My cat burned its paw on the stove. Will it heal or get infected?

Ouch! Running cold water on it was smart. Ideally, he should be seen by your vet since the burn looks like it goes through the pad. This could lead to infection. If this is not possible now, keep the area clean and dry. Use an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking. A dab of aloe vera gel can be applied a few times daily. Keep the e-collar on so he doesn't ingest the aloe vera. You may want to use shredded paper towels in the litterbox until the paw heals. Monitor for lameness, lethargy, swelling, discharge or odor. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

This is a bad burn, but doesn't look too bad and should heal well with treatment over the next couple of weeks. The best thing you can do is flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with cool water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because cats tend to hate water on their paws. I recommend having someone help you with this and wrapping Zorro in a towel to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Below is a link to a demonstration of an eye flush that shows how to restrain her well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI Infection is the biggest concern with burns; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. Silver sulfadizine is the best for burns and you may be able to get this at the pharmacy. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. After that, it's best to bandage the paw, or he may lick the cream, which can be bad for him. Bandaging will also help the wound heal faster. There are some helpful videos on YouTube to help you do this well. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape above and below the bandage. I hope that helps and Zorro gets better soon.

What a cute kitty! I am sorry to hear about his accident. I would recommend having his veterinarian take a look at his paws. Burns can worsen over several days so if this just occurred, we may be seeing this worsen before it gets better. The area may become painful and can be a site for infection to develop, so prescription medication to help treat pain and potential infection/aid in healing of the paw pads may be needed. I would call your vet first thing when they open for an exam. If Friskie is in pain tonight, then a trip to the emergency vet may be warranted. Best of luck to you and Friskie.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If one of Noushmc's paws seem to be wounded, I would recommend she see her veterinarian soon to take a closer look at the paw so it can be evaluated properly. If the underlying tissue is exposed, the paw can become infected and the litter can potentially be problematic if the wound is large enough. You can try using 3% hydrogen peroxide instead of the vinegar and water until you are able to get her seen by her veterinarian. I hope this helps!

You can try making an Epsom salts soak (directions for dilution with warm water are on the package), which will help to cleanse the toes, and hopefully give Maki some protection against infection - but she might not tolerate it well. You can also purchase an e-collar, which will keep her from licking, as this often causes secondary infection. You can show this to your parents - if the skin is truly peeled back, it's likely that Maki is quite painful (imagine how that would feel) and needs veterinary care in order to protect the area, prevent infection, and treat the pain. You might tell them that dealing with this now, rather than later, may be less expensive, as foot injuries can easily get complicated in cats, since they use a litter box, and infection is common.

I would recommend using shredded paper in her litter box instead of sand or litter if she has infected toes. Do not apply topical medication. If she is licking her feet excessively she may need an e-collar or something to help prevent her from licking. If it is very infected or painful then she really needs to see a veterinarian to determine if she needs antibiotics. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Judging from the photo, this looks quite mild so I would not be concerned about this. You can switch out her litter to something such as Yesterday's News so that it is not painful to walk on. I would also apply a topical ointment such as Sentry wound cream (can be found at Petco) and apply twice daily for 3-5 days. This should heal fine on its own. If you begin to notice swelling of the foot or pus coming from the area, then I would take her in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.