My cat's paw is swollen and he's sleeping a lot. Vet or home care?

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

It looks like Johnny has an abscess. What he really needs is to have it flushed out and get on some antibiotics. If you absolutely can’t get to the vet, you can try soaking the foot in epsom salt solution. Mix 1 tbsp epsom salt into 1/4 cup warm water and submerge the foot for 5 mins two to three times daily. You will also need to warm compress the leg at least twice daily to help drain the puss. (Use a warm wet washcloth in a plastic bag and apply moderate pressure- you want the puss to come out.) Johnny MUST stay indoors until his leg is healed. Leave the wounds open to air- do not try to bandage the leg. Also remember that pain medications for humans (Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen) should NEVER be given to cats as they can be very toxic. Good luck to you and Johnny!

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.

He will need to be seen by a vet of course as he must be given antibiotics and pain killers, but in the meantime you can clean the area, put some antiseptic or antibiotic cream on it and bandage it. i understand it will not be easy nut this is the only thing you can do to help him without seeing a vet.

Unfortunately there are no OTC medications for this issue that would be safe to give Boots. The swelling could be caused by many things, including a small fracture, muscle strain, puncture wound, infection, insect bite reaction, problems with lymphatic flow, etc. Check her skin and between her pads for any punctures, wounds, or bruises. You can try gentle massage to help move any fluid present and an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel for 15 minutes at a time. If the swelling doesn't go down soon, she should be checked out by a vet.

Poor Malie! It definitely looks swollen. Swelling like that can be caused from several things like a local infection/abscess, a soft tissue injury, bug bite and much more. You can try some benadryl twice a day (see link below) and restrict her activity (no running, jumping, or playing) to see if it improves. If it isn't improving or worsens, I would have your vet take a look at it. Your vet will be able to help determine the cause and get her started on the proper meds to help her feel better. I do not recommend to give any human anti-inflammatories as most of these are toxic to cats. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat /benadryl

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.