Lily had an unexpected trip to the vet yesterday. I had observed her scooting on the floor, which is not typical cat behavior. Lily has done this before, and it always means one thing...clogged anal glands. EWWW! Anal gland (also called anal sac) problems are much more common in dogs than in cats. Of course, Lily thinks she's a dog...
It's been at least a couple of years since she's had clogged anal glands but after yesterday's vet visit, I suspect that she's been uncomfortable for awhile. I'm very observant of Lily's behavior and she has seemed perfectly normal but unfortunately, her anal glands were very full. They had to be expressed and even irrigated. Luckily, there was no sign of infection or abscess which can happen in this situation.
Anal glands are normally filled with a brownish liquid which is expelled when the kitty goes potty. But some cats (namely LILY) produce abnormal secretions which are black and tarry and cannot be expelled in the usual way. I know...EWWW! Eventually the sacs (or glands) become clogged. This is not painful for the kitty but is certainly uncomfortable and leads to the scooting behavior. (Now, if there's an abscess or infection, that's a very painful situation and absolutely must be prevented!)
Lily had to be sedated for the procedure, which lasted about 20 minutes. While out, she also got a lovely paw-dicure. (She hates having her claws trimmed so it's nice to have that task professionally done!) She's going to be a little sore for a couple of days so she's getting plenty of pampering (salmon juice for breakfast!!!) and rest. 💓
Lily will now be on a 6-month preventative schedule to have her anal glands expressed. This will be much better than waiting for me to catch her scooting on the floor.
This may be more than you wanted to learn about clogged anal glands but if you're a cat purr-son, it's important to know! If you see any type of scooting behavior, be sure to contact your vet!
Happy Feline Friday, everybody!
jp
jp
Please note that these photos were taken while we were in the vet's parking lot and not while driving! 😊
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