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My dog's claw is black, crusty, and oozing. Is it infected? What can I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Basset Hound | Female | spayed | 3 years and 8 months old | 53 lbs

Our basset has what seems to be an infected claw. She won't let us touch it and she licks it a lot. When you push the claw out so that it's 'casing' is revealed, it is black and crusty at the base. When you scrape in the black crusty part, it oozes a liquid. Possibly infected? We managed to get a photo of the claw as is, however, she won't let us push it out to reveal the full black crust. You can see the start of it in the image. We are not sure how to proceed and would appreciate any advice!

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Summer Walker, DVM, MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 21st, 2017

She certainly could have an infection of the nail bed at that digit. It is possible that she could have gotten the toenail hung on something and damaged the nail into the nail bed resulting in an infection. You can try applying topical triple antibiotic cream to the nailbed (do not allow her to lick it for 10 minutes), but if she continues to be painful with the toe, the discharge does not go away, or new signs develop (such as losing the toenail, swelling of the toe, lethargy, decreased appetite), she should be seen by her veterinarian to determine if oral antibiotics or a medicated foot soak is needed or if additional diagnostics (such as radiographs) are warranted.

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    Answered By Karly Macon, DVM, MS, CVA Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Yep it sure looks likely the nailbed may have an infection in it. Start off by soaking the paw in warm epsom salt solution several times daily until you can get her to your vet for some antibiotics and pain medication. Hope that helps!

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