What's the best cat food for anal gland issues and healthy weight?

High fiber diets can be beneficial for anal gland and constipation issues. There is some evidence that pets with chronic anal gland disease could have underlying allergies and by treating the allergies the anal gland issues resolve. You can discuss with your local veterinarian what allergies are most common in your area and if they think Misty could have allergies.

This sounds suspicious that your cats anal glands may be full. The anal glands are located just inside the rectum at the 4 and 10 o'clock position and when they are full they can cause irritation resulting in the pet scooting across the carpet. So this is a common presentation. Typically the anal glands are expressed by pets when they go poop, but in obese or overweight pets this is difficult and can result in them not being expressed properly. So first thing is to get the anal glands checked by a veterinarian to avoid having them rupture because of over-filling. The second thing is to get your kitty on a low fat diet or weight loss routine, such as decreasing portions and limited extra calorie snacks. Here are my picks for weight loss foods if interested: 1) Hills Metabolic- by far the best product in my opinion for FAST (within 2 months approx. 79% of pets lose weight) weight loss and weight maintenance (prescription only) 2) Hill's W/D - effective and also can help regulate glucose to prevent diabetes (prescription only) 2) Hill's Low fat - over the counter, varying results

I hate to hear that Lulu is having issues with FIC. It is a very common condition in cats. When you are feeding any of the urinary diets, you must feed that diet exclusively. The diets are generally designed to affect the acidity of the urine as well as stimulate drinking. When you mix the diet, those properties are negated so they don't work. I would recommend to feed a diet made by Royal Canin that combines Urinary S/O and Calm. It's a multifunction diet. The S/O will control the urinary signs and the Calm actually helps relieve stress. As you likely know, FIC is in part related to stress. Once you start the diet, it will take about 1 month to take full effect. For her anal glands, you could try a product such as Glandex to see if that helps control her anal sac issues. If the issue continues, follow the recommendation of your vet as far as testing her urine for infection. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor kitty! Anal sac disease may require more frequent anal gland expressions which may be difficult depending on Sushi’s temperament. There is also a product called Glandex which may help them express better on their own. Lastly, pets who are severely affected also have the option of having the glands removed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

There is no proof that grain free diets help with anal sac issues, so I would switch Bauer off a grain free diet, especially in light of the issues with those diet and dilated cardiomyopathy. I'd put him on a diet like Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, and Iams. I'd also put him on Glandex, a supplement which can help with his anal sac issues.

I would recommend a prescription weight loss diet. Those are high in fiber and have a lot more fiber than anything you can get over the counter. This will help him lose weight and with the constipation. If he continues being this overweight you are risking him getting diabetes which is very common in obese cats. Diabetes can be a true nightmare to manage. The diet I would say is the best for this issue is either going to be Hill's prescription w/d or Hill's prescription r/d. You can get this from your vet or your vet can give you a prescription so you can order online. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hello and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! First question: It really does not matter when she eats but a matter of how much (how many calories per day). Eating twice a day is better than once a day so Misty does not get too hungry during the day and she can have a better blood glucose balance during the day. If you request a consult with me, we can go over calculating how many calories Misty should have in a day based on what food you are feeding her. A 4 pound increase in weight in a cat is like a human gaining 40 pounds. Second question: Anal gland impaction can be caused by the anal sacs not emptying their contents normal and regularly. Typically, both dogs and cats express their anal glands when they defecate. If the diet does not contain a lot of fiber or the animals is dehydrated this can cause a back up and can lead to impaction. Sometimes animals are genetically predisposed for this problem. Sometimes owner may have to express their cat's or dog's anal glands manually every few weeks to prevent an impaction from happening. Adding extra fiber to the diet can help (plain canned pumpkin works very well). I hope I have helped answer your question and if you wanted to chat further about the calories and food, I look forward to 'meeting' with you during a consult. Best wishes and thanks again!