EDMOND —
Q: My cat Henry is a 4-year-old Manx. He was neutered when he was a kitten and has been very healthy. Lately he has been licking a lot at his rear end and scooting a lot on the floor. I have seen a few small blood stains where he scoots and he has what looks like a sore just below his anal opening. I thought he might have just scraped it on something but it does not seem to be healing. What else could it be?
A: It sounds very much like Henry has an anal sac or gland that has ruptured. Cats, like dogs, have a pair of these glands or sacs on each side of the anal opening that open to the outside through a duct at about 4:00 and 8:00 with respect to the anus.
These problems are a lot more common in dogs, but cats certainly can have similar problems.
Anal sacs are lined with sebaceous glands that constantly secrete a foul-smelling brownish liquid that has a very distinctive pungent smell. This liquid is collected in the anal sac. When feces passes out the anal opening, it puts pressure on the anal sac and a bead of the pungent secretion is placed along the piece of feces. This serves to mark Henry’s territory so other cats or predators know this is his area and not to trespass.
Occasionally the secretory product will become thickened and difficult to move through the ductile opening and out of the sacs. The sacs can become impacted. They fill and fill until, like an overly filled balloon, they pop or rupture.
A ruptured anal gland, which is what Henry likely has, is painful. Once it abscesses and ruptures, it needs the attention of your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Your veterinarian will be able to examine the area and confirm an anal gland abscess. It can be manually expressed to remove the thickened material, but many times sedation is required because it is so very painful to examine and empty. If she sedates Henry, she can also flush out the sac and fill it with an antibiotic ointment to help it heal. Henry likely will also be on an oral antibiotic to heal the infection. Occasionally these glands have to be surgically removed to prevent chronic infection and other related problems.
Increasing the fiber in Henry’s diet may help his anal glands to empty. About 1/2 teaspoon of a Metamucil-like product, unflavored, can be dusted daily on his food, either canned or dry food, to help. Also be sure Henry has good access to fresh water and encourage him to drink freely. Sometimes, adding ice cubes will entice pets to drink more because the water is cooler and the cubes are something to play with. Just drop a cube in his water each time you go to the refrigerator. It won’t take any time at all for Henry to catch on.
DR. M. MARGARET KING, a longtime Edmond veterinarian, is a guest columnist. If you have any questions for her, send them to 1900 S. Bryant, Edmond, OK 73013.
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