My cat has anal issues. Does he need an emergency vet visit?

I usually say if there's straining in the litterbox with little to no stool produced in 24 hours, or if there are 3 days with no stool (but no straining is seen) it's time to head to the vet. The fact that he is eating normally is a good thing since appetite tends to decrease with constipation. At any time if he seems painful it is best to go to the vet. You may want to check in with your vet and see what their criteria would be for when to head in - they know more about Bug's particular case and might make different recommendations.

Hi there. If snowball is having stool that firm and is having a hard time going to the bathroom, it's time for a trip to the vet for further diagnostics and likely an iv with fluids so that she can get rehydrated. They can also give her a sanitary shave to remove the excess hair back there that's getting matted. My best to you both!

I would base the decision on going to the emergency clinic more on his attitude and behavior. If he continues to seem distressed then maybe consider going tonight. It is possible that he is having discomfort from an anal sac infection or from constipation. Do the white spots move? Do they look like rice? If so they may be tapeworm segments. Keep a sample of the feces in a ziplock type bag for your veterinarian to see. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bucky! If Bucky hasn't defecated in 2 days and is vomiting and/pr straining he needs to see Vet for an exam, belly X-ray and likely an enema. Constipation is a symptom of something else. In older cats constipation tends to be secondary to kidney disease or intestinal disease. Your Vet may also want to do blood work. he likely will have to be on Miralax, or a stool softener long term. I hope this helps and I wish Bucky a speedy recovery!

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!

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.

Its very difficult to say for sure based on the picture if that is the cotton from a q-tip. My guess would be probably not. A small amount of cotton like that would probably look indistinguishable by the time it exits the body. Constipation in cats, particularly for long periods like you have described, can be painful and have some serious consequence on their well-being and health. Often the cause the constipation goes undetermined, particularly in younger cats. Sometimes dietary change is all that is required, adding something fibrous into the mix. Other times, there is a motility problem in the GI tract that requires intervention with drugs. Either way, if there is truly bad constipation, Bomi probably requires an enema (multiple, more than likely). An x-ray will be able to reveal the extent of constipation as well as the size of the colon. Sometimes cats with severe constipation require hospitalization to rehydrate them. Once the body is better hydrated, somethings the dry fecal material will loosen and pass more easily. Overall, I wouldn't say this is necessarily an emergency, but I would get her in somewhere by tomorrow. Hope his helps.