Anal gland issues, Canned pumpkin and Amoxicillin. ??

the_food_lady

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Hello,

So last Friday night I came home to find Bitsy scooting across my carpet. Have never ever seen a cat do this. Would explain the faint "skid mark" I'd previously seen on my carpet but had no idea who dun it ;-) I rushed her to the Vet before they closed, concerned about anal glands or ?worms (though the latter made no sense). They expressed the glands, both very full, the Left one, I was told, would have likely ruptured in about a week!! I asked about preventative antibiotics as I had an old cat years ago (chronic constipation) who developed an abscess of one gland and required surgery to drain, yadda yadda. They didn't feel it was needed, told me to come back in 3-4 weeks for a recheck. She scooted a bit more for the next 24 hrs but I attributed that mostly just to the discomfort of having had them emptied (ugh). Have not seen her do it since then...but came home tonight to find another faint skid mark on the carpet.

Her stools have always been on the softish side since I adopted her mid December. Formed but very soft. So I'm wondering now if the lack of really formed stools is impairing her ability to empty the glands?

Took her back to Vet tonight. One gland empty, the other had some but definitely full, but they both felt "thickened." Vet decided to put her on Amoxicillin 100mg twice a day and wanted me to start her on canned pumpkin once a day................1/2 tsp a day. She's an 11 lb cat. That doesn't seem like much pumpkin to me?? any thoughts? I know I don't want to overdo it, but. Anyway, she wouldn't eat in her food so I syringed it into her ;-) Course now if her stools become more loose I won't know if it's the Amoxi or the pumpkin


Vet also thinks that because she's overweight, that's contributed to the issues with the emptying of the anal glands (something about extra fat to that area impairing the "tightening" action that causes glands to naturally empty.

I'm to go back in 2 weeks to have them checked again, at $55 a crack. Tonight it was $161 for the Vet consult, gland expression and Amoxi.

He did tell me that if this continues, I may want to consider the surgery to remove the anal glands ($1600-$2000!). Definitely a last resort because that kind of surgery scares the "crap" (pun intended) out of me. Any issues to that region could cause issues to anal sphincter and then we could be in for a whole world of trouble. Ugh.

Hopefully she tolerates the Amoxi.

Any thoughts or experiences with this sort of thing? Really all new to me with respect to my other cats (other than the really old constipated one I rescued/mentioned up above, years ago).

PS - he thought maybe the loose stools were some kind of gastrointestinal bug and thought the antibiotics might work for that as well as to ensure no infection developed to anal glands. He considered Flagyl but thought that might be too powerful. I asked him if maybe her food causes the softer stools, he didn't think so. I asked whether I should maybe try a grain-free food as some cats have issues with grains, he didn't think this could be it. I feed her Holistic-something dry (Eagle Pack makes it, I believe) and she gets canned twice a day (Fancy Feast/Friskies or whatever canned I serve; I try the better quality canned foods but my crew just don't like them much so I have to feed the cheaper stuff).

Thanks
Lisa
 

otto

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Jennie has had trouble with both constipation and blocked anal glands. Since putting her on a grain free all canned diet, the problem has gone away.

She eats Wellness grain free canned chicken, I recently added two more of the grain free flavors, so far no troubles, since the additions of the two other flavors.

pumpkin is used both to firm up stool and to treat constipation. I've not used it with Jennie, as I've never met a cat yet who will eat it, and going grain free canned solved her problem.

Bibbs (rb 3/05) did not have constipation troubles but did have anal gland problems and had to have them expressed with some regularity. The vet showed me how to do it (different vet from who I use now) but I never could get the knack of it, so always brought her in to have it done (every few months).

I did not know as much about diet then as I do now.
 
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the_food_lady

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I think I'll make the switch, then, to grain-free dry food. My oldies will object fiercely if I take away their dry. I do buy the Go! grain free canned food and it's hit and miss, buy the grain free that Wellness makes, too. Silly cats don't like what's good for them :-) I want to ensure my oldies get enough canned (and the fluids that go along with it) so I usually just relent and feed the crap canned. I don't think I'd ever be able to do her glands myself (I live alone). Would definitely need an extra pair of hands to hold her.
 

sharky

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I have cats who readily will eat pumpkin , sweet potato( an great one if pumpkin cant be found)... Grain free drys have a higher chance of constipation from what I have read , seen and heard
 

lync

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I'm going through this right now with my Bonnie. Her left side anal gland was infected again. Last was 2 years ago. She had a fever and was in pain. Vet had to lance it and it was very painful for her. She is on pain and antibiodic now.

