My fat long-haired cat's sore bum is irritated. What should I do?

Poor guy. If he won't tolerate you trying to clean the area well with some cat shampoo and water, then he may just have to be sedated by your vet and have the area clipped and cleaned. Also if there is inflammation, then the vet can make sure there isn't also an infection on the skin that requires a short course of antibiotics to resolve. I'm sure Louis will feel much better once this is taken care of. Best of luck moving forward. Take care.

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 see what you mean about Moog's sore. I would gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep him from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on him. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it.

The best thing to do is have the area around the anus and down the back legs shaved every 6-8 weeks. A groomer should be able to do it for you or if your cat is good, you can try to do it yourself. It's called a sanitary clip. If you put a cream/ointment on it she will likely just lick it off and all kinds of dirt and hair will stick to it. ( https://www.google.com/search?q=sanitary+clip+cat&oq=sanitary+clip+cat&aqs=chrome..69i57j33.4928j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_pIU9XtiXO8aE5wKjzauACg44 ) You can use Vaseline if you really want to as it's OK if she licks it but it will be messy.

You can use cortisine cream twice daily for a week as long as the skin around his anus is not raw/bleeding. I do recommend bringing Sampson back to your vet to have his anal glands expressed as cats usually do not drag their butts across the rug unless their anal glands are full/impacted. Anal gland issues happen more frequently in dogs than cats but can definitely occur in cats as well. After an anal gland expression, your vet can also prescribe a topical steroid/antibiotic/antifungal ointment such as Dermavet which would be much more effective than cortisone cream. An e-collar, fecal exam, probiotics, prescription intestinal diet, subcutaneous fluids for dehydration/possible pancreatitis and metronidazole may be indicated as well. Good luck!

As long as they are cat friendly this is ok, but he may be less than impressed! I strongly recommend transitioning him to a high fiber metabolic/weight management diet which would be expected to improve stool consistency and prevent this happening as well as reducing his weight. Obesity is linked to many health complications in cats including diabetes, fatty liver disease and inflammatory diseases

That dark discoloration implies that top skin no longer has blood supply and it is not healthy tissue. This is likely an abscess from an injury or previous bite wound. Typically they can heal on their own, but the bacteria get trapped and cause this. She will need to see a vet for further treatment as that spot may have to be surgically removed and the area cleaned and flushed out. Antibiotics need to be given to maintain control of the infection so it can heal. These areas are very painful so any touching or straining is not recommend.