My cat is leaking fluid from her anus

Unfortunately, not all interactions we have with our cat are head-banging and comfortable naps. As guardian cats, we have responsibilities that require a little more privacy. Monitoring our cat's health means monitoring every part of her. Since parasites and gastrointestinal problems are relatively common in cats, it is important to check their anal health. We cannot communicate verbally with cats, so we must observe physical symptoms and behavioral changes to assess their health.

If you see your cat leaking fluid from her anus , you wonder what could be to blame. HowMeow.com analyzes the different types of fluid that may be coming from your cat and links the various causes that may be present.

What fluid is coming from my cat's anus??

While we must be vigilant in caring for our cat's health, it is important to recognize the symptoms of the condition and what may be a relatively common occurrence. This is why we need to observe the different types of fluid that may be coming out of your cat's rear end. Here are some of the possible colors, along with their likely source:

Brown Fluid If your cat has brown fluid from the rectum, it is likely due to diarrhea. The causes of diarrhea vary, but most cases are related to diet. Since this is a symptom of many other conditions, it is important that you take them to the vet if it lasts more than 24-48 hours...
Yellow Liquid Yellow liquid can also be part of diarrhea, but it can also be a sign that the cat has eaten something that has changed that color. However, if it is clear with a yellowish tint, it may be from the anal glands instead of the anus itself.
Clear Fluid If you see clear fluid coming out of your cat's anus, it is likely due to your anal glands. If your cat is a little under the weather, then you may have some clear mucus coming from the anus. However, it could also be a sign of something more problematic, such as parasites, bacterial overgrowth, colitis, or even tumors, so you should contact your vet.
Red Liquid If you see blood coming out of your cat's anus, then you should know that there are two main types. If it is bright red, then it is fresh blood and is likely coming from the anus itself. If it is dark red or brown, then it is overcooked and means that something is wrong in the gastrointestinal tract.

Prevention is always better than cure, so if you see a problem, you should take your cat to the vet for an evaluation. If they think it's a symptom of something more serious, they can run the appropriate tests...

Treatment process

It is worth understanding that natural discharge (during pregnancy or estrus) does not require treatment. In addition, vaginitis, which can develop in young cats, sometimes goes away on its own after the first heat or spaying.

Other diseases require specific treatment depending on their stage and overall clinical picture. As part of treatment, the following may be carried out:

Antibiotic therapy - to suppress the activity of pathogenic microflora and eliminate inflammatory processes.
Corrective therapy – in case of disorders of normal blood clotting.
Surgery - to remove pus or infected uterus and ovaries, which helps avoid relapses in the future. But operations are not performed on animals that are unable to tolerate anesthesia.

Important! Any medications should be used only as prescribed by a veterinarian. Self-medication can lead to irreversible consequences, including the development of malignant tumors and death.

The recovery period can last more than one month, which will be associated with enormous stress for the animal.

At this time, it is important to provide him with proper care and care, which, in combination with the prescribed treatment, will help stop the inflammatory processes

One of the important elements of pet care is prevention.

It is important to regularly monitor your cat's health and periodically conduct examinations with a veterinarian, especially before mating and after estrus. This precaution will help protect your pet from dangerous illnesses and prolong its life.

Blood in the feces of cats and cats: causes and treatment
Why does a cat pee in blood?
Catozal for cats and kittens

Cats anal glands

A cat's anal glands, or anal sacs, are located on either side of the anus. They would be at five and seven on the clock. Since they are a gland that secretes fluid, it is used for two main purposes:

Lubrication of stool to facilitate bowel movements.
Create a unique scent that cats use to identify and mark territory.

They can be found by pressing on the anus area, but they are usually not very noticeable. If any, it may be due to inflammation or another cause of swelling. Because they contain a unique scent, it is not uncommon to see other cats smelling this area as a means of greeting.

When a cat defecates, the feces pushes the glands and causes them to secrete fluid . However, there are other circumstances that can cause the anal sphincter to contract, in turn compressing the anal glands and emptying them. An example is fear, such as what a cat might experience when visiting a veterinary clinic. When this happens, you may see a clear liquid coming out of your cat's anus...

