Anal glands expressed but still problems - how do you know if there is abcess or infection too?

Hi, have had my cat at the vets a few times in the last few months and we finally diagnosed her with overfilled anal glands.  The problem must have went on for about 4 months because she never scooted or gave any of the obvious signs.  The vet expressed the glands about 5 days ago and gave her an anti-inflammatory injection.  But now she seems worse!  I can imagine she is still tender from the expressing which was very painful for her, but surely she should be a bit better?  She is difficult to settle, is wide-eyed, and cries more than usual.  But she is still eating, active and sleeping at will.

If there was an abcess or infection would it be visible?  Wouldn't the vet have seen it? 

I would appreciate any advice as I don't want to upset her with a visit to the vets again if not necessary.  Thanks.

How about ringing the vet? I do suspect, though, that they will want to see her again.

What is your cat eating? I found that cheap lower quality food causes anal glad issues. Monet had anal gland issues until I switched to better food. He was on friskies before I switched to Soulistic.

Thank you both for the replies.  She is on very good quality dry food - recommended by the vet two years ago after a bout of constipation. Last visit after expressing the glands the vet told me to cut down her food as she is overweight so I have done that.  But I am going to revert to original feeding levels for a few days to see if that might have been making her cry more.  But I think I will observe her for a few more days and then take her to the vet if no change.  Her anus looks a little swollen but I think she is still tender there.

Additional info:  Kitty is also drinking more water than usual, and is OBSESSED with having very cold water, if this might mean anything???

Monet is a real cutie.

Hevafc said:

She is on very good quality dry food - recommended by the vet

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What's the food? Unfortunately most vets aren't the best source of info on feline nutrition, and any vet that recommends kibble to treat constipation falls into that category IMO. http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/constipated-cats/

The increase in drinking may be due to the steroid shot, but just a word of warning that steroids (and a dry food diet) can cause diabetes. Might want to keep an eye on that and get some blood work done if it doesn't normalize. How old is your kitty?

Thanks for the useful reply.  The vet treated the constipation with other medications including a tasty paste, but also recommended a high quality dry food to help prevent future problems with constipation.  It's certainly quality food the cat has more spent on her food than my own, and no constipation since. 

Kitty is just under three years old and the increase in drinking of water, and obsession with having freezing cold water has been going on about 6 months. I even asked the vet if cats could get heartburn such is her preference for the extra cold water.  But otherwise she had no obvious signs of a problem at all until start December when I just got the impression she was a bit bothered by something. 

First time I took her to vets in December the only thing could be found wrong was a slight temperature increase which was treated with antibiotic.  In January I took her back twice.  Her temperature was normal and her glucose was normal too.  Later she had something stuck on her bottom and this 'dirt' was difficult to get off luckily this put us on the track of something being wrong with her rear end.  At that time she needed an enema and painkiller as she had unpassed material.  We thought this stuck on dirt had made it difficult to pass anything and this was the end of the problem.  But you know when your cat is unhappy and I knew it was something else so took her back last week when we finally got to discovering her blocked glands, poor thing.  

Don't know if additional info helps.  She settled well last 12 hours but am keeping ultra eagle eye on her....   

Please tell us the name of the food, there are people on this board very well versed in feline nutrition that might be able to help you identify what may be the issue by examining what she is eating.

Has she been checked to determine if she is constipated again? One of our cats gets constipated and I know when he is because he becomes unsettled, more grouchy than normal, fussy and generally difficult to please. We switched him to a wet diet to help with the constipation and have him on a probiotic powder to help him digest his food.

I wonder if she needs to go to the bathroom but with her bottom being so sore she can't. Which would make her very unhappy. How has her litterbox looked? Are there normal poos in it or small hard poo? Are there just small slivers of poo?

I would also recommend reading through the nutrition section of this board to become more educated on cat diet.

Let us know how she's doing.

