Diseases of the paw pads in cats.

The pads of a cat’s feet have another name – “crumbs”. No cat owner would like to see the chubby paws of his beloved fluffy cat exposed to diseases. In connection with the desire to protect the cat, a lot of questions arise.

And one of them is: why does a cat living mostly in domestic conditions have problems with paw pads? If in animals living on the street, the limbs can be frozen or wounded, then an apartment pet with such diseases – in general, an incomprehensible phenomenon. Let’s understand why pink cat paws can hurt!

Plasmacytic pododermatitis of cats

This is a disease that occurs due to lesions on the pads of cats’ paws as a result of infiltration by plasma cells.

Feline pads come in finger (on the toes) and metatarsal (where the cat’s “foot” is located). In plasmacytic pododermatitis, the metatarsal pads of the pet’s paws are predominantly affected.

The good news is that this disease occurs infrequently in cats. The bad news is that the disease is extremely unpleasant and not easily treated. Plasmacytic pododermatitis brings severe pain and discomfort to the cat while walking, so there is no way around it without treatment!

Unfortunately, the causes of this disease remain unknown. But something scientists have managed to establish, namely that the level of lymphocytes and globulins increases in the animal’s blood serum, and plasmotic cells accumulate in the epidermis.

Do not look for the cause of the disease in the features of the breed of the cat, sex and age. But it is worth being wary and, perhaps, provide the pet with preventive measures if it has a weakened immune system, and especially if it is infected with an immunodeficiency virus.

How to understand that the cat has plasmacytic pododermatitis? Characteristic symptoms include:

• enlargement of the pads of the cat’s paws (at first they do not hurt);
• dry and rough skin of the pads.

Further – as the disease progresses, they are added:

• softening of the skin of the pads;
• blueness of the skin;
• the appearance of ulcers that may bleed;
• unpleasant odor from the pads of the cat’s paws (if an infection has entered the ulcers);
• lameness;
• the skin of the pads itches a lot.

Some, but not all, pets also develop symptoms such as:

• swollen nose;
• ulcers in the mouth (plasmacytic stomatitis).

If you notice the above symptoms, you should go to the veterinary clinic immediately. The veterinarian will perform tests to make sure that the cat really has plasmacytic pododermatitis and not another disease. To do this, the veterinarian will take a cytology sample from the affected pad of the cat’s paw. And, if plasmacytic cells are found in it, makes the appropriate diagnosis and prescribes treatment.

Treat the pet usually has to be quite long – from 1-2 months. Most often, the doctor prescribes glucocorticosteroids, and if the wounds have developed infection, then antibiotics. In the worst case, in case of severe neglect of the disease, it will be necessary to remove the affected areas of the crumbs, so do not hesitate to go to the hospital if you notice the symptoms!

Also in the process of treatment, it is very important to increase the immunity of the pet, give him vitamins, make sure that the diet was full and balanced.

Cutaneous horn in cats or hyperkeratosis

Another problem that occurs predominantly in the area of the pads of cats’ feet is hyperkeratosis or skin horn. This is a growth that is actually a benign neoplasm. It is quite dense and formed from keratinized cells.

Often the skin horn has a conical or linear shape, similar to a claw or horn. On the body of your favorite cat, you can find both one such growth, and several.

The disease does not spare felines of any age and sex. Hyperkeratosis is susceptible to all cats. But still, such a horn is a fairly rare disease, so you should not be too alarmed.

However, if you found a growth on the paws or on another part of the body of your pet (neck, head, etc.), you will have to go with the cat to the veterinarian and take tests: a general blood test, PCR or ELISA, histology. If there are a lot of such horns on the pads of the paws, the veterinarian prescribes a test for viral leukemia. Hyperkeratosis in cats often signals associated diseases such as actinic dermatitis, papillomatosis, and even squamous cell skin cancer.

The treatment is often the trimming of such a horn. This is done so that it does not inhibit the growth of the cat’s claws. It is also possible to completely remove such a growth surgically. If the diagnosis of squamous cell skin cancer is not confirmed, after a small trimming, the issue with treatment is solved.

The cat has cracked pads on its paws

And sometimes the crumbs are covered with cracks. Here is quite a healthy purr wanders around the apartment, but his paw pads are rough and cracked …. Why is that?

The cat may be under-supplemented with vitamins and other vital nutrients (e.g. zinc) and suffer from avitaminosis. The lack of vitamins A and B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and B6) is particularly bad for the crumbs.

Your furry friend may have metabolic problems – and cracked paws are signaling this to you. To make sure that’s not the case, a blood chemistry test can help.

There could also be other causes. To avoid guessing and self-treatment (because it can be dangerous for your pet!), go to the veterinarian. Most often, if there are no special problems, the doctor can prescribe moisturizers (creams, ointments, etc.), which will need to be lubricated rough crumbs. If painful ulcers have formed on the pads due to cracks, you can lubricate them with ichthyol, zinc or other ointment, and then bandage the paws so that the remedy is absorbed, and the cat does not stain everything around.

Why is it necessarily worth treating cracks on the crumbs? It hurts the cat to walk, over time it can develop lameness. If the animal has access to the street, the salt on the roads gets into the wounds and eats away at them, aggravating the pain. Infection enters the fissure ulcers, causing severe inflammation and suppuration.

Prevention of paw pad disease

What can I do at home to prevent paw pad disease in my cat? Add bone meal, fatty acids (e.g. fish oil) to your cat’s diet.

Be sure to wash the paws with clean, running water after a walk, then wipe dry. Afterward, you can wipe the crumbs with hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine.

If there are no cracks, but the skin of the pads has become dry and rough, lubricate it with oil in moderate amounts, otherwise the cat will be uncomfortable and slippery to walk on. Use sesame oil or olive oil.

Watch the water regimen! Lack of moisture in the fluffy cat’s body leads to dry skin.

Pay attention to the behavior of the pet. If the cat is constantly licking crumbs or limping, schedule a visit to the veterinarian.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Cat Paw Pad Issues

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