My pet's paw pads are always cold. Is this a sign of illness?

A cat can sweat from their paw pads, so they may feel cooler to the touch than the rest of their body. This is normal unless you are seeing any issues such as general signs of illness, or the paw pads look infected, cracked, or wounded.

Coloration of the paw pads can change as a dog ages, and may turn pinkish or brown, especially if old skin has sloughed off or there was an injury that healed. Signs of a problem to look out for include licking or chewing of the feet, redness or inflammation, pain, visible swelling or injury, strange smells, or if the discolored area is painful to the touch or non-weight bearing. These are all signs of something else ongoing such as an infection, allergy, or injury, which should be treated by your vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lethargy can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. Cold feet could be an indication of dehydration, low blood pressure, hypothermia, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Chaz evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment as this can be something concerning. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Depigmentation can be normal, but if the skin is also thick or crusty or there are other skin lesions it might also be a sign of an autoimmune skin disease. If Iker has scabs or crusts on his paw pads that aren't obvious in the picture, if he seems itchy or if he has other skin problems I'd recommend having your vet take a look.

Cats paws can feel warm to us because a cat's normal body temperature is higher than ours, between 99.5 - 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have any worries that your cat is running a [fever](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-causes-of-fever-in-pets), you can always get a [rectal temperature](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-take-your-pet-s-temperature-in-7-easy-steps/) (if he will let you!). But if he is acting normal and there is no [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/vomiting/), decreased appetite or diarrhea, he is probably fine.

I can certainly see how this would be very alarming to witness. The symptoms you describe may be related to a disease process affecting an organ system (more often the neurologic (seizure event) or cardiac (heart event) systems). What i would recommend is a visit to your family veterinarian for a physical exam, to discuss the events, and to discuss additional testing (like bloodwork to rule out organ changes). It is also extremely helpful to get a video of an event so that your vet can watch it. Also, given the age of your pup, make sure there is nothing new in the environment that he could be snacking on that may be toxic to dogs (plants, etc.). I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Those could be healing injuries to the paw pad or it could be related to how she walks. Make sure your pet is not licking them as this can make it worse. Certainly you can have your pet examined by the veterinarian and this will likely get your answer at the fastest. Otherwise you should check the feet every day. If they are not significantly improving within a week time, have your pup examined. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.