Cats claw black around the quick and dewclaw pad shriveled and black.

My cat has black in his ears which I thought was ear mites, so I applied Revolution but the black is still there. More worrisome is the black around some of his claws where the pink quick should be, and also the little pad of the dewclaw has turned completely black and looks shriveled. I noticed a few days ago he was holding up that paw like it was hurting to put weight on. Tonight I thought it looked a little swollen around that pad. He is a very difficult cat to examine and if I try to touch his feet, forget it! I just have to look but don't touch. He is on medication for overactive thyroid. He was quite a mess of fur loss and bumpy, itchy skin before he was started on that, and he was always licking at his paws causing them to bleed. Maybe his thyroid med needs to be tweaked. I'm going to try to get him in to the vet this week and I will get some Forty Flora while I'm there. I can't find anything online that seems to match his specific problem. His other paw pads look good since he's been on the thyroid medicine and his coat has slowly returned to normal. Also, I have some leftover Clavamox that I started him on today in case the swelling is an infection.

First off, Revolution won't help any ear problems that I'm aware of, unless he's got fleas or ticks in his ears.  Are you sure it's ear mites?  Ear mites normally look like coffee grounds.  Black gunk could be an ear infection or something else.  Is there any smell coming from his ear? 

Next, as to his paw issue, I would definitely get him in to see his Vet, especially because you think he may need his thyroid meds adjusted anyway.  Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. 

By the way, you can order FortiFlora via Amazon.  It's for digestive issues, since it's a probiotic of sorts.   Of course, if you are now giving Clavamox, you wouldn't want to give FortiFlora at the same time.  Wait a few hours in between doses.  (don't know where you live, but I can buy Fortiflora at Petsmart/Petco too).  Did you ask your Vet if it was a good idea to give that Clavamox? 

I'm glad his coat is returning to normal.  Hopefully he'll soon be getting ALL his paws back to normal too

Is it a flaky black or an oily black. Oily black crud can be extra sebum (body oil) and flaky black skin with no oil on it can be necrosis of the flesh. Hormone imbalances cause excessive sebum and microplasma can cause necrosis. I'd definitely take him to the vet and get him looked at.

Thank you both for the info.
Revolution does kill ear mites and there is no more black in his ears.
The Clavomox seems to have helped as his paw no longer looks swollen to me.
I found one forum post online about a cat whose issue sounded just like my Sammy's. Initially the vet told the owner that the cat had a claw infection and prescribed 2 weeks of Clavamox. Unfortunately, it turned out that the cat had terminal bone cancer and its weakened immune system had allowed the claw infection to form. I am praying that is not the case with Sammy and that he just needs Thyroid med adjustment, as I think that can also effect immune response. I will be taking him to the vet on Tuesday. Other than having the black in his claws, he seems perfectly fine.
I have gotten a better look at his feet and the black seems to be inside his claws. The quick is black instead of pink. It only affects some of them. And the little dewclaw pads are black on both legs, but all the other pads are pretty and pink.

Revolution works great for mites. I have sphynxs and use it because it covers so many things. There is alot of things that the black could be. When you take him to the vet I wouldn't let them blow you off about it but demand that they take a scraping to get tested. Vets are known for downplaying peoples concerns if there not sure of the exact cause. It's not ment to be cruel, they know that most problems resolve themselves and are reluctant to do tons of expensive tests on pets without insurance. Hopefully it just has to do with an imbalance caused by the meds he's getting or a bacterial infection.