My parents have a norweign forest x kitty, who is about 17yrs old. He has anxiety issues, so it's hard getting him to the vets these days.
I tend to give him any medical attention he needs and so far, good old love, warm salt water and constant cleaning, has done the job for years. I've also cleaned out any of our cats wounds or abscesses with no issues (by god, some of those infections really stunk) but if it was more than I could handle, we'd go to the vets.
So today, I noticed a little bit of blood on Jack's paw (their cat). He had an abscess on the top of his front paw about 3 months agp, he got a thorn.thistle stuck in it but it cleared up with a little care. I thought it had come back, so looked at his paw, only to find that his version of the little finger nail had curved right round and ingrown into his pad
Mum and dad said that they tried picking him up yesterday and today but he wouldn't let them near him, so they figured he was just a little under the weather. He allowed me to pick him up and take a look. I got some metal pliers, dipped in boiling water and clipped the bad claw, right down to the vein. The wounded leaked, yup it stunk too but after a good 20 min clean up, it was nice and pink but it's split half the pad open. I put him in the down stairs toilet with towels, food, water and turned the light off. Hoping it would calm him down and sleep. I've told my parents not to let him outside for a few days.
He's an old boy and he looks it, I doubt he has much life left in him. My dad really isn't the pet type and he would more than likely tell the vet to put jack to sleep. But taking him to the vets would really freak him out, don't want to put him through that.
Has anyone dealt with a split paw pad and were you able to sort it out without the vets help?
Or as it's his little finger paw pad, he needs medical attention?