Cat's claw

[marcieeliz]

Hi. First, I want to say that my cat is acting completely normal - walking, running, jumping, eating, going to the bathroom, purring incessantly, etc. I'm not sure I would have even noticed this, had I not been home most of the day yesterday and today. I thought his paw looked a little funny, so I took a picture (attached) and would like some thoughts on how to proceed. Like I said, he doesn't seem to be bothered at all by this, but I wanted opinions anyway. He doesn't hiss or exhibit pain when I touch his paw, other than the sheer annoyance of having me hold him and force the issue of looking at it or photographing it. I have an appointment late this week to get him checked out, and in the meantime, wanted thoughts.

He is an indoor/outdoor cat, 3 years old and in good health.

[Winston]

HI there my moms cat had a similiar looking item on his pads of his paws. It turned out to a problem called encephalitis granuloma. Some vets refer to this as rodent lip or salmon lip as this is also an area where it presents itself.

I would defiantely have a vet check it out though and give you some piece of mind.

Good Luck and please let us know how you make out...

[Reg]

Hello:
I was just having a good look at the photos and my thoughts would be to check out the possibility of "nail fungus". It's quite common in cats and dogs.
If it's caught early enough, it's fairly easy to treat with an anti fungal agent or an anti bacterial agent.
I think if I were you, I would be seeking professional assistance either from a vet or a groomer.
Keep us posted.
You need to provide pictures of the other end of the cat, please.

[marcieeliz]

Hi. Just wanted to give you an update. Took him to the vet and came back with the diagnosis that Winston shared - rodent lip. He's had some meds, and I've kept him inside since he went to the vet, making sure it gets better. We go back tomorrow for a follow up, but so far, I think we are out of the woods. I'm sure he'll be back outside running around later this week.

Thanks for the support.

[Winston]

Glad to hear you know what is....I don't know how much info your vet gave you but this will be a life long issue for your pet. It is certainly manageable but it will present itself again. It is an auto immune disease and it will affect different parts of your pets body.

With my moms cat Brady it comes around the lips and claws. When it is around the lips it is painful for him. When it gets to that point he usually needs a vet visit for meds. With Brady it has also presented itself inside the mouth very similar to cancer sores.

One thing our vet mentioned was that cats that have this seem to have a fondness for plastic...plastic bags, dishes etc. We were advised to use glass dishes for his food.

How about that front shot of your kitty now?