My cat's nails look red after trimming. Is it blood or normal?

Some cats will get this around their nail bed. It's a buildup of skin cells, dust and dirt. If he will let you, you can clean the nail by soaking his foot in warm water and using a soft brush to remove the gunk. If the nail bed is reddened and inflamed, it's a good idea to get him seen by your vet as he may need antibiotics to help him clear it up.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Khufu. You've done the right thing by cleaning his nail, and if it isn't bothering, keep an eye on him for now. If you see him licking it a lot, limping, or signs of infection (redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, pus), have him seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

Flour is a great way to stop a quick from bleeding. Unfortunately, I've had to use that trick myself to get a quick to stop bleeding. When we hit the quick when trimming nails, the biggest problems are that it bleeds and it hurts. That blood can get underneath the layers of the nail (similar to when we have bleeding under our nails) which is probably why it is red. That may change to purple and look bruised in the next couple of days, but it will heal. The other thing you need to make sure when trimming Mona's nails in the future that you use treats or verbal praise to make sure she is comfortable for nail trims. Most kittens are pretty forgiving for nail trims, so don't worry about it, but make sure future nail trims are good experiences, so she doesn't start to dislike them. Congrats on your new kitten! I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor girl. This happens even to the best nail trimmers. He only thing that will successfully stop a bleeding nail every time is an over the counter Kwik Stop styptic powder from your local pet store. It is good that it has stopped bleeding; however, I would pick up some of this powder from the store first thing in the morning. Otherwise, place newspaper in the litter box tonight and monitor it until you go to bed. A light bandage can also be tried; however, cats in particular won't allow a bandage to stay in place. Hopefully things have stabilized for now and she will continue to do well until morning. Most of these nail bleeding situations are fine and don't result in serious complications (i.e. anemia). Best wishes and take care.

If there's no bleeding you probably don't need to do anything else. It is rare for a broken toenail to become infected or cause problems. If Oreo seems painful or the nail beds do start bleeding you should contact your vet.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mocha. As long as the bleeding has stopped, she should be just fine. If it continues to bleed or starts up again, she should see a veterinarian. The doctor can stop the bleeding for you and trim the remaining nails. I hope this information helps!

There is a small risk of infection. Monitor the nail and if the paw or pad or the area around the nail starts to swell, have your veterinarian examine it. If you could keep Toews from licking it, it would speed up healing. An e-collar would greatly help there.