Question for cat owners...

[jeninga75]

I adopted a cat a couple of months ago. About 3 weeks ago I noticed her back paw getting a little red and swollen. I took her to the vet a few days later when I could get an appointment. She had a low grade fever and the vet basicaly said it was infected. She couldn't imagine how an inside cat could cut/puncture her paw. Honestly, neither could I. I don't know how she did it.

Anyway, she got 10 days of Amoxicillian and we called it a day. This was on a Tuesday. By Monday of the next week it wasn't looking any better. I took her back in. She still had the fever (she was still playing and eating and drinking like usual so they weren't concerned). The vet gave her a shot of cortizone to help with the itching. We figured it was just taking some time to heal because she was constantly licking at it. Got another 10 days of meds and went home.

It is now some time later and it's still the same. I have 3 days of meds left. The vet said that if it doesn't heal, the next step was to take a biopsy to see if there was something else going on. My dilema is this... Let me say first off, I would never deny an animal, especially one of mine, medical attention of any kind. I am, in fact, saving money to get a hip replacement for my Akita who was diagnosed with hip dysplasia in October. Anyway, has anyone had a cat with a similar situation? I still think it's not healing because she licks and bites at it constantly. On top of that she's walking in her litter box with a moist sore. I clean it every morning but there's still bacteria in it. I don't really have the money to do this. I can put it on a credit card and I will if I have to but I'm looking for some advice first.

So has anyone else had a cat with some kind of injury or infection that took a very long time to heal? If anyone wants to see what it looks like I'll be more than happy to take a picture.

 

[Clienta]

Is there anything in the paw? A thorn, piece of glass, a sliver, etc. That is the only reason I can think of as to why it wouldn't be healing. If you want to prevent the little one from licking you could get one of those domes to put on their head. It looks ridiculous but they work.

You could also get a second opinion from another vet before you go full forward with the biopsy. We are animal lovers too. Rescued two dogs in Mexico, who had heart worms, lyme disease, etc. A big financial committment to get them healthy but well worth it......they are the best family members ever!

 

[Katie H]

Oh, jen, I'm sorry to hear about your kitty. It's difficult when they have to use the litter box and you know that doesn't help the healing process, but they have to go potty.

Buck and I have lots of kitties and know that some wounds take longer to heal than others, but it does sound like the one your kitty has is taking a bit long to heal. I would listen to your vet if he's one you trust. I would just expire if our vet retired. He's the best.

Good luck to you and your kitty. We'll put her in our prayers. They deserve prayers just like people.

 

[pdswife]

.... could your wrap his foot in some kind of bandage to stop the licking and to keep the paw clean??

 

[Angel]

J 75,
Did the vet examine the cats paw for a grass seed?
We had a similar problem with our dog.
They can become very swollen and inflamed from these little nasties.
good luc lets know how pussie fares
It is a credit to you, you sound a very responsible, loving & caring person.
thanks
(\o/) 25

 

[jeninga75]

Cilenta - As far as I can tell (and as far as I can get without her slicing and dicing me) I cant find any foreign object. Also, I think I am going to get a 2nd opinion from my regular vet. I have a trusted vet I take my dog to. He is about 30 min away though so I thought I'd try something closer for the kitty. I should have followed my instinct and gone to him.

Katie - Thank you, I appreciate your prayers.

Pdswife - I have some CoBand that I got from school (shhhh...) I was thinking of wrapping her paw and leg in it tomorrow since I'll be home all day and see if she will let it be. My guess is she's gonna try her hardest to rip it off lol!

Angel - By grass seed I'm assuming you mean something she would pick up outside. She's an inside cat and does not walk around outside.

Lol... she's sitting on he couch next to me stalking her tail

 

[Alix]

Ouch. OK, it could be a compression injury with broken bones in there too. My kitty had his foot smashed and it got abcessed inside. My cat has had various paw injuries and I tell you, it can be a trial, and an EXPENSIVE one to get them fixed.

