>About 2 weeks ago, I went to trim my ferrets nails, and I noticed a black
>line in one of Sugars nails.  It starts at the end of the quick, and goes
>all the way to the end of the nail.  It looks like it's following the
>space the quick was in.  The living quick looks fine.  I thought maybe I
>got a little close to the quick, and that it was dried blood inside the
>nail, but I've trimmed it since then, and the line just keeps coming.  I
>asked my vet about it when she went in for a checkup last week, but he
>wasn't sure what it was, he'd never seen that before.  Anyone have any
>idea whats going on?  It doesn't seem to bother her when I look at it.
 
Ok, I got an answer (thanks to Anita and Dr Ivan!), thought I'd share in
case someone else ever comes across it.  Its a bruised nail/quick, like
if you slam your finger in a door or something.  The quick has been hurt,
and has to grow back out, and til it has a complete new one, the old one
will continue to make a black line.  She said the nail may even fall out,
but will grow back, and could take up to a year to heal completely.
 
Sue
[Posted in FML issue 5217]