Black claw - should I be worried?

Thanks Mamiecat!

I’ve seen a vet since my last post and you’ve pretty much summarised exactly what they told me. They didn’t have to pull the claw out (phew!) as they were convinced it was on the mend despite everything. They gave it a clean and it looks much better now, to be honest.

I’m so relieved!

Thanks again!

Hi there, Personally, I think the claw has been damaged and the quick has bled... which is probably why the blood looks black where it’s spread! The fact it’s not going away could mean the injury is such that it’s not healing properly, and there’s a risk of infection. The claw might be split at the base and opens up whenever your cat puts weight on it to walk or scratch in their litter tray. I’ve seen this before with a cat that had gripped onto something really hard because they were scared and injured themselves... the vet had to remove the claw, and it grew back after a few weeks. Your best bet would be to see a vet! In the meantime, you can apply some Betadine using a gauze pad, three times a day. Good luck and keep us posted, thanks!