Wimsey has a question...

[badgerpup]

"MAOW?"(tr. Will this stuff work/perform/go?")

"Wimsicle, let me give the background first, OK?"

OK, y'all probably have read that Wimsey has a bit of a problem every so now and then with his anal glands getting plugged up.
Just to set the record straight, this is NOT the same thing as being constipated. The boy has NEVER had any problem as far as that goes...:yoiks:


"Maow?"

Every Saturday through early Monday morning (starting late Thursday night for those with TotalFARK) is Caturday on the FARK.com website.
Kinda like this gang here in this particular forum...:grouphug:.

"Maow?"
Yes, Wimsey, give me a minute...I'm 'splaining things.

One of the people recommended Vetasyl for Wimsey's little problem...and I'm thinking anything that will help him so that he doesn't have to make the trip to the vet (stressful) and have his anal glands unplugged (very uncomfortable, if not downright painful for him, poor baby...:( ) would be a Good Thing.

"MYAAAAAOW! MRAAAAOOOW!!"
"I know, baby...it probably hurt like a sonnofabitch and I was SO PROUD of you and the way you behaved yourself.:loveya:

I did fire off an email to PetMeds, asking if this was the correct medication for Wimsey's particular problem and I got what I strongly suspect was an auto-reply: "Oh yes! Vetasyl is very good for constipation and helps regulate the bowel system.
Check with your vet if..." blah blah blah. :argh:


Maow?
*sigh* "Wimsicle-boy, has anyone ever told you that you can be a pest? Ever wondered WHY?"

So what I...what WE'RE wondering is if Vetasyl will help keep Wimsey's anal glands from getting all cloggified in the first place.
The condition itself is uncomfortable for him (and makes him crabby and aggressive), the trip to the vet stresses him, the treatment itself hurts and it's just a total pain in the ass for him all the way around. :spank:

Thanks, people!
"OK, Wimsey...now you can talk. Wimsey? Wimsey...Oh you little...."

Little shi... rat decided to take a nap.
Cats...:shrug:

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I never knew cats had that problem, too. Our Border Collie has ongoing bouts of it

She scoots her butt and in a few days she clears the problem. As it happens, the groomer will clear them for a small fee ($10??). The vet will do it for a few bucks more. My older son will also do it (he had learned how from a vet years ago). Is it pretty much the same with cats? I know our BC welcomes the help.

[badgerpup]

2. He doesn't scrape his butt...

...but one of the mellowest, easy-going cats I've ever had gets crabby, aggressive, picks fights...and he lets off this SMELL while he's fighting. Strong, acrid stink...when my dull human nose can pick it up from two houses down (OK, the wind was in the right direction, but still) you know it's pretty powerful.

I'd rather let the vet...er...handle this one. He's experienced, he knows what he's...um...'looking' for (where the glands are situated in the anal passage), how to clear the glands but not injure the furkid...and while the cats trust me to do some Rude Stuff to them, I'd rather not push it. :yoiks:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Don't tutch the but, as they say in the Lounge.

I can't imagine trying to do THAT to a cat and living to tell about it... :scared:

[Stinky The Clown]

5. The smell's gthe fun part of all this

NOT.

Our vet got squirted smack in her face and chest when doing the BC a few years back. Next visit, she said she could smell it for several days on herself.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. What a beautiful cat, and a great story telling.

I had never heard of Vetasyl, so looked it up. All it is is a fiber supplement, and a pricey one at that. But fiber is what you need for help with the anal gland clogging.

I had a cat who got clogged anal glands, and was told to increase the fiber in her diet. It seems that larger, firmer bowel movements will make the anal glands work the way they are supposed to work. I found a site that had a lot of information, and the two things that came up again and again were feeding pumpkin and coconut oil. There are a lot of people here at DU who swear by canned pumpkin and it seems to be the case at this site too. Good luck.

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/anal_gland_issues.html

Give Whimsey a hug for me. :hug: