Does This Look Like Slo?

[Guest greytbookert]

I thought I'd start a new thread, does this look like SLO to anyone who has dealt with it?

 

 

[tbhounds]

Not to me--SLO usually involves the nailbed.

[CaliforniaGreys]

Doesn't look like it to me either. And I know this is a long shot, but Misty's nails looked just like that and my vet said it was due to her low thyroid.

Didn't make sense to me but, he was right. We also added fish oil w/ vit. E and that helped as well

[krissn333]

Doesn't look too severe, if it's any kind of lupus issue at all. Pinky's nails kind of look like that - they're very brittle and grow really squarely and hollow themselves out if they are long. They aren't smooth, always feel jagged, and when she breaks one, your first pic is exactly what hers look like. She has discoid lupus - not as severe as SLO but still bears watching and treatment with vitamins and possibly tetracycline.

 

Are there any other symptoms? Any problems with the skin on the nose or inside the ears?

[Guest greytbookert]

nope, he has no other issues at all! His nose looks fine, his paw pads are ok too. When we had a full blood panel in Nov, his thyroid was fine.

 

He seems to be ok now. our vet tech friend Jen, cleaned it out really well and then wrapped it. We'll take him to the vet tomorrow for a looksee. In the meantime, we'll up his fish oil and start giving Vit. E as well.

[Guest bluefawn]

Penny had SLO, and this looks nothing like her nails did. Hers popped up like the hood on a Volkswagen. Then the nail could be pulled off, as it was only attached right at the nail bed, usually only on the corners. It left the raw nerves exposed, which was very painful. When she was going through this, her third eyelid would also be larger and very pink. She went through 3 cycles of this for months, and then it subsided. She is now left with only 5 natural nails, which I trim with the dremel. Clippers only split and splintered her nails, and she was deathly afraid every time I even picked them up. She gets Omega 3 fatty acids now, which help with the dry nails and make them strong enough to dremel.

[Guest LindsaySF]

No experience with SLO, but the Shepherd mix I had growing up would get nails like that when they were too long. The ends would get hollow inside and then the top layer would crack and fall off, sort of like a lobster molting its shell or something. It would leave a normal-looking, albeit shorter, nail underneath. We would trim them then but not much came off after that.

 

The nails in your photo don't look too long, but maybe they need to be dremeled back? Where is the quick located on them?

Edited March 15, 2010 by LindsaySF

[inugrey]

Just checking in for an update. Is it SLO?

 

A friend of mine basically had to self diagnose SLO and joined the yahoo group and her boy is doing great after a few months of doxy and all the supplements.