Figure A.

Figure B.

Presentation:

A 3-year-old, 86-lb, spayed Rhodesian ridgeback presented with sudden pain and lameness after tearing a claw while playing with another dog. Two months previously, the dog had been seen by the referring veterinarian, who diagnosed paronychia at that time. The paronychia was treated with immunosuppressive doses of prednisone with no response but with marked adverse effects.

At presentation, paronychia was not present, but the patient’s claws were deformed, with most having atrophy of the proximal claw and a more normal appearance to the distal claw (FIGURES A and B). All the claws were affected, with varying degrees of severity. The rest of the physical examination findings were normal. Complete blood count and chemistry screen results were normal. Cytology of a tissue sample revealed neutrophils, lymphocytes, and a mixed population of bacteria consisting of rods and cocci.

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