My neutered cat's anal glands smell fishy after seeing another cat.

Cats and dogs have scent glands on either side of the anus called anal glands. The material in the glands is very stinky and often described as smelling fishy. Most wild animals can empty these glands voluntarily for scent marking or in self-defense (like a skunk might do), but dogs and cats have largely lost their ability to empty these sacs voluntarily. They normally release these glands during defecation, but can also release with excitement or stress. So, if Ariel struggled or got excited when you moved her, she likely expressed her anal glands. It is not anything to be concerned about, but can certainly be stinky, so you may need to clean the area of the couch that she was licking to get rid fo the smell. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is not likely because of a female in heat. What you describe sounds more like he is running away from an itch or pain. Some cats act like that when they have fleas. If you are not doing flea prevention, it may be a good idea to do so. You may also want to check if there are any painful areas on his body (especially where he licks himself). Also check for flea poop (part the hair in the area near the base of the tail on his back and abdomen for little black specs). If you find little black specs of poop, flea prevention is in order. If you find an area that hurts him, you should take him to a veterinarian for an exam.

The anal glands have openings on the inside of the rectum. Every time your dog poops, some of the anal sac content is applied to the poop. This is your dog's business card. so to speak. This is how he leaves a scent behind telling other dogs that he was around. It is likely that there still was some excessive anal gland secretion from the scare-episode and likely there is more anal gland secretion on the poop than usual. So the next poop will likely smell less. This is a normal physical event and not sign of an illness.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pepper. I suspect that she is expressing her anal glands. These are small glands that sit on either side of the anus. They express each time the animal defecates to mark its scent. Occasionally the glands can express at other times depositing a yellow to gray liquid with a very foul fishy odor. I recommend having her see her veterinarian to ensure that the glands have not become infected nor need further expressing. Female cats do not have the ability to ejaculate. I hope this information helps!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The strong ammonia smell is likely due to the urine being concentrated (not diluted by water intake). Male cat urine also has a special "scent" for marking. Neutering will help with this. The yellow stool will require a fecal from your veterinarian to check for parasites. Hope this helps!

It sounds like the odor you are describing is discharge from Ed's anal glands. Anal glands are a scent marking gland (as you could guess) since they produce a very strong odor. It is normal to animals to express anal gland material when very stimulated or startled. I have attached an article below that describes anal glands. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=625 I had this occur with one of my cats when he was young, but it no longer is a problem. However, I would recommend having your vet examine Ed's anal glands to make sure they are not overly full. Sometimes cats will need their anal glands expressed intermittently to prevent them from expressing them. Good luck! Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello. It was just a coincidence that the tapeworms were discovered at the same time the fishy odor appeared. Yes, anal gland secretions can have a fishy odor, & if this is the case, you do want to have your veterinarian check the glands for impaction or infection. But the tapeworms have nothing to do with the anal glands. Loki is a real cutie. Thanks for the picture.