Is scooting always a bad sign?

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
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Bengal Bindie
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Is scooting always a bad sign?

Post by Bengal Bindie »

Our 11 mth old bengal scoots She’s been 3 times for anal gland emptying. Each time it is only a little bit, they’ve not been full, which makes me think it isn’t that causing the problem.
Her poos are firm, not sloppy & her bum is clean afterwards.
She’s an indoor cat & we worm & flea her regularly so it can’t be caused by worms.
We’ve put her on hypoallergenic wet & dry foods to see if that stops it. It hasn’t.
She’s otherwise happy & contented so...
could the scooting just be something cats do & can live with? Everything i’ve read says no, it means there’s something wrong, take her to the vets, but when I do they only manage to get a bit of anal gland juice out (🤢 sorry) Then she still scoots after, which the vets say is due to the uncomfortableness of having her glands squeezed - so a vicious circle there really. So I don’t really want to put her through that if it’s unnecessary.
Any ideas gratefully appreciated.
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Mollycat
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Re: Is scooting always a bad sign?

Post by Mollycat »

I gave you this answer on the other thread where you posted the same question:
My partner's dog needed his done every 6-8 weeks for years. When he moved in with me, I got bossy about it as I don't think this is an acceptable situation, so dog was put on a course of antibiotics. I also put him on 2 tins a day instead of free-feeding dry. That was 22 months ago and they have not needed doing again since. Why his old vet never did this I don't care to guess.
It isn't just a normal thing cats (or dogs for that matter) do, it's a sign of some kind of problem. Could be anal glands or worms, could be itching or discomfort for lots of reasons, and a decent vet should be asking questions not just squeezing and sending you on your way. In our dog's case it was some kind of bacterial issue if the antibiotics worked.

Is your cat holding her tail awkwardly, licking the area more than usual or smelling fishy? Has the vet investigated other possible parasites (there are other things than worms out there) internal and external? Skin complaint? Diet is a whole lot more complicated than just hypoallergenic food, grain-free foods still contain starch fillers, some cats get on better without any dry food at all.
Bengal Bindie
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Re: Is scooting always a bad sign?

Post by Bengal Bindie »

Thanks mollycat. I’ll ask the vet to investigate more thoroughly.
Batgirl
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Re: Is scooting always a bad sign?

Post by Batgirl »

Try glandex powder for anal glands. Many use it and no longer have to have vet express them.
Bengal Bindie
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Re: Is scooting always a bad sign?

Post by Bengal Bindie »

Thanks Batgirl. I’d never heard of it before so thanks for suggesting it.
MeganAndCleo
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Re: Is scooting always a bad sign?

Post by MeganAndCleo »

Hello,

My cat is suffering from a similar problem. The vet cannot figure out what is wrong.

Do you have any updates on how your cat is doing?

Thank you
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