Hello ,
Well, I didn't even know cats could have problems with their anal glands; thought it affected only dogs. Kira, my 9 year old female cat is being treated for an abscess caused by a blocked anal gland.
She got an injection of antibiotic (Convenia), she has painkillers for 4 days and I have to wash the wound with water to keep it clean. This is the third time this has happened since last July, always her left gland. I didn't take her to the vet the first and second times (in July and November) as the wound was small, wasn't oozing and Kira was absolutely fine: no change in habits, appetite, bowels, etc. I kept the area clean and it healed nicely. I didn't know her gland was the problem. I mentioned it to the vet a few weeks later during her annual visit and it was difficult to see anything; there was only a tiny, tiny scab and her fur had grown back.
But this time, the abscess seemed to ooze more and Kira wasn't her normally purring self. I discovered the abscess yesterday at 5 o'clock in the morning and at 10:30 we were at the clinic. Since this is a recurrence, the vet thought there might be a foreign object in the wound causing the abscess or the problem was her gland. The vet decided to start by checking her glands: her right one was emptied by the vet. The gland was very hard and a paste-like dark substance finally came out ( not liquid like it should be). Kira cried out but pulled though like a champ, she didn't try to claw anyone to pieces
She is my hero!
The vet didn't want to empty the left gland because it would have been too painful for Kira as the abscess is on her left side. So the problem is caused by her anal glands.
I will take her back to the clinic in 2 weeks to have both glands checked. The vet told me I might have to bring Kira several times per year to have the gland emptied manually if they don't empty themselves. Has anyone else encountered this problem?
By the way, Kira is on quality can food : Wellness, Before Grain, Evo, Eagle pack, etc. as well as raw that I make. The only dry food she gets is when she steals a kibble or two from Arielle's
bowl
Thanks!