Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
Hello! There are many causes of sore paws, even in the interdigital (between digits) space, but most of them boil down to penetration of the skin, plus or minus infection. Common examples include damage to the skin by licking in connection with allergy, foreign bodies between the toes (grass seeds are common), cuts from walking on abrasive or jagged surfaces, bite wounds, splinters and thorns.
Furthermore, most floors and all cats' tongues are covered in bacteria and all cats' skin is covered in bacteria and yeast, so secondary infection, sometimes leading to deeper abscesses, are common.
Cats lick their wounds instinctively, which can promote healing in small amounts but they often don't know when to stop, causing secondary infection and abrasion. Thus paw wounds can become a viscous cycle.
We would strongly advise a trip to the vets, to have the problem properly identified and appropriate treatment begun.
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