My cat's paw is infected with pus and licking. Does it need a vet?

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.

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.

It looks like this may not be a simple infection. You should talk to your vet about a possible immune-mediated disease or a biopsy for a resistant infection or fungal infection. The vet may need to check his blood work and test for FIV/FeLV to see if there are any abnormalities which could affect healing.

It does look like there is infection present. I would recommend having Dushka examined by a vet, he may need oral or injectable antibiotics. Until he sees the vet, you need to prevent licking. You can try socks or have him wear an e-collar.

I am so very sorry to hear about your kitty! It does appear, unfortunately, that your kitty could have an infection going on in the foot here, as the area looks swollen with purulent discharge coming from the area. Unfortunately when we have an area like this, a topical treatment is usually not going to suffice and oral or injectable antibiotics is often needed. We can see infections as a result of overgrown or ingrown toenails, wounds, foreign bodies (like a piece of splinter or grass seed) entering the skin, and sometimes we can also get fungal infections. Without seeing your kitty in person it is very hard to determine. I know you say you cannot afford a vet, but I think you will have to figure out a way to get your kitty in to see the vet. They can look more closely at the toe and the nail to try to determine the cause. They may be able to do this just by looking and feeling the area, they may want to test the discharge to check for bacteria or fungus They may need to flush the wound to be sure there isn't any object lodged there. I would recommend calling the vet's office and letting them know your situation. They may have a program called Care Credit that you can apply for to help pay your vet bills with monthly payments, or they may have another program set up similar to this. If they do not, they may be able to refer you to a low cost clinic in your area. Some Humane Society's or animal shelters have lower cost services for those in need. It is best to let your vet know up front of your financial situation so that they can choose the most stream-lined and cost effective options for you from the start.

Based on your description and the appearance of the paw, my suspicion is that Finley was either bitten / scratched by another animal or he suffered some sort of puncture wound from something else. If there is a yellowish exudate emanating from the effected area, there is likely a significant infection occurring that will require a systemic antibiotic to fix. I would also be concerned about a fever. You should go ahead and obtain a temperature at your house rectally. See if it is above 102.5-103.0. If so, the infection is definitely real and Finley could probably benefit from some fluids as well and an NSAID to decrease the temperature. In order to prevent any further damage to the area, the use of a collar to stop Finley from licking his paw would be great. You can make one of these at home if you don't want to buy one commercially. Anyway, I think a vet visit would be the safest bet in this case. If you decide to wait, I really think you may ultimately end up having to go anyway but with matters only worse. Hope this is helpful.

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!