Saturday, August 16, 2014

Spotlight: Plasma Cell Pododermatitis (Pillow Foot)


This is what healthy pads should look like on a cat's paw.
If your cat's pads are swollen, it could be "pillow foot."


Feline Health Spotlight: Pillow Foot (Plasma Cell Pododermatitis) in Cats

While checking my Facebook stream this morning, I found a reference to "pillow foot" in a cat, and had never heard of it before. Couldn't resist researching it on this rare morning that I don't have to be anywhere! Things have been so busy lately I haven't had much time to blog here, so it seemed logical to share what I found.

What is Pillow Foot?

Also known as "pillow paw" or "bad paw," this condition affects a cat's foot pads. It causes them to swell and soften, sometimes causing the cat pain when walking. Pillow Foot can affect cats of any age, breed, or gender. It's fairly rare, so not much research has been done on it. This leaves plenty of mysteries about the condition.

Some cats who get pillow foot may not be bothered much by it, and it may heal on its own. Some cats who suffer from this condition may also have other serious conditions related to plasma cell production. These include stomatitis, which causes painful swelling of the gums, and/or renal amyloidosis (kidneys). In one case I found online, the cat's nose was also swollen and painful.

While pillow foot itself is not a contagious or life-threatening condition in most cases (one article said that 1%-2% of cats have died from it), it may be linked to others that are. It may be a condition that occurs as a symptom of serious diseases like FIV and FeLV. And open sores or cracks in the cat's paws leave those areas open to bacteria and secondary infections that could become problematic.

What Are the Symptoms of Pillow Foot?

Your cat's paw pads may simply become a little swollen at first, and perhaps tender to the touch. You may think kitty has stepped on something that irritated them, or perhaps been bitten by a bug on the pad. But as the condition worsens, the pads may become greatly enlarged and start looking dark red or purple and bruised. (The bruising may be harder to see on a cat with black pads.) They will even feel spongy or mushy, somewhat like a marshmallow. The pads may have scaly cracks on them as well, almost appearing "crusty" - this symptom is actually easier to see on cats with black pads.

The cat may be favoring the affected feet or limping, as this can become quite painful...but not always, especially in early stages of the condition. Kitty may lick the affected paws to seek relief. Typically more than one foot is affected. This is one of the telltale signs that would differentiate pillow foot from other causes of paw irritation.

Sometimes there may be a sore or ulcer on the swollen pad. These may burst and bleed. Because the skin is so stretched with the swelling, it can become thin and may split open and bleed, even without ulcers. This exposes the tissue underneath to bacteria that can lead to secondary infection. You may see some bloody paw prints that indicate this is happening.

The cat may appear listless and show little interest in eating as the pain increases. This will lead to anemia as the condition becomes progressively worse, since the cat is not getting proper nutrition.

What Causes Pillow Foot?

The medical name for this condition contains a clue: plasma cell pododermatitis (sometimes abbreviated to "plasma cell pod"). It's caused when blood plasma cells pool in a cat's paw pads and this abundance of antibodies floods the pad, causing the swelling. This is an immune reaction, and the condition is often associated with cats who are FIV-positive (feline AIDS). Some cases have had a connection to cats who are infected with FeLV (feline leukemia). Some studies have shown a link between those diseases and this condition, but not enough research has been done to definitively make the connection.

In a healthy cat, the body produces lymphocytes (white blood cells) that activate and develop into mature plasma cells in the presence of invading pathogens that cause disease. These plasma cells are the antibodies that kill off the invaders and enable the cat to recover from the disease. But when the immune system is compromised, too many of these cells can be produced. Sometimes they attack a cat's healthy cells. In this pillow foot condition, they all head to a party in the cat's paw pads.

Other vets' experience shows a link to the feline calicivirus, a cause of respiratory infections in cats. They postulate that while the cat's immune system is fighting off that virus, kitty becomes susceptible to whatever causes pillow foot. There may also be a relationship with FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). Here's a previous post about FIP. It's another viral-triggered condition in cats, albeit much more serious than pillow foot.

