Does this disease exist in cats?

[Ash]

A friend of mine in Germany is looking for info on a disease where the soles of the feet are becoming hard - the German name is Hartballenkrankheit , I don't know what the English name would be. Her cat has been diagnosed with this but her vet doesn't seem to be able to help the cat. Looking online, she can find only info on the disease connecting to dogs. Does it exist for cats too or is the vet wrong?

[Traci]

In the US, this is known as "hard pad" disease, otherwise known as canine distemper. Canine and feline distempers are species specific, with the feline distemper known as panluekopenia.

Ask your friend if the vet has diagnosed correctly, and based on what physical symptoms/clinical findings/bloodwork. Without further information, can't advise.

[Ash]

Well, she says the vet is puzzled and doesn't know what to do or diagnose. The symptoms are: very swollen pads that are bleeding, get better for a couple of days and then open and bleed again. The cat is also very nervous and scared. The second cat in the house has caught it too now.

[Traci]

Caught "what"? This is what the vet needs to determine, and if he isn't utilizing further diagnostics, she needs to see a new vet immediately.

The information is too vague to comment much further. Swollen pads and bleeding pads could be anything from fungal disease to a chemical agent the pets may have gotten into, stepped into, etc.

Is the cat allowed outdoors?

Is there hot concrete or asphalt/pavement the pets are forced to walk on?

Was the yard recently fertilzed?

Were chemicals or cleaning agents recently used on floors, etc?

Were any new pet foods introduced recently?

Did the vet perform bloodwork on the dog, and has the cat been seen by a vet?

[Ash]

Caught "what"? This is what the vet needs to determine, and if he isn't utilizing further diagnostics, she needs to see a new vet immediately.

That's what I said to her too.

The information is too vague to comment much further. Swollen pads and bleeding pads could be anything from fungal disease to a chemical agent the pets may have gotten into, stepped into, etc.

Is the cat allowed outdoors?

Is there hot concrete or asphalt/pavement the pets are forced to walk on?

Was the yard recently fertilzed?

Were chemicals or cleaning agents recently used on floors, etc?

Were any new pet foods introduced recently?

I will pass these questions on to her.

Did the vet perform bloodwork on the dog, and has the cat been seen by a vet?

There is no dog. It's the cat that is suffering from the bleeding pads and the vet said it's hard pad disease and treated the cat for it (since a couple of months!) but it's not healing. When she googled it she found no mentioning of this disease in connection with cats which puzzled her. (That's when I said I'll ask you.)

Seems this vet doesn't know what she's doing. Your answer only confirmed my suspicion. I will tell her again to see a new vet. Thanks, Traci!
[/quote]

[Traci]

There is no dog.

Oops, wasn't paying attention.

It's the cat that is suffering from the bleeding pads and the vet said it's hard pad disease and treated the cat for it (since a couple of months!) but it's not healing. When she googled it she found no mentioning of this disease in connection with cats which puzzled her. (That's when I said I'll ask you.)

Well, the vet needs to come up with the correct diagnosis/term of the problem. If he hasn't persued additional diagnostics, he isn't actually treating the cat effectively. To my knowledge, "hard pad" disease does not affect cats, and feline distemper (panleukopenia) does not present the symptoms your friend describes. The vet could be using the term to simply describe cracked, swollen and bleeding paw pads, but this needs to be specific in diagnosis, and get to the underlying cause of the problem. Do you know what he treated with?

I strongly suggest a NEW vet, more experienced in feline health, and ask about ruling out fungal disease, allergies (whether food or environmental), and immunological disease (this would require seperate blood profiles). But, the owner needs to give the vet as much information about her cat as possible, meaning, discussing the above questions to rule them out.

[Ash]

To my knowledge, "hard pad" disease does not affect cats, and feline distemper (panleukopenia) does not present the symptoms your friend describes.

That's what an Internet search brought up too and which is why she's confused. The vet called it hard pad disease and said it is 'little known' in cats and therefore hard to treat.

Do you know what he treated with?

Something called Bioresonanz, which sounds homeopathic to me (not sure though).

I strongly suggest a NEW vet

Did that. Hope she takes the advice.

Thanks again, Traci!

[Traci]

She definately needs a new vet, a conventional vet at that!

Bioresonance, otherwise known as energy medicine, bio-energetic therapy, vibrational medicine, is a form of holistic/alternative, which is as useless as homeopathy.

There are no clinical studies or research that indicate any usefulness or effectiveness for this "practice" and it's essentially a fraudulent claim. Professional health organizations warn consumers to steer clear of such "treatments".

Ash, tell your friend she needs a conventional vet to examine her cat IMMEDIATELY, and to persue diagnostics and real treatment for this poor kitty. I can't beleive this quack vet has allowed her cat to suffer for over two months, he should be reported to a veterinary governing agency for failure to diagnose correctly, for practicing unproven/fraudulent treatment and delaying appropriate diagnostics and treatment that should have been done by a real, competent vet. If both cats have the same swollen pads and bleeding, she is putting them at risk for severe pain and infection, encourage her to see a conventional vet ASAP.

[Ash]

I will do that Traci! I know it's hard to believe that some people let their pets be experimented with and over such a long time with no positive results at that!

[Traci]

While I don't have all the facts of this case, it is a perfect example of quacks and their fraud.

Homeopath/holistic vets often can't diagnose properly, yet will stop at nothing to "precribe" dubious, unproven, experimental, and oftentimes dangerous "treatments", while allowing the pet to suffer and taking the client for all he/she is worth. They deliberately delay vital diagnostics and appropriate/effective treatment because every homeopath/holistic vet wants to claim success from a "treatment" they know has no validity or substantial scientific evidence to prove their claims.