Some cheap things to do that will help with infection:

Epsom salt bath - get the water as warm as you can and dissolve some epsom salts (tbsp or so) in it. Then get kitty on your lap and comfy and ease the sore foot into the water. Keep it there as long as you can, which might be seconds or minutes. LOL. Trust me, I know how tough that can be. Do this a few times a day. It draws the infection out. When my cat had an abcess in his foot this really helped.

Peroxide and polysporin - if you can find the puncture, try to open it GENTLY by a little pulling and pour a bit of hydrogen peroxide in it. Then if you can, smear some polysporin on it. We did this for the abcessed foot, but we also did it when he was in a fight and yanked some claws out. Worked very well.

Finally, if you can find toe socks, cut the big toe off and put that over kitties foot with some surgical tape. You will need to get a cone to keep her from licking at it but that will keep the kitty litter out of it. You can even put plastic wrap over the toe thing if you want.

I second the "get a second opinion" advice. Your cat needs his foot x-rayed before you go straight to the biopsy thing. Try the epsom salts thing and see if it helps.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

So sorry to hear about your kitty's problem. First, I would replace her litter with shredded newspaper for the next week or so. I know it's a pain but litter can irritate and keep foot wounds from healing. It's what they do in veterinary hospitals when cats have foot surgery. The hydrogen peroxide cleanses and neosporin are a very good idea. 2 or 3 times a day would be ideal. The bandages can be iffy if the wound is still draining. Warm, wet places (like bandages on a seeping wound) can help bacteria thrive. But if it's not draining, it might keep your kitty from messing with it. Also, has your kitty been tested for feline leukemia or feline aids? They are different in cats than in humans but they can cause healing to be much slower than normal. Anyway, good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Is she having you clean it regularly? Maybe you just didn't mention that fact but it seems that you should be cleaning it.

My cat almost lost her tail ~ horrid really ~ and I had to, much to her dislike, clean it after the bandage was removed. However, for two full weeks, he tail was wrapped. She didn't like it, but a year and a half later, she still has her tail.

I really think you should get that second opinion you talked of. It's worth it.

Positive thoughts to you from kitty central Mooresville NC!

 

[Bilby]

Firstly, second opinion. They may just not have given the correct antibiotics.
Secondly, no bandages - let the cat lick it's wounds as saliva is a good healer. It is what it would be doing in nature if we didn't get in the way. If you really feel you need to stop it, like in the case of an obsessive licker, an Elizabethan collar is the go.
Thirdly, I wouldn't be using anything stronger than saline or weak clor hex solution. Water on its own is good just to clean the wound. Have you had a look at the claws as well, just to make sure something hasn't slipped into the quick?

The wound may be an abscess, a cut, a break or whatever. FIV and FELV, as Fisher's Mom said, can stop a cat from healing or at the very least slow it down. I have an FIV positive cat at the moment and while the FIV is inactive and he is just a carrier, his ability to heal is greatly reduced. I recently had to have five of his teeth removed incl three of his canines as the teeth are the first part of them to go. So far he has healed from each of his issues but it has always taken longer than the other cats. As to grass seeds, the cat doesn't need to be an outside cat to get those sort of things in a paw. You go outside and probably your dog does as well. They can get brought into the house and imbedded in the carpet or a curtain.

I know what you mean about the long drive with the cat. I have a vet two minutes from my house, and several within a 10-15 minutes radius, yet my preferred vets are 30 minutes away, near where I used to live. I have tried several near me and now don't bother going anywhere except the long drive ones. Most of my cats cry loudly and heart-wrenchingly all the way there, and when I have more than one in the car it is horrendous!! Thankfully they know that they are going home on the way back and are quiet for most of the way. Just take cotton wool!!

The second last cat that I took in would have to have a charmed life. Before I got him, he had been run over twice and had the end of his tail taken off with elastic bands. As a result of those incidents, he has ended up with a broken pelvis, broken hip and dead tail. He also suffers from bouts of incontinence and is unable to clear himself unaided. Well the night that his owners officially gave him to me, he ran thru the front door and up to my bedroom. Somehow in the ten metres or so, he managed to rip his pupil open! How did he do it?? Not a clue! I don't have any sharp items around and at the time I had another six cats in the house, none of whom were prone to injuring themselves. He and they were used to each other at that stage too so I can't even blame one of the others for his mishap. If they can find a way to perplex us, they will!!!!

