My kitten has a cut or something on his paw.

Yesterday my 3 month old kitten jumped off the bed and I noticed that he was limping. I checked his paw and it looks like he has a cut or something on it. He was recently sick, he was limping and very lethargic. I took him to the vet and it cost a fortune since it was an emergency visit. They told me it was some sort of virus that affects the joints. They gave him pain medicine and antibiotics, he got better in 3 days. Now, I'm really worried that his paw might get infected. I love him so much, that I don't want anything to happen to him, but I really don't have the money to take him to the vet again. I took a picture of his paw yesterday and today it looks more whitish, kind of like it's drying. He is playing and doing everything he normally does. I just noticed that sometimes it hurts him when he jumps. I've been cleaning his paw with warm water, is there anything else I can use on his paw? 

Sounds like your kitten has Plasma Cell Pododermatitis. My cat Lucky had this and we took in a cat last year with the same thing. However, my Lucky was an adult when his onset and Leo is 12 (?)-ish years old, so not sure how long he had the condition.

What medicine did the vet put your kitten on?

Doxycycline has been used as a treatment and has had some success.

My Lucky lived to be 17 and passed due to an unrelated illness. However, the PCP caused fairly severe arthritis in his paws in his later years. I wish the vets had suggested putting him on a joint supplement when he was younger, but, I've learned a lot since then.

As for Leo, we weren't sure the cause of this paw swelling (thought maybe cancer) and did a biopsy of the least affected paw. Surprisingly, the paw healed up really well without incident and the condition didn't return. Because of this we opted to operate on his other, more affected paw. Surprisingly, we got the same results! His paws are still tender to the touch, but the pads are all healthy tissue.

I would suggest starting with the medication and see how your kitten responds. If he is non-responsive to this, then discuss other options with your vet.

Here is an article that discusses the condition:
http://vetbook.org/wiki/cat/index.php?title=Plasma_cell_pododermatitis

He was given Clavamox and Buprenorphine for the pain. 

I am not aware of any home treatments available for Pododermatitis. If he has open area on his paw, you could consider switching him to a pellet type litter like Yesterday's News (a paper pellet) or Blue Buffalo Pellet (walnut based pellet) so that you are not having to worry about litter sticking into the cracks.

If he does have Pododermatitis, it is more often than not, something he will have for the rest of his life. It is considered an auto immune disease. However, I would REALLY consider trying a course of Doxycycline with him (or Azithromycin). He is very young and might be one of the 35-50% that respond to this treatment. Do you have a relationship with any vets in your area that you could call and get a phone consult with? Most vets will not charge you for this if they know you as one of their clients.

In the mean time, try to keep his paws as clean and dry as you can (I know kittens can be quite messy!)

Start putting money back now so that you not only have a bit of an emergency fun in the event his paw starts looking worse, and so that you can take him in to have him reevaluate for Pododermatits.

Thank you so much, I will definitely call the vet. I've been going to them for 10 years. If I can't get Doxycycline by calling, then I will take him to the vet on Monday. I just want him to be happy and healthy.