Fungus, Yeast, and Dog Claws.

The article presents an analysis of the canine claw by Alyssa Cook, finalist in the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2007. Dogs often develop painful yeast and dermatophyte (fungal) infections in their claws. Alyssa hypothesized that yeasts would be more prevalent in the claws of young dogs than in old ones and that dermatophytes would be more numerous in old dogs than in young dogs. Later in her study she confirmed that both pathogens were present to some degree in healthy dogs of all ages.