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My puppy's nail turned black. Should I be worried about the color?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 2 months and 23 days old | 3 lbs

Hi one of my dog's nails turned black, should I be worried? She is a JackChi almost 4 months old

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Christina Kellogg, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 24th, 2017

That appears to be normal pigmentation development. If there is any sign of infection around the nail bed (redness, swelling, discharge) or Kendra is licking/chewing the area, you may want to have it examined and treated. But the color development appears normal. Hope this helps.

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 9th, 2020

    Occasionally a nail can become pigmented after trauma to the nail base. It can also be normal for hair, skin and nails to develop more pigment over time as part of a normal aging change. To me the nail in your picture looks fairly normal but if Barry seems uncomfortable again I'd recommend having your vet take a look in person.

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