Cat biting paws

RE: Cat biting paws

Julie Innes — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 12:09:36 GMT

know the feeling...

RE: Cat biting paws

Anthony Todd — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 09:51:01 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]From the opening post, Tony![/quote]

Er, true, sorry, senile brain-fade.

RE: Cat biting paws

Julie Innes — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:47:42 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]

Hi,

Anyone has seen this before? A cat constantly bitting own pads

[/quote]

From the opening post, Tony!

RE: Cat biting paws

Anthony Todd — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 18:53:56 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]Just before I could reach for the biopsy punch my daughter mentioned she'd seen him walk over the wood burning stove...[/quote]

Sigh, but it's not the pads..... [belatedly]

RE: Cat biting paws

Julie Innes — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 08:41:32 GMT

I had one that looked like that, but biopsy confirmed lupus. It has done really well on pred, but it is unfortunately psychotic, so I don't get a really good look!

My own cat presented with sore paws like this once- Just before I could reach for the biopsy punch my daughter mentioned she'd seen him walk over the wood burning stove...

RE: Cat biting paws

Utlendigur — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 22:23:32 GMT

Did the FNA give any clue as to the type of inflammation eg plasmacytic-lymphocytic, neutrophilic, eosinophilic? Might be worth an impression smear in-house if not.

Is it just one foot affected? Age of cat?

I have seen one cat that presented with a lesion in that site that turned out to be a haemangiosarcoma. It looked like a small bleeding cut initially, was sutured, but then recurred a few weeks later and s/c tissue was biopsied then.

RE: Cat biting paws

Francisco Gomez — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 16:49:06 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]

I suspect its not had a sufficient dose of depo. Looks like lupus/plasma derm. What dose of depo did it have?

Some do better on oral preds.

[/quote]

I have already tried oral preds. It was 0.1ml/kg SC.

[quote]

Might need to add doxy in.

[/quote]

Not sure why?

Sorry to be a bit 'nebulous' here. The cat was being treated by a colleague, according to the client he got better so they never came back for a recheck. This spans over a year.

Now although the client said it was a biopsy, it was only an FNA when I scrolled back to the original history. Initially there was an indolent ulcer in the lip so it was presumed this was connected.

[quote]

Yeah but you can't cover a cat's paws forever, difficult enough for a week and buster collars aren't the answer either

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I agree with this. I have already done the suggestion of reassessing myself so that's why I'm here.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

RE: Cat biting paws

Anthony Todd — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 17:01:21 GMT

[quote user="Darren Long"] had a case of severe pruritus in the front paws causing trauma which resulted from a cervical spinal tumour we found on CT. [/quote]

Were the lesions on the top of the paws or between the pads where the skin is delicate [which is why contact derm. is my guess.

BTW is it all 4 feet??

RE: Cat biting paws

David Mills — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 16:03:22 GMT

I suspect its not had a sufficient dose of depo. Looks like lupus/plasma derm. What dose of depo did it have?

Some do better on oral preds.

Might need to add doxy in.

RE: Cat biting paws

Kate Richardson — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 15:59:52 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]So did it respond at all to the depo-med? And then recur? Or why else was the treatment repeated?[/quote]

Trouble is if there is any sort of lesion that the cat can get at it is usually self-perpetuating unless protected or with a diversion or dressing, even with my favourite steroid.....

[/quote]

Yeah but you can't cover a cat's paws forever, difficult enough for a week and buster collars aren't the answer either

RE: Cat biting paws

Anthony Todd — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 15:43:22 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]So did it respond at all to the depo-med? And then recur? Or why else was the treatment repeated?[/quote]

Trouble is if there is any sort of lesion that the cat can get at it is usually self-perpetuating unless protected or with a diversion or dressing, even with my favourite steroid.....

RE: Cat biting paws

Kate Richardson — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 15:27:37 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

I'd give it some depo and see what it was like after 2 weeks.

