My indoor cat has a hurt paw. When should I take him to the vet?

Is it possible that Mickey got in a fight with something? I can't tell from the photo's if the nail is actually broken or not. They do have an outter cuticle that can shed but the nail is still fine and intact. Examine the 'quik' of the nail (that's the pinkish area at the base of the nail). If the break is through that area, if you see blood or redness around the base of the nail, have Mickey examined by the veterinarian. Clean off his paws as best he will let you. Check him all over for any bite wounds and have him examined if any area found. You may also just have him examined to be safe. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Ouch, poor Tiger. Rest him today as much as possible. No running, jumping, or playing. Keep him indoors if he's allowed outside. If he still appears painful the morning, then I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are be fatal if given.

Ouch! From the picture it looks like maybe a ruptured abscess and not just an injury. I would encourage you to have him seen by your veterinarian In the meantime soaking in warm water and Epsom salts maybe helpful and make him more comfortable. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon.

It's a little difficult to see the wound in your picture, but it looks like there might be some discharge on Prince's fur. If he is painful enough that he can't walk I'd be concerned that the wound could be infected or even that it affects the bone. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Prince's leg - they might recommend taking an x-ray or may recommend antibiotics. If there's a large wound they might even recommend surgical repair.

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 !

Poor guy. It seems he likely injured the paw again. If it hurts this bad, then I worry about a fracture as well. I would recommend not touching the area and getting him to your local vet as soon as you can. If you cannot tonight, then taking him to any vet that is open tomorrow morning (after hours clincis likely are) would be the best thing to do for Pooh Bear. You may want to investigate the home to hopefully find out where he is likely getting his injuries from. If he is an outdoor/indoor cat, then its best to have him neutered and/or kept indoors to help avoid further injuries. Intact male cats tend to pick more fights when they are outside, than neutered ones. I hope that your furry friend gets his injury resolved soon! Best wishes and take care.

Poor kitty, that looks a bit painful in the pictures. My biggest concern here is the smell you are describing. This smell could be due to infection, but without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain. I do think the best thing to do is have her seen by a vet. If the nail is infected, then the vet can prescribe pain medication. Give her vet a call now to make her an appointment. I hope this helps.