My kitten's swollen paw burst with pus. What can I do before the vet?

This is likely to be an abscess that bursts open. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). If not resolving in 4 days a check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Although a picture would help to determine more specifically the underlying cause of it, it seems like there is a severe infection, possibly fever is present as well. A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are absolutely 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.

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.

In this case a picture would be really helpful to understand the extension of the damage and offer you the best treatment options. Antibiotics are likely to be needed, but 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/scratching (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

That could be ok but it is best to repost your question and attach a picture of it to have a complete and reliable advice from us. As you suspected, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). Disinfection can be done at home with diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily as long as needed). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. all the pus must be removed and the wound must be flushed. 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.

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.

That looks like either an abscess or a ruptured tumor. I recommend to have it examined and treated by the veterinarian. The kitty may need antibiotics and a special foot soak. The area also needs to be protected from any licking by having the cat wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.