Kitten’s anus is red/ looks swollen

[marthacunningham]

Hello,
I’ve noticed that my kitten’s anus has been red for around 2-3 days. I noticed after seeing her strain to poop. She’s been acting pretty normal, playing and being super active however at times whines more than usual. I’m wondering if this is serious and if I should call the vet about it. I couldn’t get pictures clearer then this but the redness is evident in these pictures. Please help!

 

[marthacunningham]

FeebysOwner If you can help at all I’d appreciate it!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Is she constipated? If so, that can cause a sore anus due to passing hard stools.

 

[marthacunningham]

Hi. Is she constipated? If so, that can cause a sore anus due to passing hard stools.

Hello! She might be as she’s been having trouble pooping. I just got a clear picture and there seems to be something around her anus, poop maybe? I’m not too sure here’s the photo. Thank you so much for replying!

 

[marthacunningham]

Hello! She might be as she’s been having trouble pooping. I just got a clear picture and there seems to be something around her anus, poop maybe? I’m not too sure here’s the photo. Thank you so much for replying! View attachment 462008

 

[FeebysOwner]

Until you can figure out what is causing her to be constipated, you can give her Miralax to help soften her stool which should help with any irritation going on. You would start with 1/8 tsp mixed with a small amount of water and then add it to her food, just once a day, and see if that helps any. You can increase it to twice a day if after a couple of days you don't see more normal looking stools. This doesn't work as well with dry food, so you might consider adding a bit of wet food to her diet. The wet food will also help with moisture in her system to soften stools.

What you are seeing could be poop remnants, but you might be looking at anal glands that are becoming clogged. They are positioned on each side of the anus - if looking at the face of an analog clock, with the anus being the center, these glands would be located at the 5PM and 8PM positions. Some cats will have anal glands that will build up and vets can manually express them to release the glands' contents. This could be part of the reason why you are seeing what you consider to be redness/soreness. If you have a vet that will accept pictures, you might send them one and see if that think it is anal gland related.

 

[marthacunningham]

Hello! After emailing the picture to my vet, she said it could just be fecal matter from diarrhea and to try and wipe it. I wiped it despite my kitty being uncomfy, squirming a lot. It took me a while as the poop wouldn’t come off so i used a warm compress to soften it. I’ve gotten all of it off and this is how it looks now. My vet said if there are any more issues to come in, but as a new cat mom i’m not sure if it looks good at the moment or not, so I’d love a second opinion! Thank you so much for your help btw. Truly appreciate it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

it could just be fecal matter from diarrhea and to try and wipe it.

From diarrhea??? I thought, if anything, based on what you were saying that she might be experiencing some constipation? Nonetheless, it doesn't look bad, and may even just be a bit aggravated due to wiping off the 'debris' that you found. Just keep an eye on it, and whether she is having diarrhea or constipation.
First Time Cat Owner's Guide - TheCatSite