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can genetic factors contribute to sponteneous nail loss?

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Dusty_bugs

Dusty_bugs

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A non urgent question because this happened 2 years ago.. but I was one day trimming a GP finger nail (3rd digit) when I caught a bit a quick! "oh noes" thought I, cuddles and some aftercare and she was fine.

About 3 weeks later the whole nail had disappeared. Gone. No blood, no evidence that a nail was once even there! So weird looking. Then 2 weeks later her sister lost the same nail from the same paw and it looked exactly the same - but her nails had not needed trimming so I ruled that out. I searched high and low for anything they could catch their hands on in the cage and in the run.. nothing. Fungal infection? There were no signs of decay and I would have spotted it in the first one when I was cutting her nails initally. And if it got in after I got the quick - how did it happen to the second piggy - she had no cut. I was baffled.

Then about 6 months later the nail bed regenerated and a clean fresh nail returned in both pigs. Now you'd have never known.

What on earth was that about? The pigs were from PAH originally. I've no idea how these sweeties are bred but if genetic pooling is frequent could in breeding be a realistic factor?

many thanks guys!
 
You won't believe it but the same thing happens to both of my big toes. I keep losing toenails because new ones are growing pushing the old one out, so there is always a period where I've hardly got any toenail. No one in my family has ever had this. The doctors are baffled because there is no sign of injury, fungus etc, both old and new nails look perfectly healthy. So, it's just something I've learnt to live with.

If it can happen to humans, maybe piggies too. If they lose their nail again, take them and the fallen out nail to the vet just in case there is something wrong they can spot. It's what I did with mine.
 
How curious! Well I couldnt find the nail the first time and it hasnt happened since!..

I know there are genes which can be turned on and off -ie. hair colour, growth, and curliness! Whether you have uniquely susceptible nail growth I guess they would loosen from the nail bed after a certain amout of wear. But I'm no nail-ologist :P I'm just spitballing rolleyes



...and incidentally .. i retract my in breeding statement :P :P :P
 
Don't retract your inbreeding statement. One of my piggies was born with a misaligned jaw so teeth don't meet and don't wear down properly. If this had been common in the wild they would have become extinct through starvation. But it is all too common a condition in the domestic piggy. Why? Inbreeding.

There is nothing to say your piggy nail problems are not for the same reason.
 
hmmm. very curious..

my first guineapig (one fo two) was from a friend who was havng a litter. He died from having teeth which grew inwards. You have no idea how angry I was with myself for not noticing.. a life of needing his teeth trimmed is short payment for watching him starve to death I tell you! Heart breaking. But what caught my eye was the fact that he and his sister (sold to me as 2 boys) had a little bambino together - all white - died in 2 days. Probably a lethal.

It does not surprise me then if minty the baby was an F2 (if you know any a-level biology?)..
 
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