Home Blog Page 2

Swollen Paws In Cats: Essential Facts About It

1

What to do about a swollen cat paw?

Swollen paws in cats can be the result of an accident or a number of other issues, which can make diagnosis difficult. Thankfully, more often than not, the causes of swelling are curable.

Cats will often hide injuries like foot swelling, so if you catch your cat limping, or favoring one paw over another, you will need to investigate further to make sure it’s not more serious.

Swollen Paws in Cats

how to reduce swelling in a cat's paw

How can you know if your cat has a sore or swollen paw?

Sometimes it will be obvious – the paw may be visibly enlarged, the paw pads may be discolored with infection, or you might catch your cat limping.

Here are some of the other signs that your cat’s paw may have an infection, fungus, or injury:

  • excessive grooming of the paw
  • less activity to avoid using the injured paw
  • a bad or unusual smell
  • less interested in food

The other big sign that your cat has a paw problem is that she is unwilling to let you look at the paw, and doesn’t want you to investigate. However, if you are able to sit down with your cat and get her comfortable to have a good look, this is obviously advisable.

Why is my cat’s paw swollen?

The main reason for a swollen cat paw is infection. This might be from an unkempt toenail or, most often, a bite from another animal.

Depending on where you are in the world, any number of animals could have bitten your cat’s paw to bring on the infection. Another cat is the most likely culprit, but it may also have been a dog, a raccoon, a rat, an insect, or even been a snake.

Other causes of swelling in cat’s paws include:

Object penetration – Your cat may have something stuck inside its foot or paw. This could be a splinter of wood or glass, a thorn or prickle, or even something more benign.

Insect sting – The world is so full of dodgy insects, and depending on where you live, your cat might have been bitten by one. Bee stings are relatively common and can cause issues especially if the stinger remains in the foot.

Cuts – Your cat may have cut her paw pad while out on an adventure. This happens easily enough, and most often it will heal fine. However, problems arise if it becomes infected.

Break or sprain – A broken bone in the foot or leg, or even a sprain, will bring on swelling. More than some of the other causes, this will usually be obvious with a significant limp or desire not to move.

Claws – Your cat’s claws may be overgrown, ingrown, or even perhaps lost. Cats can lose claws in fights or more often when climbing trees and taking a fall. The resulting wound may become infected.

There are other more unusual and less common reasons for a sore cat paw. One example is a condition known as plasma cell pododermatitis. This is a relatively rare condition thought to be caused by a manic immune system, predominantly in the paws tissues.

What can I give my cat for a swollen paw?

What are the treatments for swollen cat paws?

The most important thing you can do is take your puss to the vet asap. It’s best not to leave a persistent problem to see if it will heal itself or come right. 

The treatment will then of course vary depending on the underlying cause. In the case of an infection, antibiotics are typically used, along with the cleaning and monitoring of the foot.

If the cause was something like an insect bite or sting, antihistamines and steroids may also be used.

If the cat has a sprained leg or foot, and there is suspicion of a break, your vet will take an x-ray. The treatments for a cat’s broken leg are more significant, and will likely require surgery.

Preventing problems with cat paws

what can i give my cat for a swollen pawThere are a few things you can do to prevent your cat from getting an infected paw or other foot problem.

  • keep their nails trimmed so that they don’t catch on something and get pulled away
  • have your cat spayed or neutered so as to reduce chances they will get in a fight with other cats
  • have regular yearly check-ups with your vet to ensure other possible causes are kept under control

The best thing you can do is to make sure you know your pussy, keep an eye on her so that if anything happens during the course of an ordinary day, you catch it quickly. Minor problems can become major problems if left undiagnosed and untreated.

Cat Warts: Do You Need To Worry About Cat Papilloma?

3
do cats get warts

Can cats get warts?

Yes, they can! Cat warts are fairly uncommon, but do crop up (literally) from time to time. They are often referred to as papillomas and manifest as a benign tumor that is found on the surface of the skin.

In this article, we will be discussing warts on cats, giving their causes, symptoms, prognosis, and treatment.

Cat Warts

can cats get warts

Cat warts are most often due to a virus called papillomavirus. It is often characterized by a small growth that is raised and wart-like, and which has an open pore in its central surface.

While warts are not generally life-threatening, it is important to have them examined by an expert. Sometimes, leaving the wart virus in cats untreated can lead to further complications. The tumors or growths may become cancerous over time.

The papillomas are most commonly found around the mouth, eyes, or nose. This is because of the increased humidity and probability of transmission of the viral cells in these areas.

In the following video, Dr. Karen Becker discusses warts in dogs, but the information and advice apply to cat warts as well.

Causes of cat warts

The papillomavirus is transmitted from another animal that has the virus to another. It can be transferred through the mouth when cats lick each other, or through insect bites, scrapes, and cuts. Catfights can also spread the virus.

There are reasons why one cat will pick it up over another, however. A weak or immature immune system may fail to fight off the virus, leading to warts. Younger or older cats can be more vulnerable to the disease.

If your pet is on immunosuppressant for allergies or other issues, this can also make them more susceptible to the wart virus. Vaccines can also cause a wart outbreak.

There can also be other reasons for feline warts. Some kinds of cancer may initially manifest as a wart virus in cats. Over a period of time, these tumors can spread and multiply, thus becoming life-threatening and cancerous lesions. 

Symptoms of warts on cats

Besides warts, there are some other symptoms that may come with the papillomavirus in cats.

Here they are:

  • Less appetite
  • Different colored bumps
  • Poor hygiene or grooming
  • Warts may become inflamed or infected
  • Warts might bleed

What to do about cat warts

If your cat’s behavior has changed significantly, make sure you take him to the vet for a check-up. The cat wart may need a biopsy to identify or eliminate the possibility of cancer.

However, many animals will naturally get over the virus on their own. Their immune system will overcome the virus, and they will get better over the course of a few months. If not, here are some of the treatments your vet may consider.

Treatments for feline warts

Here are some of the treatments your vet may consider for treating pussy warts. Most likely, your vet will only ‘do something’ if the warts are negatively affecting your cat’s wellbeing. 

Medication

There are different kinds of antiviral, anti-inflammatory, or antifungal medications, which the vet might prescribe. The medication your pet is given will depend on its breed, sex, age, and size.

Freezing 

In case the diagnosis of wart virus is benign, the vet might choose to freeze warts off the cat. Freezing these warts in different sensitive areas on the cat may help in alleviating the symptoms, like lethargy, the loss of appetite, or overall discomfort.

Surgical Removal

In some instances, your vet may surgically remove the wart on cat. This course of action is most likely if the wart is thought to be cancerous, or if it may not respond well to medication or freezing.

Cat papilloma

Things to keep in mind:

  • Keep your cat separate from other cats and dogs to prevent spreading the virus further
  • Most warts are non-cancerous and treatment is not always necessary
  • Warts are a good indication of an animals immune strength
  • Feed your cat the best food to help boost their immune system
  • If in doubt about a diagnosis, seek multiple vet’s opinions

The cat wart virus doesn’t have to be a scary thing. Monitor your puss, and she should come right fairly quickly. As we’ve mentioned, get help from a good vet when unsure or worried about anything.

Please leave any comments or questions down below!

7 Best Types Of Cat Art – Paintings, Photographs, Posters, & More

0
best cat art
WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on this website.

Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.