One veterinarian noted that hamsters can get a similar condition when their bedding consists of low-quality sawdust or wood shavings, and speculated that the type of cat litter used can contribute to pillow foot in cats. With the viral connection, it could be that a cat fighting off a virus may develop pillow foot from stepping and digging in a similar type of cat litter. With more litters made from paper, wood fiber, and corn on the market these days, there are more cats being exposed to these materials than when most litters were made of clay. Again, without more study, this connection cannot be confirmed.

Since it hasn't been extensively studied, veterinarians mainly identify this disease by its appearance. There may be a viral cause for pillow foot, but evidence for it is primarily anecdotal. Without more research, this cannot be stated for certain.

How is Pillow Foot Treated?

Some cats recover from this condition without any treatment. If you notice the early symptoms, monitor the situation closely and perhaps try some natural remedies as described below to see if they help.

More severe cases will require a visit to your cat's vet. It is a rare condition, so some newer vets may not have experience with it. Couldn't hurt for you to print out this blog post, or at least jot down the name of the condition, so you can suggest your suspicion that this is what is bothering your cat. A more experienced vet may be able to diagnose pillow foot by merely examining the cat's feet, but may also take a biopsy to verify the presence of a high number of plasma cells. If your cat has not already been diagnosed with FeLV or as FIV+, the vet may also run a complete blood panel to check for these.

Usually at this time, veterinarians will prescribe an oral antibiotic such as doxycycline (doxy) or cyclosporine for several months to treat pillow foot. These are the preferred antibiotics due to their additional ability to temper the cat's immune system, toning down the production of antibodies and fighting inflammation. It may take up to two months for the cat to feel relief, but treatment needs to continue beyond this time, perhaps even for several more months, while the condition is in remission.

Not a fan of prescription medicines? Giving some natural anti-viral and anti-inflammatory supplements may also help your cat. Supplements to support kitty's immune system may also be useful in normalizing the production of antibodies. If you catch the condition early enough, it may stave off that visit to the vet. Even if you do choose the traditional medicine route, these may attack the condition from another angle and speed recovery. One study recommended switching your cat to a raw diet.

Healing may be promoted by soaking the affected paws each day in an antibiotic solution or healing treatment like Epsom salts or Vet Aid's Sea Salt Wound Care Spray or Foam. It may prevent the pads from cracking by helping moisturize them, as well. If you can get your cat to sit still for such treatment, however, you're a stronger woman than I! Try swaddling kitty into a "purrito" (also useful for trimming back claws of reluctant felines), petting and talking or singing softly to kitty on your lap while soaking them. Doing this may allow you to place some cotton balls soaked in the solution on the pads, even if only briefly. It should be noted that topical treatments will not "cure" this condition, but only support the cat's natural healing.

For cats who don't respond to doxycycline treatment, the vet may prescribe and oral steroid such as prednisone or a glucocorticoid. If the cat is one who cannot be given daily pills or liquid medicine, injections of a long-acting steroid such as methylprednisolone acetate may provide some relief. Pentoxifylline is a newer treatment for the condition.

If the footpads have developed large ulcers taking on the appearance of a mass, these must sometimes be removed surgically. If the condition becomes too serious before treatment, kitty may even lose some of his pads entirely.

As related above, some cats with pillow foot also exhibit symptoms of gum disease. Your vet may need to do dental surgery to remove any teeth affected by periodontal disease. This can help by removing another stimulus to the immune system, so that it is not over-producing the plasma cells accumulating in the cat's pads.

Is There Any Way to Prevent Pillow Foot?

If your cat contracts a virus or is confirmed to be FeLV+ or FIV+, make sure to keep the litter box extra clean. Check kitty's foot pads frequently for any early signs of pillow foot. Giving an immune-supporting supplement can't hurt.

If your cat has been affected by pillow foot before, keep him from walking on lawns recently treated with chemicals, and be careful what types of cleaning products you use around the house. Make sure they're safe for use around cats, who tend to walk everywhere.

Considering how many articles referred to this condition as "rare" it was rather surprising how many articles and blog posts exist on it! In some of those, the authors even described multiple cats afflicted with pillow foot. Perhaps it's less rare than previously believed. Because it's not a life-threatening condition, however, chances are slim that additional research funding will be directed toward it, especially since there are many more serious (and more common) feline disease studies on which those dollars are being spent. Hopefully this article can help you recognize pillow foot if it is affecting your cat and seek an appropriate treatment.