She gets grain-free Wellness and her stools are hard. This only happens to one side and not the other. She has scar tissue in there now since the last time, it burst. That was only a couple days after I got her. She was a stray.

I read people had this happen once and didn't reoccur. Now, my vet said the gland will have to be checked in a couple weeks after healed. May need to go in for gland expressing every 2-3 months or more often. Need to monitor.

I asked about surgery to remove that gland on the left side but that is a major operation and could have side effects with more problems. Plus, it is expensive like you mentioned.

This is a first time experience for me. Never heard of it with cats but dogs have it more often. Funny thing is, Bonnie never licked or drug her bottom on the floor or showed any signs. The vet said it was swollen under her tail to clear around on her hip area. She had pus and it is really bad and dangerous.
 

shorty99

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Hi
Hello,


So last Friday night I came home to find Bitsy scooting across my carpet. Have never ever seen a cat do this. Would explain the faint "skid mark" I'd previously seen on my carpet but had no idea who dun it ;-) I rushed her to the Vet before they closed, concerned about anal glands or ?worms (though the latter made no sense). They expressed the glands, both very full, the Left one, I was told, would have likely ruptured in about a week!! I asked about preventative antibiotics as I had an old cat years ago (chronic constipation) who developed an abscess of one gland and required surgery to drain, yadda yadda. They didn't feel it was needed, told me to come back in 3-4 weeks for a recheck. She scooted a bit more for the next 24 hrs but I attributed that mostly just to the discomfort of having had them emptied (ugh). Have not seen her do it since then...but came home tonight to find another faint skid mark on the carpet.


Her stools have always been on the softish side since I adopted her mid December. Formed but very soft. So I'm wondering now if the lack of really formed stools is impairing her ability to empty the glands?


Took her back to Vet tonight. One gland empty, the other had some but definitely full, but they both felt "thickened." Vet decided to put her on Amoxicillin 100mg twice a day and wanted me to start her on canned pumpkin once a day................1/2 tsp a day. She's an 11 lb cat. That doesn't seem like much pumpkin to me?? any thoughts? I know I don't want to overdo it, but. Anyway, she wouldn't eat in her food so I syringed it into her ;-) Course now if her stools become more loose I won't know if it's the Amoxi or the pumpkin




Vet also thinks that because she's overweight, that's contributed to the issues with the emptying of the anal glands (something about extra fat to that area impairing the "tightening" action that causes glands to naturally empty.


I'm to go back in 2 weeks to have them checked again, at $55 a crack. Tonight it was $161 for the Vet consult, gland expression and Amoxi.


He did tell me that if this continues, I may want to consider the surgery to remove the anal glands ($1600-$2000!). Definitely a last resort because that kind of surgery scares the "crap" (pun intended) out of me. Any issues to that region could cause issues to anal sphincter and then we could be in for a whole world of trouble. Ugh.


Hopefully she tolerates the Amoxi.


Any thoughts or experiences with this sort of thing? Really all new to me with respect to my other cats (other than the really old constipated one I rescued/mentioned up above, years ago).


PS - he thought maybe the loose stools were some kind of gastrointestinal bug and thought the antibiotics might work for that as well as to ensure no infection developed to anal glands. He considered Flagyl but thought that might be too powerful. I asked him if maybe her food causes the softer stools, he didn't think so. I asked whether I should maybe try a grain-free food as some cats have issues with grains, he didn't think this could be it. I feed her Holistic-something dry (Eagle Pack makes it, I believe) and she gets canned twice a day (Fancy Feast/Friskies or whatever canned I serve; I try the better quality canned foods but my crew just don't like them much so I have to feed the cheaper stuff).


Thanks

Lisa
Hi' I wanted to know the Amoxicillin 100mg twice a day along with canned pumpkin how long did the vet have you given this to your cat
 
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