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Anal Glands + Cat Food
- Thread starter Abbiekae
- Start Date
This is like one of the only issues that's ever come up on this site that I can help with!
My cat (15 years old) has recurring anal gland problems without the right food. Our solution was to add in extra fiber. I use Firm Up (you can get it on Amazon) which is dried pumpkin and apple. 1/2 tsp every other day mixed in with her food is enough to keep her glands emptying. If I miss a couple doses she usually needs 1/2 tsp 2 or 3 days in a row to get back on track. Firm Up is just a powdery mix that you can mix into wet food or sprinkle on top of dry. I would recommend more wet food than dry for a kitty with anal gland issues so she gets sufficient moisture and can go to the bathroom properly. Dehydration (common with dry diets) can cause constipation. I've used Firm Up for years and it's worked well for us! You do have to be careful not to give excessive amounts of pumpkin/apple though because vitamin A toxicity is possible. If you don't use more than the bag recommends and only use as much as your cat really needs, then toxicity won't be a problem.
My cat (15 years old) has recurring anal gland problems without the right food. Our solution was to add in extra fiber. I use Firm Up (you can get it on Amazon) which is dried pumpkin and apple. 1/2 tsp every other day mixed in with her food is enough to keep her glands emptying. If I miss a couple doses she usually needs 1/2 tsp 2 or 3 days in a row to get back on track. Firm Up is just a powdery mix that you can mix into wet food or sprinkle on top of dry. I would recommend more wet food than dry for a kitty with anal gland issues so she gets sufficient moisture and can go to the bathroom properly. Dehydration (common with dry diets) can cause constipation. I've used Firm Up for years and it's worked well for us! You do have to be careful not to give excessive amounts of pumpkin/apple though because vitamin A toxicity is possible. If you don't use more than the bag recommends and only use as much as your cat really needs, then toxicity won't be a problem.
Personally, I don't think anal gland issues has anything to do with food, at least for some cats. I feed raw food and one of my cats occasionally needs his glands emptied. He poops just fine.
Any canned food would be beneficial to a cat in general. What does your vet recommend, besides the usual prescription food which isn't necessary?
Any canned food would be beneficial to a cat in general. What does your vet recommend, besides the usual prescription food which isn't necessary?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
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- #5
Hi. You say you wanted high fiber wet food because your cat doesn't have any teeth? Is the desire for high fiber food also connected to the anal gland issue you mentioned in your OP?
Many cats are able to eat just about any and all kinds of food without any teeth - including dry, so long as the mouth has healed from whenever the teeth were removed. Maybe a little harder for a 9 year old to learn that, if all the teeth were recently removed, but still possible.
But, back to the anal gland issue...did your vet feel as if your cat's stool is/was not firm enough to naturally express the anal glands? Just curious.
Food was not the reason this past year that Feeby had to have her anal glands expressed by the vet. When it happened, my vet felt Feeby's anal gland issue was due to lack of cleanliness/stimulation by licking. Of course, the fact that she had 3-4 UTIs this year as well, and also was demonstrating some arthritis would obviously go a long way toward supporting the cleanliness issue. Since then, I do "booty duty" - using hypoallergenic wipes daily on her behind - no more anal gland issues, and so far no more UTIs either.
Many cats are able to eat just about any and all kinds of food without any teeth - including dry, so long as the mouth has healed from whenever the teeth were removed. Maybe a little harder for a 9 year old to learn that, if all the teeth were recently removed, but still possible.
But, back to the anal gland issue...did your vet feel as if your cat's stool is/was not firm enough to naturally express the anal glands? Just curious.
Food was not the reason this past year that Feeby had to have her anal glands expressed by the vet. When it happened, my vet felt Feeby's anal gland issue was due to lack of cleanliness/stimulation by licking. Of course, the fact that she had 3-4 UTIs this year as well, and also was demonstrating some arthritis would obviously go a long way toward supporting the cleanliness issue. Since then, I do "booty duty" - using hypoallergenic wipes daily on her behind - no more anal gland issues, and so far no more UTIs either.
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- #7
If she doesn’t have wet food she throws up 100% of the time. So I feed her wet and dry mix. Her stool is also pretty much liquid and has to have her glands emptied every 6 months. So I wanted to find a 3-1 cat food that can give her the help she needs. I’m going to try the firm up.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #8
Lol
Perhaps you can try that Firm Up that
sabrinah
suggested? I am hoping other members will also come along with ideas for firming up stool - sounds like that might help your gal with the anal gland issues, at least some anyway.
sabrinah
suggested? I am hoping other members will also come along with ideas for firming up stool - sounds like that might help your gal with the anal gland issues, at least some anyway.
Is there a medical reason her stool is never firm? Does she perhaps have some intolerances? Firm Up will certainly help, but it sounds like there's an underlying issue. I only use Firm Up to make her stool larger (specifically wider).
