My cat's anal gland is red and infected. What are costs and home care?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry that Java is having this issue. I suspect the infection did not completely clear and is now coming up again. The only real thing you can do at home is to "hot pack" the anal gland area. You can use a wet, warm wash cloth and hold it to the area for 5 minutes. Do it two to three times per day. If it doesn't help within 24 hours she should go back and see your vet again. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello. Most anal gland infections heal up quite nicely with medications & keeping the area clean. Unless there is a special circumstance involving Tia's glands, such as the area is just not healing, additional flushing & treatment is usually not necessary. See how she does after a week on antibiotics & if she is doing well, just continue the antibiotics. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I would use the povidone-iodine, as the chlorhex. may make Bob sick if he ingests it. Dilute the iodine about 50:50 with water & flush things as best you can twice a day. Applying a triple antibiotic would be fine, & make sure you put some sort of Elizabethan collar on him to prevent excessive licking. Keep the first appointment you can get just to make sure all of the infection has been cleared. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That area looks bad, and I'm concerned her anal sacs could be infected and ruptured. I'm also very concerned that Basel is in a lot of pain. Unfortunately there is no medication you can get for her over the counter, and she has to see a vet now. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This appears to be a possible anal gland abscess rupture. This is a spontaneous thing that can happen in pets with anal gland problems, where the anal glands fill up and are not able to express normally. We think this is caused by an underlying allergy, which can be discussed with your vet. Sometimes giving your pet a high fiber diet can help prevent reoccurence. Peanut Butter needs to see your vet for a short course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicine to help this wound heal properly. He may also need the anal gland to be flushed thoroughly while under a mild sedative. I would recommend scheduling an appt for him soon to get this taken care of. In the meantime, you can purchase an e-collar from your local pet store and place it on him to deter him from licking the area and making the inflammation/irritation worse. Poor guy. I hope he gets this resolved soon and is able to go back to his normal self. Best of luck and take care.

Sorry to hear that Butter cup is having a recurring issue. In most cases, there isn't much you can do to hasten the recovery. Simply keep the area clean and preventing any licking is the best that can be done. Typically the area is flushed out initially and sometimes antibiotics are utilized. In cases of recurrence, sometimes the anal sacs are actually removed entirely (as this is the only way to absolutely know that it will not happen again). If surgical removal is something you opt to do, your veterinarian may or may not refer you elsewhere for this type of procedure. While not extremely complicated, some veterinarians prefer not to do surgery in this anatomic region due to the possible complications associated with fecal incontinence. Hope this helps.

Using a warm damp compress on the area will make her feel better and help keep the area draining. Keeping the open area clean is important also. After cleaning apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment to the area. If NIni is licking it then use a restraint collar to stop the licking. They now have soft collars and inflatable ones that are more comfortable than the plastic ones. If she stops eating and has a fever you should take her in for an exam and antibiotics. This should heal in a week or so. When you are able please have her anal sacs emptied to prevent this from happening again in the future. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for NIni.