My cat has crusty discharge around her private area. Is it serious?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Zuri! I find that crust develops around the anus and vulva of overweight cats. They can not reach those areas to groom. I recommend having Zuri lose weight if overweight and in the mean time wipe her anus and vulva once to twice daily with an unscented or water baby wipe. I wish you the best!

Cats don't normally have discharge even when they are in heat. I would be concerned about a condition called pyometra. This is a major infection in the uterus and requires a spay procedure to remove the infected uterus. I would recommend taking her back to the vet for evaluation. It may be necessary to do blood work and abdominal x-rays to diagnose if she has a pyometra. That may be the source of the unknown infection for which she was recently treated.

In an unspayed cat I would worry about pyometra, an infection in the uterus. This can be a very serious, life threatening condition that needs to be evaluated and treated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. If there is an emergency clinic near your home I would consider bringing Ellie in to be examined. If there is no way to get to a veterinarian before Monday I would watch Ellie very closely for any changes in activity level, appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, water intake, urination, etc. so you can give your veterinarian as much helpful information as possible when you arrive. There are, of course, other reasons for discharge around the hind end (such as dried diarrhea, expressed anal gland discharge, flea "dirt", among other things), I cannot rule any of these out without diagnostic tests. Your vet will likely recommend blood work, a urinalysis, abdominal radiographs or an abdominal ultrasound, or possibly a fecal examination. I hope this is helpful for you and Ellie!

Yes, I would be very concerned about Ziggy. The discharge from her vulva looks white, and I'm afraid she could have a pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. In this case, I feel she needs to see a vet immediately. If she does have a pyometra, spaying her is part of the recommended treatment. Please bring her into a vet now. Best of luck.

Poor Tazia! I'm not sure from your question where this discharge is coming from (her bladder, vulva, or anus) but regardless, bloody discharge from anyplace is never normal. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam right away - he/she can check her carefully to determine the source of the discharge and may recommend some further testing such as blood work, a urinalysis, or a fecal exam to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Discharge from the vulva of an unspayed female is always very concerning. Your cat may have a urinary tract infection or may have a more serious condition called a pyometra. This is where the uterus becomes infected. Pyometra can be life threatening. If this is what is going on with Panda she will need surgery to have her uterus removed. She will also need to be on antibiotics. I would recommend taking Panda in to see your vet as soon as possible so she can be evaluated and treatment can be initiated. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It sounds and looks like Lemon has an eye infection. Any eye problem needs to be checked out by a vet promptly as leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I'd take her into a vet today. She is super cute!