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Cat paws can develop bad pad problems
EDMOND — Q: My cat Mindy has had sore feet for several months and they seem to be getting worse. She has not injured them as far as we know and she is in the house all the time. She is 3 years old and these problems have just started. Sometimes her pads are red and swollen and occasionally there is a brownish area around them that has an odor. She seems to feel fine otherwise.
A: The paw pads of cats provide the surface that they walk on. They function primarily as a structural entity to protect the foot while walking, but they also have a sensory function. They provide her with information about the texture, temperature, size and shape, movement and vibrations of surfaces and objects. They also help her maintain posture and can sense danger such as a too hot surface for her to walk on.
One interesting thing about a cat’s footpads is that this is the only area of her body that has sweat glands. Like humans they produce a watery sweat that may help function to regulate temperature, but are not likely a primary source of regulation. When a cat is frightened or nervous she may leave moist paw prints.
What you are describing on Mindy’s feet sounds like it may be an allergic response. It may be due to something she is inhaling or eating. The brownish discharge and foul smell are likely a secondary bacterial infection. This can be treated with an antibiotic, but the actual cause should be determined if possible.
Has her diet been changed in the past few months so that she might be allergic to something in it? She may however just develop an allergy to something in a food she has eaten for years. Doing a food trial using a food with limited ingredients such venison, duck or rabbit for eight weeks should answer this question. She must eat absolutely nothing but this diet during the eight-week trial for it to provide an answer.
Have you changed cleaning agents being used on floors or counters where she walks? Even using dryer sheets in a pet’s bedding can elicit an allergic response. Potpourri, candles and other good smelling things can cause inhalant allergies. Something like Carpet Fresh can cause both contact and inhalant allergies.
Another possibility if you are seeing scaly areas around the pads, is an autoimmune reaction. The only way to know for sure is to have your veterinarian do a biopsy of the affected area. It may take a period of trial and error to find an exact “cure” or effective treatment for her. In the meantime you can try to discover her source of irritation with a little detective work and this might be helpful for your veterinarian also to make a better diagnosis.
DR. M. MARGARET KING, a longtime Edmond veterinarian, is a guest columnist. If you have any questions, send them to mking@acreview.com or mail them to 1900 S. Bryant, Edmond, OK 73013.
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