Expert: Jessica - 1/20/2012

Question
I have a small colony of strays I have been feeding and caring for. They are a bit skiddish but some allow me to pet them and even hold them. The smallest one of the bunch will sometimes let me pet him. I noticed two days ago that he was limping and his front paw looked swollen, I can't tell if it's broken or maybe it was squished. He allows the paw to touch the ground but avoids putting too much pressure, he is eating and drinking and still walking around as normal only with a limp. I was able to see his gums as he ate and they don't appear white or anything. My point is how likely would it be that he could heal on his own? I don't have the funds to pay for the vet, but I will be calling around for help if necessary. I guess I'd just like to know in the wide spectrum, are cats with broken paws likely to heal and be back to normal without medical attention?

Answer
Hi Nikki,

If it's only been broken or stepped on, chances are very good it will heal with time, well enough that no one would ever know it was broken. Except in the rarest of cases, there isn't much done to treat broken toes, and it looks like those are what took the most damage. The toes might be a little warped, and sometimes they remain sensitive, but he'll use them just fine.

The part to really worry about is if any skin was broken. That allows infection in, and infection can become systemic. Then the injury won't just be limited to his foot, but he'll be in danger of developing sepsis if he doesn't receive antibiotics. As best as I can see in the photo, it looks like maybe he has some leaves stuck to his foot (perhaps it's just wet fur, I'm not sure)? That worries me - this type of debris tends to stick to blood and pus that seep from wounds. If there's any way you can grab a hold of him and try to remove those leaves (some soaking with warm water may be required) and see what's underneath, that would be helpful. If all the skin is in tact, health care may not be urgent. If any of the skin is broken, he is really in need of antibiotics, at least. A cut on the foot is sure to become infected, if it isn't already.

Bless you for all you do!

Jessica