[/quote]

That's been the treatment for the last few months until the cat booked with me. I was considering something like gabapentin?

[/quote]

So did it respond at all to the depo-med? And then recur? Or why else was the treatment repeated? If the owner said the depomed didn't work, they often mean it didn't cure it- may not be cureable, more manageable so it may be case of managing their expectations, so I would question them more closely on how it responded and if in any doubt, repeat the treatment but get the cat back within 2-4 weeks to assess the response yourself. If it did respond to depomed and long term treatment to control the condition is needed (doesn't matter if you don't get a specific diagnosis if the cat gets better), I would aim to control with oral pred rather then depomed though as you can then work out the lowest dose that controls things.

Keep us posted!

RE: Cat biting paws

Anthony Todd — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 10:58:39 GMT

Never seen any sort of allergic reaction or self mutilation in "ventral" feet but seen contact derm/trauma in dogs and cats there. [battery acid?? in garage cat]

Indoors or outdoors?

Keep in if goes out, and check response. [corrosive chemical laid by annoyed neighbour as cat "fishes" in their pond, or terrifies caged birds or soils in prized garden bed??]

Cover/dress feet to prevent perpetuating trauma [as in self-perpetuating lick dermatitis] which will confirm contact rather than "internal" cause.

RE: Cat biting paws

Darren Long — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 10:52:59 GMT

out of interest, what did the histopathology actually say? Is it all four paws?

it doesn’t look classic, but I have seen PCP cause these signs when the epithelial surfaces shed away Through trauma.

there May well now be deep seated infections in the paws despite anti-pruritic treatment causing further trauma despite steroids.

I had a case of severe pruritus in the front paws causing trauma which resulted from a cervical spinal tumour we found on CT.

it may be useful to radiograph the cats chest, how old is the cat? Indoor/outdoor?

do the owners know of any irritants The cat is walking on Or irritant chemicals being used in the house? Bleach etc?

Given the time of year and a potentially outdoor cat, how about road grit etc causing irritation? They can cause some nasty lesions on soft paws!

It may well be useful also in the healing phase to apply a buster collar and change the litter to just paper or katkor beads to reduce irritation if the cat will tolerate it To try and break the cycle. Covering the paws will be helpful. Antibiotic cover in this case would be likely to help due to the high chance of contamination complicating treatment From cat litter and cat saliva to environmental debris.

I hope that helps - just thoughts flying through my mind as I read it! Good luck with the case!

RE: Cat biting paws

Julian Earl — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 10:13:38 GMT

My first thought was harvest mites, depending on the time of year it started. Plasma Cell Poodermatitis doesn't cause irritation IME. Food allergy?

RE: Cat biting paws

Francisco Gomez — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:08:02 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

I'd give it some depo and see what it was like after 2 weeks.

[/quote]

That's been the treatment for the last few months until the cat booked with me. I was considering something like gabapentin?

RE: Cat biting paws

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 13:36:51 GMT

I'd give it some depo and see what it was like after 2 weeks.

RE: Cat biting paws

Kate Richardson — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 13:18:54 GMT

Francisco GomezNothing that immediately springs to mind, other than plasma cell pododermatitis, but it doesn't look like that. I agree with Liz Barton's approach re a pain relief trial and would possibly consider corticosteroid trial as well, and look at a behavioural reason; I'd prob get a behaviourist involved before reaching for behavioural medications though.

RE: Cat biting paws

Liz Barton — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 22:55:29 GMT

All 4 pads? Any pattern at all - is it constant or intermittent - same or different pads? Seasonal?

At first glance it looks like contact dermatitis with secondary self-trauma (the pads look a little raw as if chemical or heat burn has occurred). I would think there's an underlying pain/irritant trigger of some kind.

Personally I'd approach this case initially with analgesics trials - metacam then gabapentin in case there's a neuropathic component. If no response, I'd probably X-ray to check for bone pathology. If nothing there, I'd probably reach for the clomicalm...

Interested to know others thoughts.