Musky Butt? Please help!

MeruCat

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My beloved little furr ball Tig has what I affectionately call "Musky Butt" more often than not even when his hiney clean as a whistle he STINKS. It is not your run of the mill poopy smell. It is a musky strong stink. There are times where he is literally almost too stinky to love. I can only assume it is something to do with his anal glands. But he has very normal healthy poops, doesn't show any discomfort with his hind end and no visible issues to my untrained eye. PLEASE let me know if there is anything I can do to get on top of this. He is a young cat... he'll be a year old at the end of January and has had smelly but since near when we got him at 9 weeks. I have a picture of his fuzz butt if someone thinks it will help. I am desperate to find a solution. Its hard to appreciate him for and all his wonder when i can barely breath when he's around.
 

BellaGooch

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:hithere: Welcome to TCS! If you want, feel free to make a post in the New Cats on the Block forum!

Please take this advice with a grain of salt because I am not an expert :)
Also, another, more experienced member will probably be along soon to help you and confirm/deny what I am thinking.
It might be Feline Anal Sac Disease, which is a somewhat common problem for cats. It occurs when their anal glands don't expel fluid properly. Some other signs of this disease include licking the fur on his behind or scooting his butt on the ground.

I would definitely take Tig to the vet as this disease- if he has it- could be potentially very painful for him. (not to mention bothersome for you!) There they will most likely do a scan to figure out if the glands are infected in any way.
I hope this helps in some way and please keep us updated!
 
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MeruCat

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Thank you very much I appreciate your warm welcome and input! As I mentioned in the post i had a real suspicion this was an anal gland problem but since the only side effect has been the odor I haven't made an appointment with our vet. Looks like my Christmas bonus will be well spent on Tig. Money has been the issue unfortunately and as it was not impacting his life but mine it was not seen as an emergency. It will be addressed asap. Silly me waiting on pet health insurance to show up on my benefits 😅🤪 I sure won't hold my breath!
 

fionasmom

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I had a dog with this issue years ago. In her case, her tail was oddly shaped and literally stayed in place against her rear...so no air circulating which is probably not the issue with your cat. However, it did come down to anal glands as well and what caught my eye in your post is that the odor was musky, not really a poop odor. It was bad....once a friend commented after I had given the dog her rear end bath which became a daily routine that she smelled so nice "for once" so I knew that the odor was bad.
 
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MeruCat

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Yeah he has his tail up and perky most of the time so it's not the tail... hes not a bushy cat... ill check to see if he's got fuzz butt holding the air in. But im getting the feeling a vet check may be the best option! Thanks for your input! Hopefully we'll find a fix for the musky butt! Thank you!
 

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It's probably the anal glands. Definitely have the vet check the glands and make sure they're not impacted or infected. If the glands are simply full, the vet can empty them. You can empty the glands yourself at home later on. It might require an extra pair of hands since most cats don't like their butts messed with. It can be a messy job with gland secretion squirting out so I recommend you attempt this in the bathroom with the door closed, have paper towels on hand for clean up, and don't wear good clothes.
 
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MeruCat

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It's probably the anal glands. Definitely have the vet check the glands and make sure they're not impacted or infected. If the glands are simply full, the vet can empty them. You can empty the glands yourself at home later on. It might require an extra pair of hands since most cats don't like their butts messed with. It can be a messy job with gland secretion squirting out so I recommend you attempt this in the bathroom with the door closed, have paper towels on hand for clean up, and don't wear good clothes.
Thanks for the input we'll be getting in touch with our vet tomorrow. If they just need to be emptied or if its a reoccurring issue I will shop around for the best deals 😅 I had a dog who had anal gland issues (guess im just lucky that way but she didn't stink) i emptied hers once and swore I would never relive the experience.
 
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