My cat has a red, crusty spot on its paw and is limping. What is it?

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 !

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.

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.

I am afraid this is a serious condition. Please take Misty to your vet for a biopsy or removal of the mass, which , unfortunately , probably is a malignant tumor. While it is not possible to tell by photo whether a tumor like this is malignant or benign, experience shows that most tumors in cats are malignant. Your vet will also want to take xrays of the lungs as most masses on the paws tend to be indicative of tumors in the lungs as well. Please schedule an appointment with your vet ASAP.

The picture is not very clear and it is not possible to diagnose from that but the fact she is no longer limping is positive and I would monitor for any recurrence. There does appear to be some hard/damaged skin at the edge of the paw pad which might respond to vaseline/paw balm (as long as all ingredients are cat safe). I would recommend scheduling a visit to your vet if it relapses - a video can be very helpful for them as she may not be lame during the visit.

The picture is not very clear, but I see some crustiness and possibly some hair loss. I worry about ringworm (a skin fungus) with that type of lesion, because this is also a very common location for ringworm in kittens. It could also be some other infection or due to a scratch or bite. It is not normal though and to determine the cause, you would have to bring her into the vet for an exam. They can take a sample (if needed) and look at it under the microscope to find out what it is. For now, it's best to consider it contagious, because ringworm can be transmitted from cats to people. This is usually self-limiting (will go away on its own), but may need treatment if you start to see more lesions. You can wash it once a day with medicated shampoo labeled for cats (can be found at the pet store). This will help if it is an infection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to an infection of the nail beds. However, this can be seen with a number of conditions even cancer being one of the possibilities. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check more specifically what may be wrong so that therapy can be recommended accordingly. Best of luck!