can help boost the immune, hormone, and enzyme systems of the body, restore lost hair growth, intensify coat color, and boost the immune system.

[PatrickCampbell]

Cracked nails can be due to various reasons. Environment factors and lack of calcium can be the reasons. Try to include more calcium content in her food.