Cat split hind paw pad

At work, so this is really brief.

Came back home to find broken glass all over the kitchen, and roommate, placed both cats in my room.

One of the cats has his hind paw's pad split open. The tip of the pad is ruptured, but it is not bleeding that bad. It is more of a small trickle that occurs when applying pressure i.e. he walks around.

I didn't have much time from my lunch break, so I quickly dabbed it with saltwater. He was resistant, but seems to be fine (i.e. not too much pain). I will be applying a topical anti-microbial like Neosporin this evening when I get back. Meanwhile, I took away the litterbox, and put newspaper shredding in a bin, as to eliminate the potential for the clay getting stuck in the cut pad or infection.

I'm going to take a quick picture tonight and post it on here. It looks bad, b/c he's my little guy, but I'm not sure if it is too bad to take to the vet or not. I will be monitoring him the next couple days, and if he goes for the worse then I will take him in. Otherwise, he was eating just fine, and actually purring when I rubbed his belly. He was just finicky when I tried cleaning the wound for obvious reasons.


Any suggestions? I hope after posting pictures you guys can get a better undrestanding. Appreciate all help.

I've never had a cat with a cut paw, but I did have a medium sized dog slash his paw on glass. It was deep, and about a third of the paw pad was separated. The vet said he COULD stitch it back together, but it would likely only necrose and cause infection. He removed the small portion of separated pad, and Hoover healed up perfectly fine. On paw pads you have to worry about blood supply. Those thin capillaries can't be reconnected, so sometimes it's better just to remove the separated part if it is not going to get enough blood.

You said that it doesn't seem too bad, so until we get pictures, I am going to guess that's it's relatively minor, and you don't have to worry about lack of circulation.

No matter what we say, it's ultimately going to be up to your own judgment whether you take him in or not. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Is this likely to cause much pain? Would going to the vet reduce his pain?
2. How likely is this to get infected?
3. How deep is this cut? If it is too deep it may need to be excised.
4. Would he be easier to care for if he had stitches?
5. How much blood is being lost? Cat's can't afford to lose as much as we can.
6. How confident are you that you can keep an open wound clean?

I hope this helps you make your decision. to the kitty and best of luck.

Well, I came home to find him in good spirits. He's eating, and actually playing around with the other cat. I've kept them both isolated in my room as to limit movement.

Here are the pictures:





My next concern is infection. As I mentioned, I am applying a topical analgesic (neosporin), and will be cleaning once in the morning and evening with saltwater. My problem is now is the litterbox. I got rid of the clay litter, and actually placed newspaper shreddings in it. Problem is none of the two will use it. Funny enough, the injured cat is actually lying and sleeping in it!!!

Any opinions, or further insight are much appreciated.

My advice: see your vet and accept an antibiotic because that will prevent some very serious complications.

Things to try in the litter box: Yesterday's News and some similar things.

Sorry, realized the pcitures wasn't too great. Here's an additional one:




Can vets prescribe an antibiotic without seeing the pet? I'm not a fan of antibiotics by any means. Ideally, I want to know if this wound looks deep or not. My main concern is circulation being trapped. I figure a topical and daily cleaning should void an infection.

I'm not a fan of antibiotics either but this is one of those situations where the potential for serious complications is very real. Not worth the risk. Please, definitely see your vet, this is not the kind of wound/injury you'll want to take chances with.

Some vets will write an antibio script without seeing the cat, some vets won't. It depends on the vet, how often they see your pet, and how confident they are with your diagnostic and nursing skills. You may be able to find something at a tractor supply type store, but it's iffy. Also, try a search for Jeffer's pet supply. They're based in Alabama, but the store and supply co are owned by a vet, and they sometimes have things like antibio's.

The wound doesn't look too deep, but it does look a bit painful.

My cat cuddles has a bd habit of not cleaning his paws after he uses the litter box, which leads to infected cuticles and claw sheathes if I don't watch him. I've found that pine or corn-cob based litters work really well. They tend not to stick to any sores he gets on his feet, and scooped daily, they don't get soft and mushy like clay litters do.

Best of luck, .

Aww, poor little guy!

If it was me and one of my cats, I wouldn't take him to the vet right away. If you can see that no glass is stuck in his paw, I would keep it clean, watch it, and see what happens. It doesn't look very deep. I'm sure it's sore, but you said he's in good spirits. As long as you keep litter out of it and keep it clean it shouldn't get infected. If it starts to get infected you'll be able to see, and then you can get him antibiotics.

I use Feline Pine litter, which is good, but it does turn to dust when they pee in it. Yesterday's News litter would be good too. It's little pellets of newspaper. They hold moisture but don't turn to dust like Feline Pine, so nothing much should stick to his little toe.

Paws being what they are - they get infected easily. One of my kitties had a small cut on her paw, I thought nothing of. Next day, her entire leg is swollen & it cost me $300 in follow up vet costs. At the time, I didn't even think twice to a such a small injury, as it wasn't the first time it had happened (actually a scratch from rough housing with her kitty friends!).

ouch! Yeah, that doesn't look like a super deep wound, but not superficial either. I would at least call the vet to ask if you should come in - remember that your kitty goes into the litterbox with that open wound, and the possibility of getting infected is really high...
Do NOT cover it up - only the vet should do that. What you can do, is clean it with bactine or a saline wound cleaner, and put a little neosporin (original with NO pain killer) on it until you can go to the vet.
Per my vets (both agree neosporin is ok), it is of for them to lick it off.

Thank you all. So far, so good. To cover the risk of infection, I had a talk with the vet, and he prescribed Enzo Amoxi-drops. I'm not a fan of antibiotics due to the killing of natural flora and increased risk of additional infections. That said, I am giving him 1ml a day, along with dressing the wound with neosporin 2-3X a day.

Originally Posted by ancientsanskrit

Thank you all. So far, so good. To cover the risk of infection, I had a talk with the vet, and he prescribed Enzo Amoxi-drops. I'm not a fan of antibiotics due to the killing of natural flora and increased risk of additional infections. That said, I am giving him 1ml a day, along with dressing the wound with neosporin 2-3X a day.

Click to expand...

Good for you- as far as his intestinal flora, after he finishes the antibiotics, you can give him a good Probiotic, such as Bene-Bac, Probios, or FortiFlora...