Question about cat anal glands

[Scratchy22]

Hey guys I was wondering if cat anal glands should be always abit stinky. My cat has long hair and he rarely gets poop stuck on his fur which i have to gently remove but he freaks out any time I try to wipe his bottom. I know that cats dont like to be touched around their bum and/legs. Should I give the vet a visit? He sometimes gets tiny brownish black discharge from his glands that he doesnt really groom. What are the symptoms of a potential issue? I am still abit new to cat hygiene and I would very much appreciate your help

 

[Julielynn88]

Good morning, normally if your cat has smelly anal glands they probley need expressed, you can always try calling your local groomer and see if they express cat anal glands and when your there you can have them trim just a little bit of hair around your cats bum so the poop don't get stuck in the hair. A couple normal signs (but not limited to) of full AG are licking and scooting.

 

[BlackCatOp]

My cat Chester, recently suffered from an infected anal gland that abscessed. My understanding is than normal cat anal gland material is thicker than that of the dog. It is uncommon for cats to have issues with their anal glands. Chester did not present with any signs prior to it was too late, unfortunately. I noticed late one night that his rear looked funny and realized he was swollen & hard on the one side of his rear. A trip to the vet confirmed anal gland impaction. The gland ended up rupturing later that day. To error on the side of caution, if you think there could be an anal gland problem, I would look into having them expressed as Chester’s ordeal was quite painful and messy. Good luck!

 

[LTS3]

Well, it's the back end of a cat so it's not going to smell nice and clean There will be some odor back there. If it starts to smell more than usual back there, the glands may need to be emptied. The vet can do this if you're not comfortable doing it at home yourself. Sometimes the glands will leak a bit but is usually nothing to worry about. Scooting the butt across the floor is a sign that the glands might be impacted or painful. That would need a trip to the vet, not something you need to do immediately unless your cat is also constipated or having issues with the litter box.

 

[Scratchy22]

Thanks for the replies