My cat's anal glands are black. Are they impacted without symptoms?

If your pets anal area is swollen and there was diarrhea before this happened, then there are two possible scenarios here 1) Your pet has severe colitis and needs antibiotics (Metronidazole helps with GI issues and inflammation of the gut) prescribed by a veterinarian. They will also recommend a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice or cottage cheese or a low fat dog formula like Hill's I/D or over the counter Purina EN Gastrointestinal and potential probiotics (you can try Culturelle it works great). 2) If the swelling is actually to the side of the anus then this could be an impacted anal gland- which also should be treated and express by a veterinarian.

Those are the openings to the anal glands. Sometimes some dried anal gland material can accumulate at the opening. If Poopsie is not scooting or licking excessively I think you can wait to see your vet for an appointment.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. Based on the picture, I see nothing concerning other than a darker colored area. If you are seeing diarrhea, worms, a rash, etc. I would recommend having this looked at by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made.

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.

Looks like bad hygiene to me. I wouldn't be worried about a parasite infestation or anything like that, because there are not any that really do this and nothing else appears like this. You can remove these by gently wiping with cotton and warm water. If it is a recurring problem, then I would suspect some intestinal disturbance causing loose stool. Loose stools can also lead to anal sac issues, so this may be related. It's best to have your vet examine him if this continues to be an issue. I hope that helps and all is well with Maihan.

I don't see anything outwardly abnormal from these photos. The blood is usually from straining to defecate but it could also be from rectal polyps, issues with the anal glands, inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal parasites. It is not an emergency but I suggest you have her examined by your vet in the next couple days.

Poor guy. Sometmes it can be a black color if it has been sitting in there for a while. However, this does not indicate that it is infected. It likely just got too full and caused irriation. You can apply a cold compress to the area for now and keep an eye on it. The swelling should subside within the next 24 hrs, even if you didn't express them fully. HOwever, if he is still irritated by Monday its best to take him to your vet to have the glands fully checked and to get him some pet friendly medication to help resolve the inflammation. I hope that Ezra's anal gland issues resolve soon! Best of luck and take care. ; )