Anal gland problems in kitties?

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Does anyone else have kitties who have frequent problems with impacted or infected anal glands? I've had my kitty for about 2 years now, since he was 2, and a few months after I got him I noticed a really stinky smell sometimes coming from his butt. Then he got up off my lap one time and there was a foul-smelling liquid on my pants, so I made an appointment with the vet. Apparently he does not expel the contents of his anal glands when he defecates, like kitties should normally do. The vet suggested more fiber in the diet, but he has an unlimited bowl of hairball control formula kibble, so that's not a problem, and his stools are good and firm. The first time I took him in, he needed antibiotics to clear up a nasty infection in the glands. Subsequent visits have just been to empty the glands but they are not infected. We have to take him in every few months to have these glands squeezed, which is most unpleasant for him (and to hear the vet techs tell it, EXTREMELY unpleasant for them!). The only other thing the vet could recommend was surgery to remove the glands, but there was a high risk of him losing sphincter control in the process. I guess this is a problem that's common in dogs but rare in kitties. Has anyone had this surgery done for their kitty?

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. This sounds awful. I've never heard about this type of condition before so I can't offer you any solutions. All I can do is to wish you good luck. Hopefully some one else here will know about this kind of condition.

[jenluckenbach]

Cats do not seem to get this problem as often as dogs ( I work as a pet groomer and express glands practically daily). Expressing the anal glands is stinky and some animals may prefer not to have it done, but if the glands are not infected then I'd just go and have it done routinely. (Maybe you could find a groomer that does cats and have it done by them). I would only have the operation if they were constantly getting infected. I did have a cat once who tended to empty his glands on me occasionally, so I tried to keep them empty. It was a small price to pay for a loving companion.

[neko1]

One of my cats does this occasionally. I agree with Jen, its best to have them expressed at the vet unless they are constantly getting infected.
It is pretty rare in cats, but we do express them at our office. We have even taught people how to do it to their own dogs so they do not have to make a visit to the vet for this. Not many people go for that, but it is a money saver. Sometimes I think that if people would just grow up and get past the smell and do it themselves, then they wouldn't have to complain about spending money every few weeks to have it done.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

I'm fortunate that the cost is not a burden, and I am not very squeamish, having raised a child and a lot of pets, but it just upsets the cat so much that I hate for anyone to have to squeeze his glands on a regular basis. As soon as we get into the vet's office, he wraps his tail tightly up against his anus because he knows what's coming. I would gladly have the surgery done to spare him a lifetime of squeezings, but I am so afraid that there would be complications and/or that he would lose control of his sphincter. I forget what website I was on, but they had a really cute animated graphic of how to squeeze a cat's anal glands. I probably will try to do it on my own next time; at least it spares him the car ride (he gets HORRIBLY car sick in a very short time).

p.s. Neko1, are there any larger pictures of your kitties somewhere on this site, or elsewhere? I would love to see them close up (old age is getting to my eyes I guess )

[neko1]

Yep, I have an album in the gallery at imagestation.com. It is under cats in the subcategory of abyssinians.

[Nomilynn]

this may be a dumb question, but how do you do it? I mean, how do you sqeeze the glands? I'm wondering if my kitten Nutmeg has this problem because her bum is always stinky, and she leaves smelly stuff on my pants or blankets often. Tilly sometimes does this too but usually it goes away after she poops.

Should I ask the vet first for instructions?

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Here's a link to a website that has info about the anal sacs (glands) and how to squeeze them - I'm still just not ready to do this to the kitty myself. I guess I don't want him to hate me like he hates the vet.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_anal_sacs.html

My kitty has never done the "scooting" they describe, but he does secrete a nasty-smelling liquid. It sounds like your Nutmeg has the same problem. Good luck - let me know if you get bold enough to do the squeezing!

Sorry , dumb question again : what are "glands"

btw , I love your nickname !! "All creatures great and small" is one of my favorite tv-programms

[All Creatures Great And Small]

btw , I love your nickname !!

Thanks - I'm finding out that it takes a long time to type when I want to log in, though! I guess I picked it because I love creatures of all shapes and sizes, from mules on down to rats.

A "gland" is a body part in all humans and animals - like the thyroid gland, etc. (I can't think of any other glands at this point - well, none that you should discuss in mixed company anyway )
Just kidding!

I have to say, I am very impressed with your mastery of English - I am picturing myself trying to communicate in Belgian or French, and I would be able to say "hello", "goodbye", and "cat". (Oh yeah, and "defense de fumar" - no smoking.) Likewise with all of our European "Pet Talkers" - it just amazes me when people are fluently bilingual. I had the good fortune to visit France and Belgium a couple years ago with my sister, who speaks French (but not well enough for the Parisians, ha ha).
I remember feeling so isolated, not knowing what people around me were saying or what any of the signs said. I should have applied myself more in high school I guess.

Thanks for the compliment on my English !! I am flattered ..
I started learning English at 13 . I went twice to England to a local family for a few weeks . And after we married , we lived in London during 5 months , and in the USA for 2 years ! Lot's of practise , hey !! Now I try to read English books and blabber on Pettalk , so I cannot forget my vocabulary ...