Sources: Plasma Cell Pododermatitis (Pillow Foot), VeterinaryPartner.com; Pillow Paw Disease in Cats, The Nest/Pets; Plasma Cell Pododermatitis (Pillow Foot), Animal Advocacy; Five Diseases Your Pet's Paws Reveal and Steps to Healing, Vitality Magazine; Cats Paddy's Pads (plasma cell pododermatitis), HandicappedPets.com; Plasma Cell Pododermatitis (Pillow Foot), Bengal Chatter; Kelli Rogers, Feline Pododermatitis, eHow; Sarah Metzker Erdemir, Cat Paw Diseases, eHow; Anybody else got a cat with pillow foot?, Sheffield Forum; My cat's paw pads have been swollen and dark red/purplish, JustAnswer.com; Can you explain pillow paw to me?, JustAnswer.com; Is Feline Plasma Cell Pododermatitis (Pillow Foot) contagious to other cats?, Yahoo! Answers; Swollen Paw in Cats, Cat WorldPlasma cell pododermatitis resolution after dental and dietary therapy in two cats, RawMeatyBones.com.
Additional Photos: Pillow Paws, Canobolas Family Pet Hospital; Plasma Cell Pododermatitis (sometimes called "PILLOW FOOT"), Mar Vista Vet; Plasma Cell Pododermatitis (Pillow Foot), Rural Animal Welfare Resource (RAWR).

45 comments:

  1. I have a cat 3.5 years that might have this. She's being treated by her vet. Good article. Thank you.

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    1. very informative. would this condition cause affect all hind areas???

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    2. I brought my cat to our vet with similar condition. He treats animals holistically. He said it is an immune disorder and gave me some kind of compound of herbs to be taken for one month morning and night. He believes in the bodies ability to heal itself when brought back into balance. Here's hoping it works.

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    3. IVYC. how is the herbs working? I have a cat with pillow foot. I think is a autoimmune issue due to mold in this case. I am having small success with coconut oil applied to the two paws. the Vet gave her an antibiotic and steroid. We dont have holistic vets here. Would love to know what the herbs are. Also as I am looking online today to see if there is anything else that can help. It strikes me, having an autoimmune problem my self. That no one seems to care what is causing the autoimmune reaction. There is always a trigger. removing the trigger if you can find it will speed recovery and make it possible.

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  2. A feral cat that I used to feed has this. I have been able to get him to come into my appartment where I can better monitor him. Since he will not be handled, I have ordered a Tomohawk cat trap, so when it arrives I will trap him and get him to the Humane Society, where I am sure they will suggest euthanization like they like to do but which is out of the question. His two back paws bleed sometimes and he has it on at least one fromt paw. It is bad, and smeels, but he does not seem to be in pain. I will keep you guys posted.

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    1. Poor kitty! Bless you for taking care of him. Do let us know how things are going with him.

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    2. WHY WOULD YOU TAKE HIM TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOR THEM TO SUGGEST EUTHANIZATION.

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    3. Kelly please re-read Martin's post.
      "where I am sure they will suggest euthanization like they like to do but which is out of the question."

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    4. As a trapper and the vets I use they suggest euthanization. You can not treat this on feral cats.

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    5. "TNR" where are you located? I notice that you are new to Blogger, just having been on since December, 2017. Many countries around the world are quick to kill any animals who have any type of affliction. That is not the case in more developed countries where newer, more advanced treatments for conditions like this exist. The rush to kill otherwise happy animals who are imperfect is not something Old Maid Cat Lady supports. This is not a place where we discourage people from helping cats.

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  4. I just noticed this affliction on my 21 mo old cat. Im waiting on the vet to call me back after they reached out to a cat dermatologist for some advice. They may go with Doxy and Pred. I am going to switch his litter and make sure its not the litter but I dont know what a good option is. Any suggestions for healthy and clumping litter?

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  5. My cat seems to have these symptoms too. I was using Tidy Cat Light weight litter but heard it was bad for the respiratory system so I got rid of it. The Vet and I both wondered if it is maybe a reaction to the litter. She did give me some meds to give to him which is not fun. He's 7 months old and such a little lovie, I hope it's just a reaction to the litter and not pillow paw. She said this is the 3rd time this month that she's saw these symptoms. If anyone has any updates I would be interested in hearing them.

