Pododermatitis in Cats - Symptoms and Treatment

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 11 February 2021
Update Date: 5 November 2024
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Approach to Pododermatitis
Video: Approach to Pododermatitis

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Feline Pododermatitis is a rare disease that affects cats. It is an immune-mediated disease characterized by mild swelling of the paw pads, sometimes accompanied by ulcers, pain, lameness and fever. It is an inflammatory process composed of an infiltrate of plasma cells, lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells. Diagnosis is made by the appearance of the lesions, sampling and histopathological examination. The treatment is long and is based on the use of the antibiotic doxycycline and immunosuppressants, leaving surgery for the most difficult cases.

Continue reading this PeritoAnimal article to learn about Pododermatitis in cats, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.


What is pododermatitis in cats

Feline pododermatitis is a lymphoplasmic inflammatory disease metacarpals and metatarsals of cats, although metacarpal pads may also be affected. It is characterized by an inflammatory process that causes the pads to become soft, cracked, hyperkeratotic and spongy causing pain.

It is an unusual disease that occurs especially in cats. regardless of race, sex and age, although it seems to be more common in neutered males.

Causes of Pododermatitis in Cats

The exact origin of the disease is not known, but the characteristics of the pathology show a possible immune-mediated cause. These features are:

  • Persistent hypergammaglobulinemia.
  • Intense tissue infiltration of plasma cells.
  • A positive response to glucocorticoids indicates an immune-mediated cause.

On other occasions, it has presented seasonal recurrences, which may indicate an allergic origin.


Some articles relate pododermatitis to the feline immunodeficiency virus, reporting coexistence in 44-62% of cases of feline pododermatitis.

Plasma pododermatitis in some cases appears along with other diseases from very difficult names such as renal amyloidosis, plasmacytic stomatitis, eosinophilic granuloma complex, or immune-mediated glomerulonephritis.

Symptoms of Feline Pododermatitis

The most commonly affected pads are the metatarsal and metacarpal pads and rarely the digital pads. Pododermatitis and mgatos usually affect more than one limb.

The disease usually starts with a slight swelling which starts to soften, passing through exfoliation, causing abscesses and ulcers in 20-35% of cases.

The color change is very noticeable in light-coated cats, whose pillows are violet with white scaly streaks with hyperkeratosis.


Most cats will have no symptoms, but others will have:

  • Lameness
  • Ache
  • ulceration
  • bleeding
  • Swelling of the pillows
  • Fever
  • Lymphadenopathy
  • Lethargy

Diagnosis of Pododermatitis in Cats

The diagnosis of feline pododermatitis is made by examination and anamnesis, differential diagnosis and cytological sampling and microscopic analysis.

Differential diagnosis of pododermatitis in cats

It will be necessary to differentiate the clinical signs presented by the cat with other diseases that cause similar signs related to inflammation and ulceration of the pillows, such as:

  • Eosinophilic granuloma complex.
  • Pemphigus foliaceus
  • Feline immunodeficiency virus
  • Irritating contact dermatitis
  • Pyoderma
  • deep ringworm
  • Dermatophytosis
  • Erythema multiform
  • Dystrophic bullous epidermolysis

Laboratory diagnosis of pododermatitis in cats

Blood tests will show an increase in lymphocytes, neutrophils and a decrease in platelets. In addition, biochemistry will show hypergammaglobulinemia.

The definitive diagnosis is made through the sample collection. Cytology can be used, where plasmatic and polymorphonuclear cells will be seen in abundance.

Biopsy diagnoses the disease much more accurately, with histopathological analysis showing acanthosis of the epidermis with ulceration, erosion and exudation. In the adipose tissue and in the dermis, there is an infiltrate composed of plasma cells that alters the histological architecture of the block. Some macrophages and lymphocytes and Mott cells, and even eosinophils, can also be seen.

Feline Pododermatitis Treatment

Plasma pododermatitis in cats is ideally treated with doxycycline, which resolves more than half of the cases of the disease. The treatment must be of 10 weeks to restore the pillows to normal appearance and a dose of 10 mg/kg per day is used.

If after this time the response is not as expected, immunosuppressants such as glucocorticoids such as prednisolone, dexamethasone, triamcinolone or cyclosporine can be used.

THE surgical excision of the affected tissue is performed when the expected remission or improvement does not occur after the end of the treatment.

Now that you know everything about pododermatitis in cats, check out the following video where we talk about the most common diseases in cats:

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Pododermatitis in Cats - Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Other health problems section.