Well. Yesterday was cage cleaning/nail trim day for my guys. None of them were overgrown, but they were due and a little long-not enough to get hung up (I watch VERY closely) but uncomfortably sharp on bare skin. Little did I know what was about to happen after cages were done & ready and I sat down to trim. Myst was third in line after Riker and Cher. Maybe it was the storm coming in, but she was unusually defiant & crabby about it-far from my worst behaved for a trim, but more difficult than normal. Nevertheless, as she came to me with two missing toes on one front hand, and damaged bones from badly healed breaks in two of her feet, I keep on top of her nails.

She decided she didn't want trimmed. As I tried for the foot, she gripped the side of the pouch hard, dug in her nails, and then shoved her hand down as she tried to flip over-and ripped her left index nail nearly off-exposing the bone in her fingertip! This was her ONE INTACT front hand.

Blood everywhere, I took off to my ex's apartment for some help and called the vet-who was about to leave for the day-who instructed to finish removing the nail (OUCH! ) so she didn't further damage the toe, apply neosporin, and bring her in first thing this morning (Dr. Harris' normal day off). While holding her down to remove the nail, my story about what had happened to do this not believed, she did it again to the center toe on the back left!

In all honesty, I have never seen anything like this. We got her in a collar, and removed the now TWO nails hanging by a thread with exposed bone on the toes, blood everywhere, Myst screaming "ITHURTS, ITHURTS, ITHURTS" the whole time, a crab I'd heard described but now have heard for myself, sadly, followed by a dose of Clindamycin to prevent infection, and Torbuterol for pain. Once the pain meds set in we were able to take her out of the collar and I spent the night watching her.

Myst so damaged the toes, that Dr. Harris had no choice but to remove the P3 bone on both-essentially 'declawing' those toes That is like losing the last section of your finger before the tip. Myst also got a shot of Buprenex for pain, Penicillin injection, and will be on Metacam for a couple days for the swelling. I also have Torb if she needs it.

Because of her already compromised front RIGHT hand, she now can't climb in a cage for the time being, and is in a small 'tent' with a soft towel for a floor. And thank God I bought one of Blue Angel Exotics critter tents last SGGA (I will be placing another order soon, obviously, as I only have the one-need to get some $$ together)-Riker will be upset to lose it, he LOVES that thing, but Myst needs it-she can't climb into a pouch for awhile, and may always have an issue now, but that tent is a lifesaver!!

For now, I only have one pic of her back foot-I will get some more this evening. It is the center toe between the outside and the groomers that had surgery this morning, left rear.

I also want to say, THANK GOD FOR CARE CREDIT!! Being on unemployment, because of that card I had the $163.00 to take care of this this morning!

Here's the pic I still am in shock at how she did it.

Ouchie!!!!
Poor girl!

That is pretty unbelievable she did it to TWO toes!

~hugs~ youve been through so much lately!
Sending get well soon wishes her way!

Aww poor girl! I hope she feels better soon!

Poor thing. Give her a big kiss for me.

Awe poor girl and poor momma all stressed out. I hope she heals up fast.

will the nails grow back, or are they gone for good?
i feel so bad for her. the pain had to have been unbearable for both of you. i would have been flipping out so bad, the first time i ever cut cosmos' toenails, i thought i had cut too deep, & was calling linda, spazzing out, because i saw this red on his nail, turned out i hadn't cut too deep, just @ the very limit. oh, cosmos didn't like me for the longest time.
i now buy the trimmers from suncoast, have them in 3 of my 5 wheels, & euc branches, apple branches, & willow branches are in the cages,also.
everytime something happens to one baby, all of us feels the pain, i know i do w/each of them.
talk @ ya L8R
josefine

I don't know.

Two of the fingers on Myst's center right front hand are shorter than the others. vet's theory is she got her nails hung up in a pouch, broke her hands to pieces, and possibly twisted the last joints off, or had them amputated. When I got her, it was a well healed, pre-existing injury, along with bone pieces inside the hands that were and are mobile...we have to be careful when trimming her not to hold her hands too tight because of that. When we got her in October, 2004, there were no nails on those toes. However, a bit over a year later, she began to grow some short, pointy, deformed imitation of a nail on those short fingers. That is because the nerves within the finger that say a nail is supposed to grow there were still there. They don't resemble normal nails, or help her climb at all, but they do exist.

If the vet got the nerve with the removed bone, chances are no nails will grow. If not, or if part is left, or it heals/regenerates just right, it's possible somewhere down the road she may grow something...but it would likely be a long time, and without the supporting P3 bone could actually cause problems if it does. We'll see in time.

I'm trying to coax her out to eat, I think she thinks someone's going to hurt her feet if she does, or something...she's had a couple pieces of corn handed to her, and seemed happy to munch on them. Her eyes are bright, though her fur is a little messy from the neosporin. She'll be gotten out in a couple hours for her next meds and I'll get some new pics then of her front hand-I don't want to stress her more than I have to yet.

She crabbed nearly all 50 miles to the vet once I picked up her pouch this morning...she hasn't since surgery-I'm hoping that means that despite the swelling and such it feels better. I can't imagine bone poking through the ends of my fingers/toes every time I put pressure on them-though I do know what it feels like to have a nail suddenly removed. *shudder* Poor girl. Linda, you met Myst last summer at the SGGA-Myst had recently recovered from a Mating wound then... and despite everything and what a hard life she's had she really is a sweet girl. I don't blame her for not liking trims since it can't be comfortable for her to hold her broken hands...I feel horrible about this, but there wasn't any way to stop it, and I've never seen a glider do this before. Thinking from now on I'll need someone to hold her while I trim to keep her feet in line and prevent more damage. I really didn't think a glider could do what I saw her do...until I saw it.

K..here's her front hand, and a couple in her commandeered tent, lol. She really did more of a number on that front finger than on the back toe.

Awh!!! Poor baby!!!

Oh my gosh, Jen! I am so sorry that this happened to Myst. You almost wonder if her finger joints are not as strong as other gliders if she is already missing parts of toes and this happened with nails ripping off.
Poor baby.

Poor little girl! I hope she has a speedy recovery.

Just wanted to update. She is healing....slowly. She's also very violently opposed to having those feet handled more than necessary, so to avoid undue stress, no new pics for now. She's still in her hospital 'tent', and I have noticed she is avoiding using her hands to eat as much as possible. The wounds still look nasty, but no signs of infection, and better than when we started. She is staying/sleeping by me until I think she is out of the woods and the risk of reinjury is negligible-likely a couple more weeks. Then we'll see about trading for an easier cage for an 11 fingered glider and making things more acommodating for her.

That poor baby
Thanks for the update.

Pat