My cat's rear is swollen, licking, and losing fur. Is it serious?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zena. I would recommend that she sees her veterinarian to have her anal glands examined. These are glands that sit just under the skin on either side of the anus. They are supposed to express everytime the animal defecates. However, they can become blocked or infected. This is uncomfortable for the cat resulting is licking or scooting. The veterinarian can express the material of the glands are too full. Occasionally the gland will rupture due to infection. In this case, the gland needs to be flushed out and the patient requires medication. Of course, there could be something else going on which is why she needs to be examined. I hope this information helps!

I agree with you. The top of the anus does look swollen. I do not know what from. He needs an exam in person from your vet. In the meantime you can just apply a thin layer of Neosporin to the affected area to hopefully soothe him.

Poor girl. So it seems that Lela has a moderate amount of colon inflammation and a little bit of the colon is actually prolapsed (pushing outward). She should be seen by your vet immediately to have this area evaluated in person and determine if she needs to have this surgically repaired. I hope that you get some resolve soon for Lela and I am hoping for a full and speedy recovery. It is amazing what cats can go through and not seem to be affected by. They are truly the masters at hiding discomfort and pain. But we have to not use that as a ticket to avoiding proper veterinary care. The vet may even want to prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication to see if they can get this to reduce in size. Best wishes at the vet. Take care.

Poor Boots. Yes I would take her into a vet immediately. It's clear the area is bothering her if she is licking it a lot, plus the anus is swollen and leaking fluid. This needs to be checked out by a vet asap so it can get treated. I hope this helps!

Hello! That bump looks a little swollen and red, and it could simply be a wound. I would clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap, and keep an eye on it. If the swelling gets larger, Chiky starts having trouble passing feces, she starts scooting on her behind, licking the area a lot, and/or you see pus, then I would take her into the vet. In that case, I would be concerned that the wound may be infected, or it could be something else causing the swelling such as infected and impacted anal sacs or intestinal worms. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Luna. Poor girl! That is quite swollen and the area look really wet, so I suspect there is discharge. I'm wondering if she could have a malignant growth that has ulcerated causing this or if it could be a problem with her anal sacs. Her anal sacs may have been impacted and have now ruptured. Without seeing her in person, I ca't say what is going on for sure. I think it's best you take her into a vet immediately to get this diagnosed and treated. I hope this helps!

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors (very unlikely given the age). Treatment would depend on the underlying cause. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.