Cat Health Swollen Paw

When you think about cat health, a swollen paw should be a concern. Paw swelling could be a minor problem or a sign of more severe one.

A swollen cat paw needs immediate attention

Cat Paws

A cat’s paws have many important jobs. Cats use them for climbing and digging. They act as shock absorbers when the cat jumps off a high surface and can be used as deadly weapons if the need arises. The center pad of each paw, called the plantar pad, protects the leg bones by giving support to the legs.

On the bottom of each paw is a series of pads. There are seven pads on each front paw, the plantar pad, a wrist pad and five digital pads where the claws are located. Each hind paw has a plantar pad and four digital pads. Some cats are born with one or two extra toes on each front paw; this is a genetic disorder known as polydactylism.

This important part of your cat’s anatomy can easily be injured or damaged, causing the paw to swell.

A Common Problem of Cat Health: Swollen Paw

There are many reasons that a cat’s paw may swell. It could be something as simple as an insect bite or as severe as an infection or bone fracture.

Causes

Possible causes of swelling, include:

• Cats love to swat insects and bees and are sometimes stung on the paw causing it to swell. Bee stings and insect bites generally swell quickly and may become infected. Sometimes the stinger remains in the paw. Bites from spiders and scorpions can be very dangerous causing very painful swelling, serious infection and death of the tissues in the infected area.

• A swollen paw can be from a foreign body stuck in a pad between the cat’s toes or in the fleshy soft tissue of the paw. Anything from a thorn to a small piece of broken glass could be responsible for the swelling. If you see the object and are able to remove it with tweezers, the swelling should go down in a day or two. If you are certain that the swollen paw was due to a minor problem such as a thorn you have removed, soak the paw in a mixture of one gallon fresh cool water with two tablespoons of two percent cholhexidine added. Cholhexidine is an antiseptic that is available at many drugstores. Many people still prefer to check with their vet even if the problem seems to be minor since the chance of infection is always present.

• Punctures, lacerations and cuts can cause damage to the paw’s soft tissues, fleshy areas or pads. These injuries can be caused from stepping on a sharp object, getting caught on something or from another cat’s teeth or nails. Wounds of any type can become swollen, infected or abscessed. If you feel heat in your cat’s paw, it is a sign of infection, abscess or inflammation and needs medical attention right away.

• Cats love to jump, and sometimes a swollen paw can be the result of a sprain, hairline bone fracture or dislocation from jumping, playing or running. Some cats have received bruised paws and even fractures due to their caretaker accidentally stepping on their foot. For cats that go outside, the cause could be from an accident with a vehicle.

• A cat’s nails can also be the cause of a swollen paw. Nails that are too long can get caught on objects, break off and become infected. Sometimes a long nail gets caught on something and twists resulting in a swollen joint or toe arthritis. If a nail is clipped too close to the quick, it also runs the possibility of becoming infected.

Symptoms

The following are symptoms of a swollen paw:

• Limping
• Favoring the injured paw
• Licking or biting the paw
• Heat in the paw caused by inflammation, infection or abscess
• Possible bad odor from an infection
• Reluctance to be active

When to Call the Veterinarian

It is usually best to call the veterinarian if your cat has a swollen paw. Generally, the vet will be able to determine the cause of the swelling through a simple examination. In some cases, blood work or x-rays may be needed. If the cat’s paw is warm to the touch or seems to be causing a lot of pain, it is most likely infected. It is very important to call the veterinarian right away. The longer you wait, the worse the infection will become.

If the swelling is due to a bee sting, insect or spider bite, your cat may need medication to stop the allergic reaction and help reduce the swelling in its paw. A soft tissue injury can become infected, and medication is needed to stop the infection from spreading through the cat’s body. X-rays may be needed to determine if there is a fracture or sprain.

Conclusion

All cat caretakers want their feline charges to be healthy and happy. It is a good practice to examine your cat’s paws on a regular basis. Look for small cuts on the pads, check between the toes for any foreign bodies such as stickers, thorns or foxtails and trim the cat’s nails if they are too long. By doing these simple things you lower the risk of your cat suffering from a common problem of cat health, a swollen paw.

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