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  6. Brenda mansell my cat has just had his pad removed because it would not heal after he was diagnosed with this condition he has also had three teeth removed and they hold me he has very few teeth left he is eight years old. It seems that his mouth and foot problems are linked because of poor imunity

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    1. Hi I am curious how your cat did after the paw pad was removed? I kind of think that would be good for my little guy but wondering if it introduced new handicaps.

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  7. I've seen quite a bit of research on this and the conclusion I've come up with is that it does indeed involve dental issues. It is called Plasma Cell Pododermatitis; an uncommon disease of cats. Enlarged paw pads do sometimes become ulcerated and bleed. In the three cases I've read they all had either halitosis with a generalized periodontitis consistent with being fed a processed food diet; another found two upper teeth to be badly affected by periodontal disease and were removed. The third was similar.

    All were treated with antibiotics, but remarkably noted was the diet. They all had been fed a commercial diet which, for carnivores biology can be ill suited. They changed to more raw meat and real food. It worked for all three. Without the diet change, would be temporary.

    Search: Plasma cell pododermatitis for more info.

    Hope this helps.

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  8. I just got a vet from a shelter and she has this, I'm worried because her paws have been getting worst. They gave her one shot of depo medrol and was going to recheck her in one week. But now she is with me. Will it be very expensive to treat her? I have an appointment with my vet in a week. I just hope it won't cost an lot of money to treat her. Also she is 9 years old. But my son fell in love with her so we took her home.

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  9. My elderly cat has pillow paw.. he recently busted open his paw and was trailing so much blood around it looked like a murder happened... its very upsetting... we took him to the ERV vet, they gave us anti-inflamitroy meds and put a cone on him. He's not doing very well and everyone is so stressed out about it... I could use some advice. He's not eating or drinking. I don't know what else to do for him. I can't watch him suffer.

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    1. vetericyn, you can get it
      at the feed store.

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    3. Have you tried the Vet Aid products I sell here on Old Maid Cat Lady? They are naturally based on sea water. Here's the link to that section of the site, where you'll find many other products that may help: http://www.oldmaidcatlady.com/skin_coat_and_paw_care

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    4. So sorry to hear your kitty's been hurting so bad. My cat was diagnosed with pillow foot a year and a half ago and has been doing much better on a long-term course of prednisolone and doxycycline. I hope he's been feeling better since your post! <3

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    5. If you say your cat is not eating and don't want to see him suffer, its is pretty easy to do the right thing for the your cat.

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    6. "TNR" please do not push people into euthanizing their animals. That decision should be between an individual and their veterinarian. Every animal's case is different. If you continue to post such negative things on my blog, I will block you.

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  10. My 1 year old new kitty seems to have this, along with a bunch of other immune symptoms like sores around his mouth from time to time, and bouts of sneeziness. We thought he had herpes, but then our other resident cat contracted calici virus about 2 weeks after coming into contact with the new 1 year old (he's fine now). So, it seems he's a carrier of a bunch of stuff, poor guy.

    He has already been on a raw diet since we adopted him about 2 months ago, but his immune symptoms continue to pop up.

    After reading some of the comments, I really don't want his pododermatitis to worsen and aside from the salt soak (or dabbing) plus a high quality raw diet (which he already has) plus an immune liquid with l-lysine and reishi mushroom that the holistic vet gave me, I'm not sure what else we can do.

    Any suggestions / thoughts? How can I help our poor little guy heal?

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    1. How is your kitty doing, Susan? It sounds like you were doing pretty much everything right. Sometimes the waiting for healing is the hardest thing.

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  11. Vixen Is beautiful. My 5year old Baiie has pillowpaw but not bad

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  12. We think our cat has Pododermatitis and it's been about 3 months now. It's very painful for him when we clean it nightly. He is also on Doxycycline and Prednisone. Our vet is suggesting full arm amputation. We want to make the right decision for him but right now, he is in pain.

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    1. Full amputation sounds like an awfully severe treatment; can you consult another vet to see what their opinion would be?

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  13. Hi, what supplements would you recommend? My cat is 1 year old and might have this. thanks!

