My cat's paw is swollen and painful after a fight. Does he need meds?

There is a good chance she could have an abscess. It needs to be opened and drained and then put on antibiotics for the infection. They can also give her some pain medications to help. If it is not an abscess then they may recommend doing an X-ray and make sure she didn’t break something. So I would have her looked at by tour vet. Hope she feels better soon

Since he goes outside, he could also have an abscess/infection in his paw or he may have an injury. He should definitely be examined by a vet to determine the exact cause. He may need an antibiotic or an anti-inflammatory to treat. Your vet can also take an x-ray, if needed, to help diagnose. There isn't much you can do at home until we know the exact cause of the swelling. Hope he feels better soon.

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.

It is probably an abscess. You can try soaking the foot in warm epsom salt water for 5 minutes 3 times per day. That may help draw the infection out. Honestly though, most of the time oral antibiotics are also needed to get this to heal up completely. She definitely looks like she does not feel well so if you can eventually get her to a vet that would be really great.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding the Mumble. Is it possible that he has an infection from his IV catheter site? That would be my first consideration given the swelling is on a front paw and his front limbs are shaved for catheter sites. It is good that he is receiving antibiotics. Hopefully he improves soon. Good luck!

I would recommend taking Breaker to a veterinarian especially if his foot has become so swollen. There could be some infection or just inflammation underneath the skin and he may need an anti-inflammatory and antibiotic even if you do not see a wound. He will also feel much better with medication. I hope Breaker feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is best to bring Simba to your vet ASAP especially if the wound is painful or he won't let you touch it. Your vet can safely sedate Simba so that the wound can be thoroughly cleaned, drained and sutured as needed. Your vet can also provide you with some pain medications and antibiotics to keep the wound from becoming infected and keep Simba comfortable. An Elizabethan (cone) collar is also a good idea to use to prevent Simba from licking or chewing at the wound which can make it worse.