Black and blue toenail

Question
Hi,

My cat got into something the other day and came back
absolutely filthy and a bit scratched up. I gave him a bath
and put some ointment on the scratches. Well three days
later I was looking at his front paws and noticed that one
of his nails is black and blue the entire length (like how a
human fingenail might look if it got smashed in a door or
something). The bed (crest?) underneath still looks healthy
pink and there is no blood anywhere. He was/is not favoring
his other foot so I didn't know he had any trauma. I don't
see any other signs of injury on that paw although he
doesn't let me hold his paws for very long (ever). Is this
something serious that I should take him to a vet to look at
or like human fingernails, will the traumatized section grow
out?

Thanks,
Megan

Answer
IT sounds like he got into a nasty fight. You should probably keep an eye on him and watch for abscesses growing. What you are seeing under his nail could be blood from the other cat, or he might have pulled on the nail as it was embedded in the other cat and made the quick bleed.

It doesn't sound like an emergency of any type so I don't think, unless he is in pain or lethargic, that you need to rush him to the vets.
Could be a wait and see situation.