My cat's anal gland is swollen and she's hiding. Is it an emergency?

Ouch, poor Luna! Based on the pictures you provided (thank you for that!), they do not look overly red, swollen, and there are no signs of blood. As long as she is eating and drinking normally, going to the bathroom normally, and otherwise behaving normally, she can wait until the morning to see the vet. I would put an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking at her anus, and you can make one at home. I will put a link below on how to do that. If she is in a lot of pain, isn't eating, is lethargic, and/or is having trouble going to the bathroom, then I would take her into a vet now. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

China should be examined today by the veterinarian. That could be a ruptured anal gland abscess or a ruptured tumor. The veterinarian will preform a rectal exam and may be able to tell the difference. Treatment is needed either way and she needs to see an elizabethan collar to prevent licking. I hope this helps.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Rodney. Poor boy. It may be he had an impacted anal sac and it burst causing the blood. As long as the bleeding has stopped, it can wait until the morning. If the bleeding won't stop, he's pretty distressed, or appears lethargic and in pain, take him into an ER vet. I hope this helps!

If your pets anal area is swollen and there was diarrhea before this happened, then there are two possible scenarios here 1) Your pet has severe colitis and needs antibiotics (Metronidazole helps with GI issues and inflammation of the gut) prescribed by a veterinarian. They will also recommend a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice or cottage cheese or a low fat dog formula like Hill's I/D or over the counter Purina EN Gastrointestinal and potential probiotics (you can try Culturelle it works great). 2) If the swelling is actually to the side of the anus then this could be an impacted anal gland- which also should be treated and express by a veterinarian.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Smokey! I am concerned that it could be a ruptured anal gland abscess. I recommend that you have Smokey seen today by a Vet especially since it looks worse today. His anal glands should be checked and if a ruptured anal gland it should be assess to see if surgery is indicated. Otherwise they are treated with an E-collar, antibiotics and pain medications. You can always post a picture, I'd be happy to look at it. I hope this helps!

Poor Roe! I agree, the pictures do look consistent with a rectal prolapse. If at all possible, try to find an emergency vet or a vet on call for after hours emergencies in your area for more urgent care, as it sounds as though Roe is uncomfortable based on his behavior. If there are vets available in your area, you can try to put an e-collar (cone) on Roe until you can get to the vet in the morning. This will prevent him from licking or chewing any prolapsed tissue, as this would make matters worse. You can also apply some water based lubricants (such as KY jelly) to the prolapsed tissue to prevent it from drying out. I hope that all goes well.

Poor girl. This does appear to be a possible anal gland abscess rupture. She will need antibiotics from your vet and anti-inflammatory medicaiton to get this to heal well. Most cats won’t let you flush this unless they are mildly sedated or restrained by a trained professional; therefore, I would not advise you trying to clean this area yourself. It’s best to take Rose in to your local vet in the morning to get this taken care of. She will be in discomfort until then, but these aren’t typically life threatening. I hope Rose gets this to heal soon. Best wishes and take care.