Has your cat ever walked across a hot stove?
Mine has. Fortunately, in his 12 years of life, he has never burned himself… until last night. I am diligent about covering the stove after I am done cooking. Knowing that Meatball doesn’t have any manners in the kitchen, I don’t usually take risks. My cooking routine is the same every day; remove cat, sanitize countertop, cook, cover stove, repeat. Simple right?
Well, last night Meatball was enjoying the warm breeze coming through the sunroom windows and did not try to help me prepare dinner. Mistakes were made. When I was done cooking, I broke my habit and walked over to the dining room table to place my plate down before covering the stove. Before I even had a chance to turn around, Meatball came charging down the hall and jumped up onto the countertop. In those two seconds, my heart raced, I dramatically said “Noooooo!” and threw myself towards the stove to cover it. I was too late. Meatball stepped directly onto the hot stovetop. He screamed, jumped back off the counter, and ran.
Had this happened to me before I became a vet tech, I would have crated the dogs, grabbed the cat, and sped off to the local animal hospital. Instead, I took a deep breath, covered the stove, and calmly set off to find the cat and check his paw.
What do you do for a thermal burn on your pet’s paw pad?
Step 1: Check the paw to make sure there are no visible open wounds (if there are, go to the emergency room for treatment)
Step 2: Run the affected paw under cold water, or soak a soft cloth in cold water and wrap the paw for 3-5 minutes.
Step 3: Keep the paw clean and monitor your pet for other symptoms
Step 4: If you have an Aloe Vera plant, clip a small piece off, remove the clear gel and apply a thin layer of the gel to the paw pad. Monitor your cat while the gel dries and do not allow them to lick it off.
Over the next week, Meatball will get twice daily paw checks and cleanings. He currently has no open wounds, but the skin may blister and open over the next several days. Since cats are constantly walking through litterboxes and potentially picking up bacteria from the floor, a burned paw pad must be kept clean to prevent infection.
If at any point the skin opens up, looks infected, or if the cat seems painful, then it’s time to go to the vet. Meatball got lucky this time. His paw pad looks mostly normal this morning and it’s no longer warm to the touch. He also isn’t reacting negatively to me touching that paw (which is a great sign!). He isn’t showing any signs of pain or regret for his actions.
Be on the lookout for future posts about Aloe Vera, how to use it, and it’s benefits. There is a lot of misinformation online about pets and Aloe Vera being toxic.
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