Simply inside a cat’s anus are two small glands: the anal glands (generally known as anal sacs). For those who think about your cat’s anus because the face of a clock (that is perhaps the strangest starting to any sentence I’ve ever written), the anal glands are positioned on the 4 and the 8 place, and produce a foul-smelling secretion.
Initially, these glands allowed cats to mark their territory and keep at bay predators, however they not serve a lot objective now that cats have turn out to be domesticated. Small quantities of anal gland secretion are launched when a cat defecates; nonetheless, cats could specific the whole contents of those glands once they get excited or scared.
As a cat veterinarian, I can’t start to depend what number of occasions I’ve been “glanded” within the examination room by a frightened or nervous cat. The room abruptly fills up with a distinctly disagreeable musky, fishy odor. If it will get on my shirt or my lab coat, I’ve to alter clothes instantly or the odor will cling to me all day.
Ailments of the anal glands are extra widespread in canines, however they do happen in cats as properly. Frequent anal gland issues embody impaction, abscesses and tumors.
When it’s impacted
Impaction happens when the duct main from the gland to the anus turns into clogged, and the gland turns into distended because it fills with the secretion. Because the gland distends, the stress inside will increase, which causes discomfort.
Cats generally reveal this discomfort by “scooting” — dragging their anus on the ground or carpet, though this habits is extra generally seen in canines. The extra widespread habits in cats with anal gland irritation is extreme licking, cleansing and usually fussing with the anal space. Often, cats will present reluctance to take a seat or to poop, and will maintain their tail in an uncommon place.
Anal gland impaction may be handled by having your veterinarian specific the anal glands manually. This relieves the stress inside the gland and reopens the clogged duct, which normally resolves the issue. Having expressed hundreds of anal glands over my profession, I’ve realized do it rapidly and comparatively painlessly, however all cats nonetheless hate having it accomplished.
When it’s an abscess
Typically, the entrapped anal gland secretion will turn out to be contaminated. This isn’t stunning, given the shut proximity of the glands to the anus. Pus will start to build up inside the gland, forming an abscess. If the pus contained in the gland can’t escape through the conventional route (the duct main from the gland to only contained in the anus), the pus will attempt to burrow by way of the pores and skin across the anus. In some cases, the pus ruptures by way of the pores and skin and drains out by itself, which would be the first signal an proprietor notices.
Anal gland rupture typically ends in pores and skin harm in that space, requiring anesthesia, a radical cleaning and surgical trimming and/or removing of the broken pores and skin. Just a few stitches could also be required to scale back the scale of the wound and promote faster therapeutic. If the abscess is identified earlier than the gland ruptures, it is going to should be lanced by your veterinarian whereas the cat is sedated or below anesthesia. After the abscess is lanced, antibiotics are prescribed for a number of days. Heat compresses to the world assist velocity up the therapeutic, however this may be tough, as most cats aren’t too eager about having a heat material utilized to their backside.
Easy options
Cats with recurrent anal gland issues may profit from a high-fiber food plan, because the fiber ends in a bulkier stool, which places extra stress on
the anal glands throughout defecation, permitting the glands to be expressed extra effectively.
Chubby cats are at elevated danger for anal gland issues, so sustaining a wholesome physique weight can assist scale back the incidence of these kind of issues. Cats who are suffering repeated impactions or abscesses could require surgical removing of the anal glands. In my expertise, that is hardly ever needed.
Kitty acquired anal gland issues?
If one thing is occurring, you’ll in all probability discover this sort of motion within the anal sac space:
✔ scooting
✔ extreme licking
✔ cleansing
✔ reluctance to take a seat or poop
✔ tail held in uncommon place
✔ an abscess varieties
If you’re seeing this, it’s time to take kitty to the veterinarian to specific the anal glads and deal with the impaction.
May it’s most cancers?
Most cancers of the anal glands (known as anal gland adenocarcinoma) is, fortunately, an unusual situation in cats. The signs typically mimic these of an anal gland abscess, together with:
✔ swelling
✔ irritation
✔ ache
✔ bleeding
✔ ulceration of the pores and skin surrounding the anus
The popular therapy possibility for anal gland adenocarcinoma in cats is surgical removing of the cancerous anal gland; nonetheless, these are usually aggressive tumors, and the most cancers has typically unfold to different elements of the physique by the point a prognosis has been made, necessitating a poor prognosis. I really feel lucky to have by no means identified a case in my follow.