My cat's foot has sores and makes popping noises. Should I worry?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would suspect that this could be from another cat, some other animal or a puncture wound from a sharp object. It sounds as though the lesion is infected with your description. I would recommend soaking the foot in a mixture of betadine and water until you have a light brown solution. Soak the foot with this solution twice daily for 10 minutes at a time. If the foot does not improve, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

The crackly/bubbly texture you describe is likely due to pockets of air under the skin following puncture wounds and infection and a full health check is recommended as antibiotics are likely required, especially as he is weak and hiding and most likely has a fever

Hi, in the first picture it looks like there could be a bit of infection as the fluid seems cloudy. Looking at the second one the skin lesion looks more like podo dermatitis, an inflammation of Jeff's pad. I think it is worthy to have hm checked over, in order to get some medications and help him towards a speedy recovery. If you don't take him to see your vet, his foot will continue to get worse and every time he puts his foot down to walk he will be in a lot of pain. I think your vet will not need to run tests but just give him some medications and therefore cost should be limited. All the best and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to ringworm. This could also be just a focal skin bacterial infection, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat accordingly. Ringworm can be transmitted to humans so just in case this is what is going with him, wear gloves when handling this lesion. Good luck and best wishes!

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Oh goodness, that looks like a deep infection. It could be bacterial or fungal, but I suspect more likely bacterial. He needs to see a veterinarian for an examination and treatment plan. However, in the meantime if he will allow you to soak his foot in warm water and Epsom salts that may be soothing and beneficial. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi, and thanks for your question. Even though a picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.