Anal discharge and scooting in a cat

Our question this week was:

We recently had our longhaired cat shaved by the vet’s groomer to remove mats improve her hygiene. Since then she has an intermittent discharge and scoots her rear end on the carpet. Before we noticed the discharge, we thought the scooting was due to the close shave around her anus. Now we are concerned about the discharge. Do you have any recommendations?

Susan Teichman

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. Your email indicated that your cat was recently groomed and is now scooting her bottom on the floor and having some discharge.

You are right that some cats will feel “funny” after they are clipped and can scoot. Another reason is an anal gland problem. I’m not sure if your groomer checked them or not but that is a reason of scooting and having a discharge. Sometimes they need to be expressed.

An article that might be helpful to you on Petplace.com is Anal glands in cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

To read most recent questions Click here!

Click here to see the full list of Ask Dr. Debra Questions and Answers!