Nail Discoloration - Injury or Vitamin Deficiency?

[Albie]

I noticed last night when we were grinding Jack’s nails that the base of his nails are discolored. When looking at his nails, it appears that in the nail bed of most every nail, the nail is turning a brownish color. Now I am concerned that maybe we have injured his nails from using the grinder on them, or perhaps he has some sort of vitamin deficiency in his diet. We were instructed by Jack’s breeder to use a Dremmel tool to grind his nails every week. It’s hard for us to do it every week, but we usually grind them every other week. When Jack was smaller, he didn’t mind having his nails done. Lately though he has put up a struggle during nail grooming time. Has anyone ever heard that grinding the nails can injure them? My other concern is that perhaps he has some sort of vitamin deficiency. Jack is raw fed, and the only supplement I use every day is fish oil. Could the discoloration of his nails be caused by a vitamin deficiency? If so, does anyone has any suggestions on what I should add to his diet?

 

[mmichaelson]

I don't think this is a discoloration. Sam has this too, and the other local fawn boxers I know have it as well. (at least on the toenails that are not black).

Someone else may weigh-in on it, but I think it's normal.

 

[boxer]

Neither vitamin deficiency nor the result of the dremmel - brown-ish/reddish discolouration near the base of the nail is due to a form of fungus. Usually causes no problems though, so no need to treat.

 

[PuddinHead]

My fawn's nails were all white when we first got him. I noticed a couple of months ago that all the nails on his front paws turned a reddish-brown at the tops. The bottoms are still white. The vet has trimmed them since and did not mention anything about the change in color. I hope this helps.

Zeke 1 yr, flash fawn, male

 

[Albie]

Well, it's good to know we didn't hurt him by grinding his nails, or he's not missing anything in his diet. I wonder how he got a nail fungus? I'll have to look at Lacy's nails and see if she has it too. Lacy is brindle and only has two white nails, whereas Jack is white and all of his nails are white, so I really noticed it on him.

 

[magsp]

I noticed something like this on my Boston Terrier. He has some black nails and some white (he, himself, is black and white). One of his white nails on his front foot had, what looked like dried blood at the base of it, but inside the nail. I sort of assumed that he had hurt his foot/nail playing or digging or something. Is that what you're talking about -- sort of dark, reddish-brown -- like the color of dried blood -- and at the base of the nail?

 

[Albie]

What I see on Jack's nails is a dark reddish/brown color that looks like dried blood. That is why I wondered if we injured his nails when we used the Dremmel tool to grind them.