Why is my cat's paw oozing, smelly, and painful after biopsy?

Oh goodness, that looks like a deep infection. It could be bacterial or fungal, but I suspect more likely bacterial. He needs to see a veterinarian for an examination and treatment plan. However, in the meantime if he will allow you to soak his foot in warm water and Epsom salts that may be soothing and beneficial. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I recommend to call your vet first. If you are noticing an odor, I am concerned there is infection. Normally Mira would need to be examined but with concerns for COVID-19, your veterinarian may change their protocol. Make sure to keep Mira inside at all times and have her wear an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent licking. I hope this helps.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would suspect that this could be from another cat, some other animal or a puncture wound from a sharp object. It sounds as though the lesion is infected with your description. I would recommend soaking the foot in a mixture of betadine and water until you have a light brown solution. Soak the foot with this solution twice daily for 10 minutes at a time. If the foot does not improve, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The first thing you need to do, is to stop Milo from licking the wound. Head collar will be best. Then you should clean the wound with warm, boiled water 2-3 times a day. However, if the would is swollen and thickened (it does look a bit like that on the photos), your Milo may need to be seen at your local vets to get a course of antibiotics. It is hard to say what happened, it could have been a piece of glass, barbed wire, metal sheet that cut the skin.

You can try making an Epsom salts soak (directions for dilution with warm water are on the package), which will help to cleanse the toes, and hopefully give Maki some protection against infection - but she might not tolerate it well. You can also purchase an e-collar, which will keep her from licking, as this often causes secondary infection. You can show this to your parents - if the skin is truly peeled back, it's likely that Maki is quite painful (imagine how that would feel) and needs veterinary care in order to protect the area, prevent infection, and treat the pain. You might tell them that dealing with this now, rather than later, may be less expensive, as foot injuries can easily get complicated in cats, since they use a litter box, and infection is common.

This presentation may be compatible with a infection and the weird smell may come from the presence of pus. A picture would be extremely helpful to confirm it. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor kitty, that looks a bit painful in the pictures. My biggest concern here is the smell you are describing. This smell could be due to infection, but without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain. I do think the best thing to do is have her seen by a vet. If the nail is infected, then the vet can prescribe pain medication. Give her vet a call now to make her an appointment. I hope this helps.