# Neutered Male, brown smelly discharge?



## igloe (Mar 1, 2010)

Within the pass two days, Harley has been "leaking" something that smells. First time, he was on the bed and we were petting him and it dripped onto the blanket. He tried to lick it up and then lick is butt. Today while I was brushing him, I got this same brown smelly discharge on my hand and had to go wash it. He turned around and started to lick himself.

Harley is about 2 years old, neutered since he was 5 months old. 
So what exactly is this discharge? What triggered it?

I threw the blanket in the wash, but should I use my Nature's Miracle on it?


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## Mary Beth (May 16, 2010)

Sound like the anal glands - they need to be "discharged" - contact your vet - they can clean it up - they can also show you how to do it in the future. Your vet can also explain what caused it and if a change in diet will be beneficial to prevent the problem from recurring. Yes, I would wash the blanket again using Nature's Miracle.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Yes, use nature's miracle to let the enzymes de-activate the odors before you wash it. I've also found when soap/water don't get that odor off my skin, if I spray it with the enzymatic cleaner it will neutralize the odor on my skin.

Nature's Miracle, Odo Ban and Simple Solution are products I like.

That brown stuff is from his anal glands and he probably needs to go see the vet to have his glands checked and/or expressed. If they are impacted, it can be uncomfortable and move right up the ladder into painful. The little drip-drop leaks and bottom-cleaning are indications that he is having a bit of an issue. Another thing to consider, after the vet has checked his glands, is his diet. Usually, a cat's anal glands are expressed every time they have a bowel movement but if they get impacted or have digestive (diarrhea) issues, the anal glands don't get fully expressed during bowel movements.

This isn't an emergency, unless he is showing discomfort or crying with pain, but it is certainly something I'd have checked out early next week.
heidi =^..^=


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## igloe (Mar 1, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. Both my kitties are on a raw diet. Does this happen more frequently to male cats than females? Is it natural?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Is it normal...no, but it is fairly common. I couldn't say whether it affects males more often than females. But...the smaller stools produced by a raw diet may be culprit here. The anal glands are expressed when the stool passes out of the rectum. If the stool doesn't have enough bulk, the glands may not get expressed and will "clog up". Adding some fiber to the diet may be necessary going forward (e.g. metamucil, pumpkin, slippery elm etc.).

Another possibility is an infection of the glands causing the problem. You'll need a vet visit anyway, the vet should be able to tell you if there's an infection. The fluid is usually thick when there's an infection, otherwise it's pretty watery. 

This needs to be addressed and monitored as the anal sacs can burst. I'm not saying this to panic you and send you off the the e-vet as soon as you read it. Just make sure to get to the vet in the next few days. Chronic issues are considered "anal sac disease" and could lead to the need to remove them.


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