My cat has a ruptured anal gland or tumor. Is this an emergency?

Hi, sorry I could not see any pictures attached to your question. In general an anal gland abscess, wether is has ruptured or not, does not warrant a visit in the middle of the night. If Cleo is reasonably bright, it can wait until the morning. I would definitely recommend a check up though as it can be quite painful ! I would put an e collar to prevent Cloe to lick/groom the area.

Poor girl. This does appear to be a possible anal gland abscess rupture. She will need antibiotics from your vet and anti-inflammatory medicaiton to get this to heal well. Most cats won’t let you flush this unless they are mildly sedated or restrained by a trained professional; therefore, I would not advise you trying to clean this area yourself. It’s best to take Rose in to your local vet in the morning to get this taken care of. She will be in discomfort until then, but these aren’t typically life threatening. I hope Rose gets this to heal soon. Best wishes and take care.

Hi, If I read the pic correctly with the anus above it to the left, the lesion may be a perianal fistula. In cats, where these fistulas are quite rare, the problem is usually in the glands or anal sacs. Perianal fistulas are unpleasant and painful, and require veterinary treatment such as antibiotics, so please take her to the vet sooner than later.

Ouch, poor Luna! Based on the pictures you provided (thank you for that!), they do not look overly red, swollen, and there are no signs of blood. As long as she is eating and drinking normally, going to the bathroom normally, and otherwise behaving normally, she can wait until the morning to see the vet. I would put an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking at her anus, and you can make one at home. I will put a link below on how to do that. If she is in a lot of pain, isn't eating, is lethargic, and/or is having trouble going to the bathroom, then I would take her into a vet now. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Smokey! I am concerned that it could be a ruptured anal gland abscess. I recommend that you have Smokey seen today by a Vet especially since it looks worse today. His anal glands should be checked and if a ruptured anal gland it should be assess to see if surgery is indicated. Otherwise they are treated with an E-collar, antibiotics and pain medications. You can always post a picture, I'd be happy to look at it. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding The Bomb. Yes, I recommend that he sees a veterinarian right away. This would be a rare condition to be acquired by an older cat though. Constipation is much more likely. Regardless, he needs care. I hope this information helps!