Cat Licking Paws Red Between the Toes: Allergy, Fungus, Irritation
๐จ Check first
If your cat keeps licking the tips of the front or hind paws (especially the nail beds and the webbing between the toes) persistently with slurping sounds, and the fur falls out and the skin becomes bright red and swollen, or brown discharge or scabs form, your cat has interdigital dermatitis (pyoderma, Malassezia dermatitis, allergy, or fungal infection).
๐ The answer in 3 seconds
- A cat's rough tongue works like a file, so once a cat starts licking because of itching or discomfort, the surface of the skin is quickly scraped away and its barrier breaks down. Germs and normal bacteria from the mouth then get in and make it even more intensely itchy, a vicious cycle of licking the skin raw.
- The main causes of itchy paws are: 1) contact allergy to floor cleaners, fabric softener, or a new litter, 2) food allergy or atopy, 3) fungus (Malassezia or dermatophytes) that grows in the moisture between the toes, and 4) bacterial infection at the nail bed (paronychia).
- First, physically stop the licking with an Elizabethan collar, then have a veterinary clinic prescribe topical or oral medication that matches the cause.
๐ Flowchart
- Step 1To stop the file-like tongue from scraping the skin any further, right away put on a soft Elizabethan collar you have at home (one long enough that the mouth cannot reach the paws) and interrupt the licking (do not wrap the paws in bandages or socks: cats hate them and may chew them off and swallow them, so always use a collar).
- Step 2Check between the toes and at the nail beds on all four paws: is it just one paw or several, and is there black, gooey dirt or pus at the nail beds? Take smartphone photos and go to a veterinary clinic.
- Step 3Stop using chemical cleaners or scented floor wipes for now, and switch to wiping with plain water (or steam cleaning, or alkaline electrolyzed water followed by a water wipe) so no cleaner residue gets on your cat's paw pads. Also switch to clean litter with no dust or fragrance.
โญ Step-by-step fix
Step 1 ยท What you can do at home right now
To stop the file-like tongue from scraping the skin any further, right away put on a soft Elizabethan collar you have at home (one long enough that the mouth cannot reach the paws) and interrupt the licking (do not wrap the paws in bandages or socks: cats hate them and may chew them off and swallow them, so always use a collar).
Step 2
Check between the toes and at the nail beds on all four paws: is it just one paw or several, and is there black, gooey dirt or pus at the nail beds? Take smartphone photos and go to a veterinary clinic.
Step 3
Stop using chemical cleaners or scented floor wipes for now, and switch to wiping with plain water (or steam cleaning, or alkaline electrolyzed water followed by a water wipe) so no cleaner residue gets on your cat's paw pads. Also switch to clean litter with no dust or fragrance.
โ Never do this
- Putting human athlete's foot medicine, steroid ointment, or disinfectant on raw paws and leaving it (the cat will lick it off right away and can be poisoned, and if the cause was a fungus, steroids make the fungus multiply rapidly and the condition worse).
- Thinking your cat is "just a careful groomer" and leaving it until the fur on the paws falls out and blood oozes.
๐ Make notes for the vet
Your notes save automatically on this device, so they stay even without a signal at the clinic.