Good luck (to you and the cat - and your dog too!) whatever way you go with this. It is stressful for you probably more so than the cat. I renamed my credit card, the cat card. I am sure I have paid for the principal vet to go to Bali on holiday several times in the past x years I have been going there!!LOL

 

[auntdot]

You need a tissue diagnosis. Get the biopsy.

 

[Alix]

Jeninga I forgot to mention that all those therapies were Vet suggested. Before you go leaping to a biopsy though, please do go get a second opinion. Your first vet may have overlooked something. I know its expensive, but it is important.

And Bilby, respectfully disagreeing with you on the licking thing. It is NOT helpful to some healing processes. Cats and dogs can both lick until they give themselves further issues to complicate the initial injury. I suggested covering only as a measure to keep the wound clean. Since it is a paw that can be infected in the litter box this is an important step.

HOWEVER, none of us are Vets Jeninga, just folks who've had pets with all kinds of weird things happen. Please do go find a good one and get that 2nd opinion. Best of luck to you!

 

[Bilby]

Hey Alix - that's fine!! I'm a big girl and nobody has to agree with me at all!! I can take it. Irrespectively and as you said, none of us are vets (well to my knowledge - I'm sure there are vets that cook!LOL) and the second opinion is the most important thing.

I'd also look at a blood test before a biopsy as while they are costly, they are cheaper than a biopsy often and depending on the vet, can be a prerequisite anyway.

We all worry about our pets and want the best for them.

 

[Alix]

Thanks Bilby! Excellent words of advice.

Jeninga, please do let us know how it all turns out. As you can see we are a bunch of very concerned pet owners.

 

[jeninga75]

I might go to PetSmart and get the collar. The vet I took her to said don't bother because cats are so agile she'll still be able to lick it. I'm not going to bandage it, I saw a little wet spot where her foot was last night so it's apparently still draining.

I'm going to try to get to my regular vet this week. I have no problem with the drive, the problem is work. I just graduated school and got this job 2 weeks ago. I've already left early twice because of the cat. I'm afraid I'll be pushing my luck if I do it again. I have to be at work 30 min after they open so that's not an option. He has no weekend hours.

Thanks for all the good advice, I'll let you all know what I find out.

 

[Alix]

Jeninga, if it is still draining then do try the epsom salt bath. Thats what my vet had me do with our cat who's had MULTIPLE paw injuries. It really does work. Draining is a GOOD thing!

 

[JMediger]

...First, I would replace her litter with shredded newspaper for the next week or so. I know it's a pain but litter can irritate and keep foot wounds from healing. It's what they do in veterinary hospitals when cats have foot surgery...

When our reggie was having nail issues, our vet suggested this as well as using oatmeal. Which ever is easier for you to get ahold of (we don't have a daily newspaper so shredded newspaper was hard to come by).

Hope she's feeling better!

 

[jeninga75]

Jeninga, if it is still draining then do try the epsom salt bath. Thats what my vet had me do with our cat who's had MULTIPLE paw injuries. It really does work. Draining is a GOOD thing!

I'm about to go to the store (still trying to decide what I want for dinner tonight) Can I get the salt at the grocery store? Or do I need to go someplace like Walgreens?

Then, what eactly do I do? What ratio of salt to water should I use? Should it be warm or cold? What if she absolutly will not deal with it? Should I hold her foot in it til she starts shredding me and do it every so often throughout the day? And last, since it's salt, will it sting her?

 

[Barbara L]

The slow-healing wound makes me wonder. Ask your vet to check your cat's blood glucose levels. Cats (and dogs) get diabetes just like humans do. I found that it is much more common than one would believe.

Barbara

 

[jeninga75]

Never thought of that Barbara. I know some mentioned feline AIDS and such but she has been screened for that so I know that's not it. I called my vet to see if they had a message about whether or not they're gonna be open Monday. I'm hoping maybe they'll be there. I got the epsom salt. I'm Gonna wait for Alix to answer my questions before I do it.