My cat's bum leaks smelly liquid when picked up. Are anal glands full?

Question

My cat keeps secreting very smelly liquid from him bum. This usually happens if I pick him up or we are play fighting. The smell is unbearable and then proceeds to clean the area. Is this an infection that he needs to go the vets? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | 2 years and 9 months old | 16 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

It sounds like the odor you are describing is discharge from Ed's anal glands. Anal glands are a scent marking gland (as you could guess) since they produce a very strong odor. It is normal to animals to express anal gland material when very stimulated or startled. I have attached an article below that describes anal glands. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=625 I had this occur with one of my cats when he was young, but it no longer is a problem. However, I would recommend having your vet examine Ed's anal glands to make sure they are not overly full. Sometimes cats will need their anal glands expressed intermittently to prevent them from expressing them. Good luck! Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

My cat's bum leaks smelly liquid when picked up. Are anal glands full?

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