>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]