Hyperkeratosis of cat foot pads

RE: Hyperkeratosis of cat foot pads

Melanie Illingworth — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 09:58:22 GMT

Update: the cat has been seen by a colleague and is FIV positive, FeLV negative. He also has some military dermatitis type lesions so may be having further dermatology work-up.

RE: Hyperkeratosis of cat foot pads

Melanie Illingworth — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 17:35:08 GMT

That’s very helpful, thanks Beats. I’ll track him down next when I’m back at work. Hopefully pictures will follow!

RE: Hyperkeratosis of cat foot pads

Beats — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 21:58:20 GMT

FeLV-associated cutaneous horns affecting only the foot pads is a "thing", but I'm not sure from your description if that fits with your case or not. Certainly fits with the signalment potentially...

check out pictures eg https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Skin-as-a-marker-of-general-feline-health%3A-of-Backel-Cain/fbdebe43f66d5a0e5ced3e81c12c78a6c2341337/figure/0

Familial pad hyperkeratosis has only been reported in some dog breeds, but presumably an isolated case of hereditary defect in keratinization of footpads is a possible differential in a given cat if other causes seem unliikely in a specific case.

[Here is an example of a different case series on genetic misfits, doesn't sound like your case, but you get the idea, something wrong from a genetic stand-point in the cat you have is a theoretical possibility if not FeLV or other viral cause https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jvma1951/51/1/51_1_27/_pdf/-char/en ]

Muller and Kirk (p.639) has a list of suggested causes of nasodigital hyperkeratosis [somewhat canine focused it seems...], most of which can be excluded by a lack of systemic signs and NO involvement of any other parts of skin/nose etc other than pads [if you see the cat again I would do a thorough check for any other derm signs and ideally FeLV test it and take a photo for nosey folk like me!]. Once those things are excluded, you are probably only left with papillomavirus from that list.

Treatment suggestions would be:

1) Don't be tempted to pick at it.

2) Can use propylene glycol and / or vaseline

RE: Hyperkeratosis of cat foot pads

Melanie Illingworth — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 21:11:56 GMT

Thanks Kate. I was a bit concerned re a possible underlying retrovirus.

RE: Hyperkeratosis of cat foot pads

Kate Richardson — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 18:03:43 GMT

Could be some form of keratinization disorder, or coulld it be due to the terrain the cat has been living in/on and the pads have hardened due to constant trauma? Otherwise viral eg papilomavirus, I think poss FeLV/FIV, fungal infection or endocrinopathies? Or chronic pododermatitis?

RE: Hyperkeratosis of cat foot pads

Melanie Illingworth — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:00:00 GMT

Anyone?