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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / August 2006Anal glands - yuck!!
About every 6 months - year, NewCat decides to express her anal glands. They seem to spontaneously leak. This past week, it's happned twice, of course while she's on me. How do I know when they are impacted/infected, and a trip to the vet is needed? Since they leaked, are they expressed? I normally don't worry about it, just concerned because it happened twice in a short amount of time.  Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG Pearl is like this too. Ewwww. FIrst cat I've ever had who does this. And I swear it is *always* on me. I would suppose they would be fine. It's when they DON'T express that they can become impacted or infected. > About every 6 months - year, NewCat decides to express her anal glands. > They seem to spontaneously leak. This past week, it's happned twice, of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > about it, just concerned because it happened twice in a short amount of > time. > About every 6 months - year, NewCat decides to express her anal glands. > They seem to spontaneously leak. This past week, it's happned twice, of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > about it, just concerned because it happened twice in a short amount of > time. I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to wipe. (The white chairs were NOT my idea. I just clean the damned things!) > I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps > on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to > wipe. (The white chairs were NOT my idea. I just clean the > damned things!) Nah, this is worse than hiney stamps :) It's a brownish liquid that squirts out, and is the foulest smelling thing ever. I didn't know what it was the first time it happened, but thanks to this ng I found out it was from the anal glands. Guess I've been lucky that this is my first cat with this issue. NewCat is a little overweight, but not to wear she can't clean herself. A couple times when it's happened, it's been when I tapped her butt to move her along, so I guess I prompted the expression. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG > > I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps > > on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Nah, this is worse than hiney stamps :) It's a brownish liquid that squirts > out, and is the foulest smelling thing ever. Eyyuuuuu! >I didn't know what it was the > first time it happened, but thanks to this ng I found out it was from the > anal glands. Guess I've been lucky that this is my first cat with this > issue. You have! I hope I stay lucky in this regard. > NewCat is a little overweight, but not to wear she can't clean herself. A > couple times when it's happened, it's been when I tapped her butt to move > her along, so I guess I prompted the expression. Maybe she was not exactly sure what you wanted her to move? ;) Good luck with it, in any case. >> > I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps >> > on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Eyyuuuuu! Actually, for some reason it reminds me of your posts.. BLink > >> > I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps > >> > on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > BLink OMG! That is so funny! Oh hahaha! >>>>I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps >>>>on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > BLink Cmon now, Brian. Knock it off. If you think Mary is so evil...why are you "stooping" to her level? > >>>>I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps > >>>>on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Cmon now, Brian. Knock it off. If you think Mary is so evil...why are > you "stooping" to her level? What is really funny is that all the things Brian accuses me of--saying that Megan is "evil" etc. are actually the things she says about me, and not at all things I have said about her. Evil Mary, muhahahaha. I enjoy Brian's middle-school flames and Megan's hysteria--so please do not discourage either of them. People this amusing are hard to find. :) >Nah, this is worse than hiney stamps :) It's a brownish liquid that squirts >out, and is the foulest smelling thing ever. I didn't know what it was the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >couple times when it's happened, it's been when I tapped her butt to move >her along, so I guess I prompted the expression. Kira had a problem once. It was a thick white liquid. She was fussing with her rear end more than normal, so I took a look, saw a small amount of liquid and smelled the nasty stuff. I took her to the vet, and the he expressed it. He also found segments of tape worms and that is a common reason for the anal glands to get impacted. The tape worms cause the cat to fuss, and then they get impacted. We wormed all the cats, and we have never had a problem again. The vet did say that if it happens more than a times, then it might be worth removing the glands to prevent future problems. But once or twice wasn't worth the surgery. You might want to take her to vet and rule out the causes. And if it is happening that often, you might want to consider having them removed. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > >Nah, this is worse than hiney stamps :) It's a brownish liquid that squirts > >out, and is the foulest smelling thing ever. I didn't know what it was the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Kira had a problem once. It was a thick white liquid. Anal gland excretia should be brown. It sounds like she had an infected anal gland. Did he give her antibiotics? -L. > Anal gland excretia should be brown. It sounds like she had an > infected anal gland. Did he give her antibiotics? > > -L. I wonder what the white liquid is that plops out of Marbles' butt now and then? It certainly smells vile, not like poo (sorry to continue the grossness), but more skunkish, the odor I always thought was anal gland expression. He did it once on the way to the vet and the vet remarked that he had expressed them in the carrier. Anyway, every month or so, a drop or two of this white liquid plops out, generally on the keys of my laptop as he walks over it. He never drags his butt or licks at it frequently. Candace > > Anal gland excretia should be brown. It sounds like she had an > > infected anal gland. Did he give her antibiotics? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > the keys of my laptop as he walks over it. He never drags his butt or > licks at it frequently. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Lynnie knows her "excretia." And her excreta, too. > > Anal gland excretia should be brown. It sounds like she had an > > infected anal gland. Did he give her antibiotics? [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Candace Since (at least) two people have seen this white liquid, I'm also now wondering what it is. Just had the bown drops leaking from Debbie's anal sacs before they were expressed; never saw the white stuff. Unless - as I 'read' L's post as saying - that it's possibly pus, due to an infection?? Cathy >>> Anal gland excretia should be brown. It sounds like she had an >>> infected anal gland. Did he give her antibiotics? [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Cathy My experience with anal gland secretion it is brown. > My experience with anal gland secretion it is brown. NewCat's has been a clear brownish liquid. Haven't seen white. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG > > My experience with anal gland secretion it is brown. > > NewCat's has been a clear brownish liquid. Haven't seen white. Tigger's has always been brown >> > My experience with anal gland secretion it is brown. >> >> NewCat's has been a clear brownish liquid. Haven't seen white. > >Tigger's has always been brown Kira's was white. The vet expressed a bunch of it while I watched. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Since (at least) two people have seen this white liquid, I'm also now > wondering what it is. Just had the bown drops leaking from Debbie's anal > sacs before they were expressed; never saw the white stuff. Unless - as I > 'read' L's post as saying - that it's possibly pus, due to an infection?? > > Cathy I don't know, since it doesn't seem to bother him in any way, as far as him licking himself, etc., and once it's done, it doesn't reappear again for a long while. It doesn't seem like an infection... Candace > > Since (at least) two people have seen this white liquid, I'm also now > > wondering what it is. Just had the bown drops leaking from Debbie's [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Candace Gee, maybe you should ask your vet. He might have an idea or two. That's what vets are for, after all. Of course they don't compare to loudmouths in Usenet groups, but still. > > Since (at least) two people have seen this white liquid, I'm also now > > wondering what it is. Just had the bown drops leaking from Debbie's [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Candace It may just be more mucus than actual anal gland secretions, if it doesn't look like there is an infection. Most I have seen are any color of brown, some somewhat sandy. Usually the sacs are kept clear when the cat passes hard feces - if the feces are too soft, the sacs can get backed up and the cat will squirt them randomly, lick or act irritated. if he doesn't seem like there's a problem, I wouldn't worry about it. -L. > > > Since (at least) two people have seen this white liquid, I'm also > now [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > -L. I bet you feel like all those long hours as a minimum-wage cage-cleaner at the groomer are paying off now. It is great to have someone who knows so much about anal sacs just in case anyone here should even consider asking anyone but their vet about it. > > Since (at least) two people have seen this white liquid, I'm also now > > wondering what it is. Just had the bown drops leaking from Debbie's [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Candace Didn't really strike me that way, from your post, either... Cathy > > I don't know, but I occasionally find little brown hiney stamps > > on my white chairs that I think are just Cheeky's inability to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > couple times when it's happened, it's been when I tapped her butt to move > her along, so I guess I prompted the expression. My Tigger has been known to squirt some of that foul stuff from time to time when she's not pleased with something. If I'm lucky I avoid wearing any of it otherwise I'm definitely changing clothes. W You may wish to look at having the anal glands surgically removed. I recently adopted a 3 year old girl kitty from our SPCA, and she kept licking at her bum way more than was warranted. The vet checked her anal glands, and what she got out of there *warning, gross* looked like chewed and hardened Wrigleys gum. More than one stick of it, too. Yuck. My vet said to have her checked again in about a month or two (I haven't noticed much in the way of Twinkle seeming uncomfortable yet, but I still want to have Dr. Viv check her out) and if she is impacted again, it would be a good idea to remove the glands, as this would just be a repeat thing, having to have them expressed by the vet. Twinkle would be a lot more comfortable,and I wouldn't need to play guessing games as to when things were getting backed up in the anal gland area. Mel SignatureGod requires that we assist the animals, when they need our help. Each being (human or creature) has the same right of protection. -St. Francis of Assisi- One can measure the greatness and the moral progress of a nation by looking at how it treats her animals. -Mahatma Gandhi - > About every 6 months - year, NewCat decides to express her anal glands. > They seem to spontaneously leak. This past week, it's happned twice, of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > about it, just concerned because it happened twice in a short amount of > time. You may wish to look at having the anal glands surgically removed. I recently adopted a 3 year old girl kitty from our SPCA, and she kept licking at her bum way more than was warranted. The vet checked her anal glands, and what she got out of there *warning, gross* looked like chewed and hardened Wrigleys gum. More than one stick of it, too. Yuck. My vet said to have her checked again in about a month or two (I haven't noticed much in the way of Twinkle seeming uncomfortable yet, but I still want to have Dr. Viv check her out) and if she is impacted again, it would be a good idea to remove the glands, as this would just be a repeat thing, having to have them expressed by the vet. Twinkle would be a lot more comfortable,and I wouldn't need to play guessing games as to when things were getting backed up in the anal gland area. Mel ------------------------------------------- She doesn't appear to be uncomfortable or grooming excessively. If nothing else happens, I'll wait till her next vet visit, she's due in May for her annual. If they need to be removed, I'll have it done, but I don't want to put her under unnecessarily. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG > You may wish to look at having the anal glands surgically removed. I > recently adopted a 3 year old girl kitty from our SPCA, and she kept licking [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > annual. If they need to be removed, I'll have it done, but I don't want to > put her under unnecessarily. Hello Kelly and Mel, Before considering surgery, please carefully research the risks. Anal sac surgery in cats is, in my experience and from everything I have read, generally not recommended or necessary. If done, it is vital to have a very skilled and experienced surgeon because the surgery is delicate, the area is quite small, and the nerves that control the opening and closing of the anal sphincter are very close to the anal sacs. The risk of cut nerves or nerve damage during surgery is not minor and can result in fecal incontinence. That is a risk I would not want to take. I think that regular manual expression, if that becomes necessary, would be a preferable option. One of my kitties had two episodes of anal sac impaction to the point of a rupturing abscess. Both times it occurred very quickly (overnight), it was clearly painful, but he was successfully treated with antibiotics and has been fine since. I am very vigilant and I also changed the amount of fibre in his food so that his stools are firmer than they were at the time which I think contributed to the sacs not emptying regularly. So far, so good. Hope this is helpful. M. Hello, my name is Lennie and my cat's name is Boo and she is only 1 1/2 yrs old. She's had alot of problems with her anal glands for the past 4 months. I didn't know anything about this until then. The first time she got impacted and had to have an enema given to her. They have squeezed her glands serveral times since then. Just two weeks ago she was crying at her litter box to get my attention, that's how I knew her but was bothering her. I took her to the vet and they squeezed her glands again. Yesterday morning, I got up and she was running a high fever and wouldn't eat so I carried her to the vet. She had a temp of 106 and was trembling bad. They admitted her and started fluids and antibiotics because of the dehydration and her red blood cells were high. I got to bring her home today , but she still has a small temp and she still isn't feeling well at all. My vet said she has an infection and that it probaly came from the glands. My vet mention about removing them if this kept on happening, but she said she hoped she didn't have too. I don't know if her diet or what is causing this , but I need to find out. I feed her purina one dry food with urinary tract formula, along with a teaspoon of pro plan can food. She gets that in the morning and only the dry at night. Am I feeding her the wrong thing? I have two other cats that get the same thing as her and neither one of them have a gland problem. I have got to figure out something because she really is a poor sick little thing. I welcome all the advice I can get. Lennie88at aol dot com Thanks, Lennie >You may wish to look at having the anal glands surgically removed. I >recently adopted a 3 year old girl kitty from our SPCA, and she kept licking [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >annual. If they need to be removed, I'll have it done, but I don't want to >put her under unnecessarily. > You may wish to look at having the anal glands surgically removed. If you get this done, be sure your vet has done them before. Many times. There are nerves there that, if cut, never heal and the cat is incontinent FOR LIFE. *** warning -- icky talk for the weak of stomach *** That said, Rowan has some issues with her glands. If you have a cat that has problems, you can simply have the vet or groomer express them monthy (if needed). It's really not that big of a deal if they don't build up to begin with. In fact, the scent isn't bad if you don't let it get all nasty and blocked up. It's infection (pus) that smells truly bad. If the glands get expressed before the pus gets started, the smell is just like a really strong musk. I'm used to expressing Rowan's glands every month myself, since she bites anyone but me who tries it (and it just stresses her out too much if I bring her anywhere). I had the vet show me how and I just do it. Only takes one of me, since my baby loves me and seems to know I do it for her well-being. Took several techs AND the vet to do it there. Poor thing -- I don't know who was more put off. The cat or the tech who got bloody. Signature-- ~kaeli~ Well, aren't we just a flipping ray of sunshine? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace > > You may wish to look at having the anal glands surgically removed. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > *** warning -- icky talk for the weak of stomach *** Thanks so much for looking out for us, Kaeli. People who see "anal" anything in the subject line who do not expect icky talk do indeed need looking out for. 8^) > > > You may wish to look at having the anal glands surgically removed. > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > see "anal" anything in the subject line who do not expect > icky talk do indeed need looking out for. 8^) Well, now, I wouldn't want anyone to accuse me of purposefully trying to make their keyboards more colorful. / had pizza for lunch // red and yellow might compliment my keyboard... Signature-- ~kaeli~ Kill one man and you are a murderer. Kill millions and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone and you are God. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace >I'm used to expressing Rowan's glands every month myself, since she bites >anyone but me who tries it (and it just stresses her out too much if I bring >her anywhere). I had the vet show me how and I just do it. Only takes one of >me, since my baby loves me and seems to know I do it for her well-being. >Took several techs AND the vet to do it there. Poor thing -- I don't know who >was more put off. The cat or the tech who got bloody. I was lucky. The vet was able to do Kira with no problems at all. She isn't very good with strangers, but she stood there calmly, no fuss. I was very impressed that the vet could do it without bothering her. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > About every 6 months - year, NewCat decides to express her anal glands. > They seem to spontaneously leak. This past week, it's happned twice, of > course while she's on me. It usually happens when a cat is strtled. Was she startled either time? > How do I know when they are impacted/infected, and a trip to the vet is > needed? The anal area will be swollen and sore, and possibly red - she will lick them. They may not be leaking due to impaction or infection though - they might just be over-producing. Do you have her on a high-fiber diet? >Since they leaked, are they expressed? At least partially. >I normally don't worry > about it, just concerned because it happened twice in a short amount of > time. You can empty them at home, if you have help. You flip the cat belly-up and pull the tail down. Then with a kleenex, press *gently* on the outside of the anal gland. If they are full, they will partially empty when you do this. To drain them completely, a finger needs to be inserted rectally, and I don't recommend anyone do this at home - it really needs to be done by a vet. if they get full and she keeps squirting them, I will bet that it's diet-related. You might want to discuss this with your vet. HTH, I know how gross it is... -L. > It usually happens when a cat is strtled. Was she startled either > time? A couple times have been when I tapped her butt to get her to move. Once she was standing right in the middle of our Scrabble game, that was fun! Had to clean off all these little tiles. Last night she was standing on my chest and I was trying to move her along. > The anal area will be swollen and sore, and possibly red - she will > lick them. They may not be leaking due to impaction or infection > though - they might just be over-producing. Do you have her on a > high-fiber diet? I did see her licking right after the incident. I've been trying to look at her butt today, she doesn't let me look for long. It looks normal, I guess. She eats what everyone else eats. Some dry during the day and canned. It's not high-fiber. Should I maybe add some Metamucil to the food? > You can empty them at home, if you have help. You flip the cat > belly-up and pull the tail down. Then with a kleenex, press *gently* [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > HTH, I know how gross it is... Ummm yeah, I think I'll skip the home expression! If it happens again soon I'll move up her annual exam. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG > > It usually happens when a cat is strtled. Was she startled either > > time? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Had to clean off all these little tiles. Last night she was standing on my > chest and I was trying to move her along. Well, Mom, what do you expect? Tap my butt, you get squirted! > > The anal area will be swollen and sore, and possibly red - she will > > lick them. They may not be leaking due to impaction or infection [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > She eats what everyone else eats. Some dry during the day and canned. It's > not high-fiber. Should I maybe add some Metamucil to the food? If the diet is too high in fiber it can cause the anal glands to work overtime. I wouldn't worry about it too much - she may just be exceptionally full right now for some reason. > > You can empty them at home, if you have help. You flip the cat > > belly-up and pull the tail down. Then with a kleenex, press *gently* [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Ummm yeah, I think I'll skip the home expression! Well, FWIW, it's much better than getting squirted when you least expect it. I remember when I used to groom, I'd come into work all clean, get squirted, have to clean myself up, change clothes and I'll be danged if I didn't get squirted again. I eventually just started emptying glands when I could, before the bathing or shaving commenced. It's SOOO gross! -L. > About every 6 months - year, NewCat decides to express her anal glands. > They seem to spontaneously leak. This past week, it's happned twice, of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > about it, just concerned because it happened twice in a short amount of > time. I don't know... Debbie's used to leak, but tiny amounts at a time. That let me know they needed to be expressed. But in NewCat's case, maybe they self-expressed if there was a largish amount?? Cathy > About every 6 months - year, NewCat decides to express her anal > glands. They seem to spontaneously leak. This past week, it's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > normally don't worry about it, just concerned because it > happened twice in a short amount of time. Shadow used to have problems with his, and they needed regular manual expressing, but he had chronic diahrrea due to the IBD. I've witnessed Shamrock dragging his butt on the carpet and took him to be checked for anal sac issues, but they were fine. Either he expressed them on the carpet (he has left tracks - thank goodness for my little bissel portable carpet cleaner!) but not often. With Shadow, though, you could see with a quick visual glance that his anal sacs needed expressing. I just took him to the vet for that. None of that here for me once I saw what they do. Ouch. SignatureCheryl "The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." - W.C. Fields
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