Hi RAFM, Kitty gets dry food by two different makes for variety; Science Plan 'Veterinary formulated' food by Hills, and Royal Canin cat food.  I'm in Ireland so not sure if these brands are in the US or Canada or maybe under a different name (I stumbled into this site not knowing it was a North American one - am overwhelmed by the advice and help given so far, thanks to all).

When she had constipation in the past she had been on wet food only prior to that.  I have read so many contradictory opinions on the dry food/wet food debate it is confusing, I just followed the vets advice and gave her the best quality dry brands on the market here. 

At the vets last week nothing was felt in her rectal area so she had been passing.  I'm afraid she is semi-wild in that she spends her time 50/50 in and out, and though house-trained prefers to go in the fields out our back.  So I'm afraid I can't give any comment on the state of her stools.  I've had a gentle feel around her rear area and feel nothing there, but that means nothing I could be missing something obvious. 

Today, I noticed her chase her tail, a trait she started over the last few months and which the vet suggested last week might have been a sign of her anal gland problem saying its the cats response to something being wrong back there but her not knowing what. Could the glands really have filled again so quickly?  I'm thinking I might have to just take her back to the vets though she hates the vet, very traumatised by visits, even tried to bite me when getting expressed last time which she has never done (I was holding her front end).    

IMO Hills and Royal Canin foods are no good. I would look at the fiber percentage of the foods and post back the % on here. Just because a food is expensive does not mean it is good You have to look at the ingredients.

Hope your kitty can feel better.

Thanks for advice Hobo08- what gorgeous cats people on this site are priviliged to have!

Update: Have taken Kitty to the vet and just over a week after having her anal glands expressed, one of the glands had refilled!  Vet reckons that there is also an infection there so she has been given a 5 day course of antibiotic tablets - to be administered twice daily.  Only problem now is how to get them into her as not only is she difficult to handle anyways, but with vet visits is now really jumpy and nervous.  She spat and bit at the vet which she never used to do, but obviously the vet has major negative associations now.

Vet doesn't think she is constipated, no hard fecal matter felt inside her.  But as it might be painful for her, she got an anti-inflammatory injection and an antibiotic injection too.  So major fingers crossed that this will clear the infection and give Kitty some peace for a while. 

Fibre question - I checked the SH and RC fibre content as you advised.  Some had 8% per kg fibre content and some as little as 1.1%.  Vet recommended Kitty should get more fibre in her dry food so I will have to do some research on what is a good level and a good food.

Here's hoping in 5 days time all will be well,   Thanks to all for advice so far!

Hello All,

I was looking for all the cat forums I could find to share my lily's story.

We adopted her from the SPCA in December. She was microchipped and her owner was contacted. They didn't want her anymore, so they drove her to another city, and left her near the shelter! Some people!!

Anyways, my gain

She smelled ok when i met her, but after a few days and I was already in love with her, she started to smell like a homeless person. Im sorry lily, but it's true.

We waited to see if it was a change in her food, as the shelter gave her god knows what. And we gave her Wellness dry and wet food. 

Still stinking daily and not wanting to pick her up, we took her for a check up. The vet told us her glands were being "expressed" at any given time, not at the litterbox as per normal.

She simply suggested i express her myself, or bring her in ($39) every month.

Neither sounded good as there is no official schedule for Lily's expressions.

I read on the Web over and over about people giving their dogs pumpkin daily to firm up the diet, and i thought that makes sense.

THANK GOD FOR PUMPKIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

We have been giving miss stinky 1/2 teaspoon 2 times a day with her dinner, for a month now, and she is sooooo much happier and she doesn't smell at all.

( we forgot for 2 days, and the smell came back) 

She has also stopped chewing the furniture and i think its because she feels better. Also, the other cat is nicer to her now. 

I am not a vet, but my vet didn't even suggest any thing like this. I feel that perhaps lily was given away because of her smell, and maybe there are other kittys in the shelter that people just leave there due to the smell.

So, thanks for listening, and try pumpkin if you notice a smelly cat!