Treatment

The veterinarian will treat the root cause of the discharge together with the elimination of symptoms.

In all cases, special nutrition is prescribed. For example, you should exclude dry food from your dog’s diet, as they are difficult to digest. Be sure to add foods high in fiber, which will improve digestion and intestinal motility.
In case of helminthic infestation, deworming drugs are prescribed: tablets (Drontal Plus, Milbemax), sugar cubes (Polivercan), suspensions (Procox).
If the tumors can be removed, then surgery is performed. If not, then radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Then the immune system is restored.
Inflammation that has passed from the colon is eliminated with the help of anti-inflammatory drugs - rectal suppositories with ichthyol.
The anal glands are opened, cleaned and disinfected. Antibacterial agents must be prescribed: ointment (Amoxicillin), intramuscular injections. Suppositories are placed in the anus (Proctosedyl, Ichthyol). In severe cases, the glands are removed.

Success in treatment depends on timely contact with a veterinary specialist.

Anal glands are affected in cats

The impact means that the anal gland canal is blocked and prevents its release. This causes the gland to fill with fluid and swell. It is usually not painful unless accompanied by infection. However, this will be inconvenient and will expand. If your cat has dark brown and thick fluid coming from the anus, the cat may be suffering from strokes .

Fluid in the gland accumulates because it cannot cleanse the glands properly or at all. This can happen because the cat's feces are too soft or small to put pressure on the glands. It may also be due to a foreign object or infection that is blocking the gland. The main way to solve this problem is to manually express the gland (see below). It is possible that the expression of the gland should continue for a short time until the underlying problem is resolved.

However, this is not the only way to treat anal gland blocks . It is necessary to make changes in lifestyle, especially those related to diet. You may need to add a little more fiber to their food to give them proper nutrition. All of this should be discussed with your veterinarian...

About the essence of an intimate problem

What is this anyway? This is the scientific name for inflammation of the anal sinuses. These are glands located in close proximity to the anus. They are covered only by a small layer of muscles. Why was the presence of these glands even provided by nature? The fact is that their secretion (it smells extremely bad) acts as a lubricant for excreted feces, and also helps cats put “social marks”. Animals can learn a lot about each other by smelling these substances.

So here it is. When an act of defecation occurs, the sphincret muscles tense, squeezing the sinuses, as a result of which the same secretion is squeezed out of them. But this process does not always occur according to the scenario prescribed by nature. Due to inflammation, injury and other negative factors, the secretion is retained in the glands. As a result, they become overcrowded and inflamed. The animal suffers greatly because of this.

Anal gland infection in cats

As we said earlier, damage is not the only reason why a cat's anal glands may not be working properly. Also known as sacculitis , anal gland infection in cats causes painful inflammation in one or both of the cat's anal glands. You should suspect an anal gland infection if your cat has clear or yellowish fluid, pus-like fluid, or even blood from the area. A veterinarian will be able to diagnose the problem and will likely prescribe antibiotics to treat...

Abscess in a cat's anal gland

An infection may just be the beginning of the problem if our cat has problems with your anal glands . If our cat has fluid coming out of his anus, as described in the previous section, we should take a look at the gland itself. When the gland becomes red, then purple and enlarged, we may suspect that an abscess has formed. In these cases, devastation alone will not solve the problem. An anal gland abscess can grow so large that it breaks the skin and becomes a fistula, which can be very uncomfortable and painful for the cat.

The veterinarian will clean the area and prescribe antibiotics, but surgery . Although some people may fear that anal abscess in cats may be cancerous, it is important to remember that this is unlikely as carcinoma of the saccule accounts for[s]0.5% of all feline skin neoplasms .

Main clinical signs

Pain, soft tissue swelling, hyperemia (redness), hyperthermia (increased local temperature) and discharge of large amounts of pus. This is observed in almost all cases when the paraanal sinuses are inflamed. One of the classic signs is riding on the bottom - this is always due to helminths, but they are not always the cause of such behavior. The inflamed sinuses themselves can reach the size of a good apple (you will see an example in the photo). They often break out, and a large amount of thick, foul-smelling pus flows out of the cavity of the affected organ.

It is important to remember that such symptoms can also indicate more serious pathologies. For example, for anaerobic paraproctitis. It causes serious irritation of all nearby tissues, their pronounced swelling, and cases of necrosis are not uncommon. Pathogenic microorganisms can play an important role in the development of this disease. Viruses, chlamydia, mycoplasma, and gardnerella are especially dangerous (but this is in truly unique cases).

How to express a cat's anal gland

If you see that your cat is licking her anal area a lot and is unable to release anal discharge properly, you may need to evaluate the gland yourself. However, although you may need to manually express the glands, it is best to go to the vet the first time so they can both show you how to do it correctly and make sure your cat is exposed to best practices first. This will help you express your cat's anal glands more easily.

Ideally, you will want someone to help hold the cat while her anal gland expresses. This is because it can be a very uncomfortable and even painful procedure. Once you have someone restraining the cat, you should lift the tail and look for the glands. For this procedure, it is better to wear rubber or latex gloves. Using your thumb and forefinger, grasp the individual gland and squeeze it towards the anus, where fluid usually comes out. You may want to leave the newspaper as the smell of the secretion can be quite unpleasant. The anal gland secretion should be brown, so if it is not, you should talk to your veterinarian.

Types of discharge

There are different types of white discharge in domestic cats. Some are a physiological norm, others are a sign of a pathological process. Whitish discharge is sometimes called “leucorrhoea.” Types of white discharge:

Whitish, almost transparent, odorless leucorrhoea.
White curdled flakes.
Milky white discharge with an unpleasant odor.
White-yellow discharge with signs of pus and an unpleasant odor.

Only the first type of discharge (in rare cases, with pink streaks) can be a variant of the norm. All the rest are pathology.

The life period of the cat when leucorrhoea was noticed (postpartum period, estrus, etc.) is of great importance. This helps to understand what caused it.

Is this anal fluid?

If you see your cat losing fluid from the anal area, it is likely due to one of the above reasons. However, you must be very careful to correctly identify the source. In the case of women, we must ensure that the secretion comes from the anus and not from the vulva. If there is discharge that is pink, bloody, or contains pus, then it may be a reproductive problem. If your cat has not been spayed, she may be pregnant. However, such discharge can also be a sign of infection of the uterus or piometra . In any case, you should seek veterinary help immediately to determine the problem and find a course of treatment...

This article is purely informational. HowMeow.ru does not have the right to prescribe veterinary treatment or diagnose. We invite you to take your pet to the vet if you are suffering from any illness or pain.

Pathological processes

While white discharge from under the tail is more or less understandable in pregnant cats, for other animals it should be a cause for concern. They may indicate one of the following infections:

Vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina). At first, the discharge is almost invisible, since the cat often licks its butt, which is one of the characteristic symptoms of the disease. As inflammation develops, watery excreta is observed, which over time turns into white and mucous. Vaginitis develops against the background of endocrine disorders with the participation of pathogenic microorganisms (staphylococcus, streptococcus). Untimely treatment can cause cystitis, pyometra or endometritis.
Chronic endometritis. Inflammation of the endometrial mucous membrane of the uterus, resulting in scanty white spotting. Usually the cat feels good, estrus occurs as usual, but pregnancy does not occur. But even if conception occurs, the fetuses simply die in the womb or are born too weakened. Chronic endometritis can develop into hydrometra (accumulations of fluid in the uterus, which is secreted in drops, whitish or colorless excrement of mucous consistency) and even purulent endometritis.

Acute endometritis. The disease can be accompanied by discharge of any color, consistency and smell. The cat becomes apathetic, does not allow its belly to be touched, and the external genitalia become inflamed. Delayed treatment or lack thereof leads to the death of the animal.
Pyometra. A purulent accumulation in the uterine cavity, which most often occurs in unsterilized cats after reaching 5 years of age. Its causes may be hormonal disorders, sexually transmitted infections, taking drugs that suppress sexual activity, or childbirth with complications. The discharge may be whitish, reddish or brown. Lack of treatment leads to death.