Nail infection

my dogs nails are turning a brownish red color and closest to the nail bed you can scrap a little bit of gunk off but the color remains. I believe its on the inside of the nail. Also, I don't know if its related or not but his anal gland seems express itself randomly, and lastly his eyes just started leaking the reddish eye gubers and staining his face. Please help!

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

There is a reddish pigment in the tears of many dogs called porphorin.  The coloration exists in dogs with all color coats, but it just cannot be seen in darker coated dogs.  Porphorin shows up as reddish "gubers" when the pigment becomes concentrated in light colored coats.  This has no relationship to the anal glands or the nails.  Nasal folds can become infected by a dark reddish brown or black yeast called malassezia pachydermatitis.  

The anal gland problem may be caused by food allergies, digestive problems, or infection, and the anal glands can also be infected with malassezia pachydermatitis.  

The nail bed infection could indeed be from an infectious cause such as a bacterial, or fungal infection.  These infections usually effect only one or two nails, however.  The fact that all the nails are effected may mean that your dog has an autoimmune problem such as Lupus, pemphigus, or other cause best diagnosed at your veterinarian, who can perform a culture and sensitivity, and biopsy of some of the effected nails and nail beds.  

Additionally, If your dog has food allergies or environmental allergies they will lick their paws continuously, which allows bacterial, or yeast, such as malassezia pachydermatitis, to get into the paws, and nails by extension.