Kimchi’s foul odor has gotten worse so I brought her back to the vet. Then we were referred to the pet hospital. I was told by our first vet that symptoms indicate that Kimchi has impacted anal glands that needed to be expressed. However, in case it is not that, she may need the whole workup and it’s better to have that in a hospital.

After writing two stories, off I went to the pet hospital. Vet #2 confirmed it’s impacted anal glands, alright, and that may have already ruptured, hence, the smelly butt. It took three people to keep her down because this cat is feisty.

No need for workup, vet #2 cleaned Kimchi up and recommended a calming drug for a super anxious cat 30 mins or 1 hr before grooming appointment on Friday.

Until then, we need to keep Kimchi from licking her butt so it won’t get infected again.

What has caused all this?

Normal emptying of the sac is triggered by exercise and passage of stool out of the anus. Obese cats are more likely to struggle with delayed emptying of their anal sacs than cats with a healthy body condition score.

Overweight cats tend to exercise less, and thus have less natural emptying of the sacs. Additionally, their extra weight can compress the duct openings, making emptying more challenging.

If a cat does not have enough fiber in their diet they can also struggle with soft stools, which affects emptying.

There you go. Kimchi needs to exercise and needs to eat more grass. That’s why she loves munching on my basil plants and tarragon. Even though they’re obligate carnivores, cats still need veggies.

Now I need to schedule her grooming ASAP.

I know what’s missing. I need to paint. I need something creative.