My cat has cracked paw pads and a scabby cut. Is it serious?

Question

Are cats paw pads supposed to be smooth or is normal for them to look cracked ? It almost looks like super dry skin would on a person. Also, he has a cut on one of his back paws. Now it’s dried up and looks scabby. I don’t know how he got it. He was a stray before I got him. And he recently ran out the house and was gone for 4 weeks. I just want to make sure it doesn’t look infected or look serious. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 3 months old | 14 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

Ideally a cat's paw pads should be smooth. If they are cracked, it could be because they were exposed to harsher conditions (which I would expect if Toothless was outside for 4 weeks). Paw pads should return to being smooth with better conditions and a good diet. If the cracked areas are bleeding, Toothless is licking them, they are swollen or he is limping on them, then I would recommend having your veterinarian examine him. Otherwise, hopefully they will heal on their own. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My cat has cracked paw pads and a scabby cut. Is it serious?

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