# Paw problem... please any help is much abliged....



## JoeyTraumatic (Jun 29, 2010)

first off. i would like to say hello to everyone. this is my first post at this forum. i have 2 cats. not sure of the breed, since i got them from a classified ad in the paper for "free kittens" and i have had them for 4 years now. anyway, the reason i have come to this forum is because i have a paw problem with one of my cats....
cry: 
well, this cat is named LuLu, shes an all black cat. both of my cats are house cats, and from time to time i let them be wild while under supervision in the backyard... anywho...

LuLu has a tendancy to sneak out when doors are left open, shes curious just like any cat. well, she snuck out without my knowledge, and after about 20 mins after i reallized she was gone, she races back in the house, panting like a hot dog and with her tail poofed out like never before, she was frightened. her neck was COVERED in slobber, which i am assuming was from a neighbor hood dog...!!   

i take her to the vet and have her checked out, and shes fine internally. just startled more than anything. only problem is whatever got a hold of her, she fought it off, and in the process she nearly SKINNED off all the skin on her pads on her paws. her pads have been raw and no matter what we do, ointments, cleaning, she is constanly licking her pads till they are raw. they started to heal again but she keeps licking, and her kitty litter is getting stuck to her pads and is not letting them heal properly. and the litter is stuck on there, and is very difficult to get off. it hurts her too much to take it off her.

i dont know what to do. i want her to heal and get better. she was such an amazing cat, she talked back and was always very active and playful and loving... now she sleeps all the time and hardly eats... i hate to see her like this... 

is there anything i can do to help the healing process of her pads? i want her back to normal so bad... it hurts to see her in pain.

as far as the litter problem, the vet recommended "yesterday's news" brand litter... any info on that???

ANY INFO IS GREATLY APRECIATED!!!!


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

> ... i take her to the vet and have her checked out, and ...


 Sounds like Lulu needs to see the vet again.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I would put an Elizabethan collar on her so that she can't lick her paws. Of course, you will have to keep them clean and medicated. Good luck! Poor cat.


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

Yesterday news probably will not stick to her paws the same way that regular litter will. I hope your baby heals soon, I don't like seeing animals in pain, it makes me hurt. So sorry, please keep us posted!


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

Poor baby!
You probably need to pull out the dreaded e-collar.  
And you may need to get her paws checked, cleaned and wrapped by the vet.
Don't want kitty litter and such getting in there and causing a nasty infection.
She's going to be a very unhappy camper for a while but, they'll heal.
Sounds like she made a lucky get away! 8O


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

Yesterday's News would be excellent for your cat right now (in fact, some people would say it's better anyway). Clay litter has so many bad things about it.
My cat's back legs end halfway and are stubs... the pellets must not feel too good on them, so she refused to use it. Another good litter is one made from corn cobs, such as World's Best Cat litter or Nature's Miracle.
Once I saw a litter made of orange peels, but my cat didn't like that either (it was shredded, and there were sharp corners...I don't understand why it was made that way)
There's also sWheat Scoop, which is wheat hulls or something... I didn't like it because it doesn't clump and instead turns to mud at the bottom of the litter box.

Currently I'm using Fresh Results (I can only find it at Wal-Mart). It's corn cobs, but with pine oils for better smell. I'm not sure the oils would be good for your cat right now. If you want to use anything with scent, wait until she's all healed up.

I don't know if you're concerned about dust, but the Yesterday's News should have none at all, and I haven't noticed any from corn cob kinds. The main reason I stopped using clay, is because it made me cough too much - more so while dumping into the pan, but even just scooping. Plus I figured if my cats lick off corn or wheat from their paws, it'll probably be better in their digestive system than tiny rocks!


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

I would think an e-collar to keep her from licking her paws and some yesterdays news litter until her paws are healed should do the trick. If she is not eating and depressed, she might need to see the vet again as she may have an infection.


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## JoeyTraumatic (Jun 29, 2010)

Thank you all for the replies! its nice to see people as passionate about animals as i am, especially CATS! 

So, what i ended up doing, (since im broke till payday!) i removed all the litter from their litter box and lined it with newspaper, sprinkled a little litter on top, then put another layer of newspaper. Both of my cats continued using their litter box after i did this, so thats a good sign. I am going to have to clean the box more often, but that is no biggie... So now my LuLu shouldnt be having problems with her litter sticking to her paws. As for her skin healing, i think i am going to have to take her back to the vet, she wont let me remove the litter that is stuck on her pads, it hurts her too much, and i can stand to put her in more pain than she already is. So i will now have to wait till payday so i can pay for the visit to the vet... and i might have to buy her a coller to keep her from licking her paws.... my poor baby needs to get better... i will keep you all posted, and thank you again for the replies and your support!!!    


oh and she is eating... as long as her food is in reach and she doesnt have to walk to it, she is in alot of pain!! but shes eating good. so that gives me some more hope!


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

I'm not sure what kind of a relationship you have with your vet, but maybe you could start a tab? Or make a small down payment, and pay the rest later? Post-dated check might work as a deposit, then the vet could cash it when you have the money.
If that's not at all possible, maybe put baby socks on your cat's paws? To prevent her taking them off, use a bit of string or ribbon to tie up the tops of them snugly (not too tight, though!) so she can't pull them off as easily. This would offer a little protection, I would think. (tried it with my cat, but they always came off just from her walking around, since she doesn't have paws, but just stubs, and they slid off even with tying them at the top)
Or maybe even just wrapping them a bit with some gauze and taping it like a regular wound.


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