Ruptured anal gland

Status
Not open for further replies.
kds0200

kds0200

Member Since 2014
Okay, so I took my sugar boy, Bailey, to the vet this morning for a sore on his hind end that turned out to be a ruptured anal gland. They flushed it out (and he didn't hardly fuss at all, which is how I noticed he wasn't feeling well in the first place) and I'll start him on seven days of Clavamox tonight. The vet explained how the rupture can happen, and I did some reading online just a little while ago, but wanted to see if anyone here could offer any advice/experience/etc.

I've been giving him Fortiflora with his daytime food regularly for the past month, though to make it last I usually stretch one packet to at least two days. Should I give him a full packet daily for a while? I've read about giving metamucil too - would that be a better alternative, and if so, how much? Should I wait until after his antibiotics are finished, or would this help with any upset stomach the medicine might cause? His litter box hasn't been unusual, though his stools have typically been softer for the past year or so, which I just assumed was from switching to an all wet food diet. He's been on Fortiflora on an off before, to help with his appetite and for the fiber benefits.

He finally seems to be getting regulated (BG at preshot times steady in the low to mid 300s, but my spreadsheet hasn't been updated in a few weeks and I left our logbook at my grandparents' house after the holidays) so I'm hesitant to start changing things and mess all that up, though anything I can do to help prevent him from experiencing this pain again would be worth it, I'm sure.

Many thanks in advance for your replies, and Happy New Year to all of you and your furkids!
 
The Metamucil, aka psyllium fiber, will provide some extra volume to the feces, which may help express the glands with bowel movements. See Feline Constipation for more about how the feline GI tract works.
You want to give the fiber at a different time from the antibiotic so it doesn't interfere with absorption.
 
Good to know about the different timing. Thanks, BJM! We're off to the vet again this morning because the other gland ruptured sometime yesterday afternoon. I guess while the vet was poking around yesterday morning, she didn't check to see if the other gland might need to be expressed. Poor Bailey is pretty miserable right now (and insists on licking the area far too much for my liking) but he's a trooper and I'm sure he'll be back to his old self soon enough..
 
Hugs to poor Bailey. A ruptured anal gland is what led to Ben being diabetic in the first place. It was so granulated that they started him on steroids. There were some mistakes made by both me and the vet which led to a steroid overdose. Instant sugar cat. Hope Bailey heals quickly.
 
bighug.gif

My older kitty had this happen twice. He was given Fortiflora too. He was drained of it and cleaned out.
Did Bailey get an ultrasound? I only ask due to my older kitty's final diagnosis..
 
Sorry, just saw these last two replies (it's been a busy time since all this happened!). That sucks about how Ben was diagnosed, Lisa, but it's so hard to know what's going on with our fur kids sometimes - if they could just learn to talk and tell us where it hurts! ;-)

To Georgie's mum - no ultrasound for Bailey, they just flushed him out (on the right side at least, he wouldn't let them touch the left side when we had to go back for that the next day). After three days of anti-inflammatory (Onsior) and nine days on antibiotics (Clavamox), his numbers jumped around a little bit, but then this last week we've settled into a steady stream of blues and yellows. In fact, he went two days with no insulin (I cried a little, I was so happy and encouraged - of course Bailey was just squirming out of my lap after testing and if he could've talked I'm sure he'd have said, "Quit that, silly human, and feed me!").

He's been on Fortiflora on and off for a year. Sometimes I give it to entice him to eat, sometimes when I see he's having loose stool. But he pretty much always has soft stool so I cut the Fortiflora and got some Psyllium husk powder. He eats that with no problems and his litter box has been GREAT the last few days. Firm stools, and he really runs around a lot after he goes, like he feels great about what he's done, haha.

His rear end looks much better now too, all healed up with just two tiny little scar-like bumps, almost unnoticeable. We're just taking it all 12 hours at a time, just like we have been for so long now. He's got so much energy now though and seems very happy. He's much more affectionate too. It's really just been a wild couple of weeks for us both...
 
OW! Poor Bailey! Glad he's feeling better. I'm sold on FortiFlora. And the best thing is, cats seem to love it. At least my kids do!
 
Critter Mom said:
True, but unfortunately it doesn't love all of 'em back: it can nauseate some cats. :(

.
Click to expand...


Very true!! I gave my civie kitty small amounts of fortiflora with her food several times when she was on antibiotics for a UTI and each time she threw up. My sugar kitty Tuxie can tolerate it though. Another case of ECID :)
 
Wow, really? FortiFlora is now the go-to for me, if Dottie's sluggish in her eating. She and Gizmo both beg for it, so I've strictly limited it to sprinkling it on their food. I'll bear that in mind though. If Dottie starts looking sour, I will think of the FFlora right off.
 
Critter Mom said:
Crumbled up freeze-dried chicken is a good alternative.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's my new go-to when Bailey is being picky. I get either Pure Bites (in the dog-sized bag) or Orijen Original (also in the dog-sized bag). The Pure Bites have more crunch to them, and the Orijin is a mix of chicken, turkey, and flounder, but he goes nuts for either kind.
 
I'd be lost without Saoirse's Cosma Snackies. Sometimes she is a little reluctant to eat, and a few crumbled up Snackies help to whet her appetite. Also they help cover up the taste of meds in her food, so it helps me to save her from the upset of too many daily pillings. (((Saoirse)))

NB: If anyone from the UK or the EU is reading this, the Cosma XXL chicken cat treats are a bit more 'powdery' than the standard-sized treats. XXL pros are that they're at least £1/kg cheaper than the standard ones and you can crumble them to a powder just with your fingers. The con is that they're too big to give as single treats to an average-sized cat and when you try to split them into smaller chunks they can disintegrate. I usually get both standard and XXL treats for Saoirse. She gets the standard ones as a treat after testing - or as a treat just because she's there and I love her. :cat: (And before anyone tells me off, I don't overdo the extra treats. ;) )


Mogs
.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top