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  14. my cat Puffy has this and did not test postive for FIV-(feline AIDS) FeLV (feline leukemia) puffy takes the doxycycline and the cyclosporine for it and its help her as long as i give her this it's like she does not have it but i do worry about what its doing to the rest of her body,she does go to the vet for montoring.i'm open to any natural remedies if anyone has s suggestions

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  15. I just removed 3 spam comments from this thread. Be forewarned: if you post spam comments linking to something you're selling or if you do so as an affiliate for some other site, they will be removed. Don't waste your time! This blog is to promote my Old Maid Cat Lady retail site and allow my customers to share their experiences. It is not for people to post spam comments linking to their sales websites. Thank you!

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  16. Our rescue cat Betty has presented with feline plasma cell pododematitus on two occasions a year apart she and her brothers and sister all had bad enteritis when rescued and we took her on as our last cat (getting older now) so it wouldn't be fair to get anymore, she's a lovely girl but her poor feet. we are about to start a new treatment doxycycline. Is there anywhere else we can find out even more about this horrible affliction please? With thanx

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    1. Sorry your kitty is suffering from this. It sounds terribly painful! The links at the bottom of the article will take you to the sources I consulted to write this post. You may want to just Google it to see if there is any new research on it. I hope you're able to help her, and bless you for rescuing her!

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  17. My 3 and a half year old was just diagnosed with Plasma cell Pododematitus and her paw split open. We have started her on Doxy and she was given a steroid shot which she responded nicely to. She doesn't have FIV and has been indoors her whole life. I am hoping the doxy is adequate but I hear it only works about 50 percent of the time. Does anyone know what is the best litter for this type of problem? thanks.

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  18. A stray appeared on my porch sick and dying. I took him to the vet and he was treated for respiratory illness, eye herpes, worms, and double ear infections with hematomas and Pillow Paw. The pillow Paw is by far the worst of his conditions. His paws bleed everyday for 2 months now. His 2 front paws. He is also a polydactyl so I feel like this has complicated it a bit. He has been on doxy and pred for almost the entire 2 months and he still is bleeding. The paws stink badly as if still infected. Im going to start to dab them with Epsom salt. I feed him grain free dry and blue buffalo wet. I use newspaper for litter as any other type gets caked up in his open wounds. Idk what to do anymore because nothing is healing them. He was FIV negative. He loves me so much now and always wants to cuddle when I bring him out of his cage. I have to keep him in my great danes dog cage because of the bleeding. He is so sweet. Such a sad experience.

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    1. I have heard anecdotal evidence of some people using colloidal silver to treat infections. I'd imagine that an infection on a cat's paws could be especially troublesome, since they are constantly irritating the infected areas by walking on them and digging in the litter box. I used to sell some colloidal silver on Old Maid Cat Lady, until a theft put me out of business. But you may shop somewhere else for it online and try that to see if it helps.

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  19. My orange cat, Darby, appears to have pillow paw. I rescued him about five years ago from the Humane League, when he was a year old. They told me he was in a hoarding situation along with Mason my other cat who was 9 months old. I use two kinds of litter mixed together, Scoop Away and Feline Pine. At first I just thought his paw had a cut because it bled a couple of times. When i took him to the vet for his check up the vet told me it could be plasma cell podo dermatitis . He said I should NOT feed him a raw diet and wants to do a biopsy and clean his teeth. I would like to just have him treated because it cost a lot of money to have this done. Is there any holistic treatments that anyone has had luck with?

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  20. Hi everyone. I wanted to give an update about a successful treatment that worked for my cat’s pillow paw.
    Vet prescribed oral doxycyline followed by a steroid/antibiotic combo injection a month later.
    His paw has never loked better!
    Worked for us, might work for you. Talk to your vet.

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  21. I had the vet prescribe doxycline, he will follow up in a month since we just started yesterday. I will ask about the steroid injection at that time. Did your vet give you a liquid or tablets? I’m thinking tablets would have been easier than liquid. We put it in his food and I’m not sure it’s the liquid will be as effective that way. Thanks for your response

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  22. My cat was put on Prednisolone 5 mg and Doxycycline 100 mg. Notice good results in 2 days. His paw was swollen and looked bruised. He was chewing on it. No bleeding. A stray cat my lovely daughter gave me. 🥴

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