Cat with a sore bum!! How to stop her licking?

[SpookyScarySkeletons]

Hi litter tray lovelies

My little Ivycat has a poorly bum! I noticed yesterday she was spending ages licking and biting the "area". Managed to have a little look and it was inflamed and swollen and she has bitten the fur out around it.

Vets visit this morning, they aren't sure what's caused it but given her a steroid injection and 5 days of antibiotics.

Any ideas anyone for how I can get her to leave it alone? As soon as we got home she was chowing on it which is just going to make it worse!

Also any other cats had this issue and do you know what caused it?

The Litter Tray tax attached. Ivy is the short haired girl.

I’m surprised they didn’t give you a one for her. How else are you supposed to stop her licking?.

I’d imagine she’ll lick less as the inflammation goes down. 10/10 for needing the weekend clinic though, that’s proper catting that is.

Cone of shame or a onesie.

Worms??

Needs a cone.

Cone of shame.

I have a cone of shame in the garage but it's too small for her as it's from when her little sister was neutered. I'm going to have a quick look in amazon for one of those inflatable ones though.

She is wormed regularly (she is a naughty little hunter) and vet said it wouldn't be that but who knows? No evidence of worms in her tray or anything.

@Fluffycloudland77 thankfully our local vet hospital open for a few hours on a Sunday morning for routine appts so didn't have to pay the call out fee. She was so uncomfortable though I couldn't have left her until tomorrow.

She's such an affectionate cat normally (she loves to lay across my chest whilst licking my cheek) but she was actually hissing at us last night!

i would probably put some germolene cream on it, I have always been my cats little home doctor, for any little ailments on outer body and fur stuff..

I have three cats, and one of them always goes and lies under shrubs and bushes when its hot weather, and even when it's raining and has been known, to get bitten on the body and round the tail area, by creepy things that in habit the soil. Of course worms could be the problem, but you have been to the vets for him to suggest things.

Cats will always lick their wound, and it keeps things clean, its quite natural and helps with the healing. but annoys their owners,

@1forAll74

i would probably put some germolene cream on it, I have always been my cats little home doctor, for any little ailments on outer body and fur stuff..

I have three cats, and one of them always goes and lies under shrubs and bushes when its hot weather, and even when it's raining and has been known, to get bitten on the body and round the tail area, by creepy things that in habit the soil. Of course worms could be the problem, but you have been to the vets for him to suggest things.

Cats will always lick their wound, and it keeps things clean, its quite natural and helps with the healing. but annoys their owners,

It's not just the licking though, she is biting the skin really hard too and making it more inflamed.

Would the germolene be dangerous if she ingested it?

Depends what’s in it, I wouldn’t risk it. It should stop naturally.

Could it be her anal glands? My cat Micky licked the hair around her bum hole excessively and the vet manually extracted her anal glands which were a bit too full according to the vet. The hair is now growing back in that area.

I wouldn’t try to extract them myself. The vet put the cone of shame on Micky and a vet nurse who held Micky put on very thick gloves and they were certainly needed.

@Mia184

Could it be her anal glands? My cat Micky licked the hair around her bum hole excessively and the vet manually extracted her anal glands which were a bit too full according to the vet. The hair is now growing back in that area.

I wouldn’t try to extract them myself. The vet put the cone of shame on Micky and a vet nurse who held Micky put on very thick gloves and they were certainly needed.

I did wonder that. I trained as a student vet nurse many many years ago but I don't recall any cats with anal gland issues, only dogs?

Will see what the antibiotics do and if no improvement then I'll take her back and suggest that thanks.

My Bengal had blocked anal glands once.

Other than The Cone, I see no practical way to stop a cat from licking its anus if the cat thinks its anus needs licking.

Mine had those symptoms when he has an anal gland abscess. It was grim. He rapidly improved after the antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds

maybe clean it with some warm salt water

My cat did this a bit I got a warm wet flannel and massaged the area I assume it helped because he stopped

Update: back to the vets today as she started licking and biting again yesterday and when I went to check her over there was pus coming out of the anal glands 🤮

She's had another steroid injection and a long acting antibiotic injection that should cover her for 2 weeks.

If no improvement in a week they are going to investigate under anaesthetic.

Thank god for pet insurance!

Oh dear, I imagine you won’t forget seeing that!

@Fluffycloudland77

Oh dear, I imagine you won’t forget seeing that!

Nope!!!

I'm a bit more worried today, it's leaking out again and she won't come for cuddles. Yesterday she spent 2 hours laid like this on me...