Cleaning cat bum (TMI alert)

DD265

One of our 6 month old boys apparently isn't the best at personal hygiene and his bum has gotten sore. It's crusty and he's started scooting.

I have booked him in at the vets for Friday so he can be thoroughly checked for any issues and we can get the prescription wormer, but in the mean time I want to try and clean it so he's a bit more comfortable. I tried using a gentle face wipe (no baby wipes to hand) but the poo is too crusty and because he's sore, rough scrubbing is not an option.

My plan was to remove the poo & apply sudocreme. I'm not sure whether to try a bit of baby oil to soften the poo, a bath with something like baby shampoo, or just put the sudocreme on top.

Any suggestions?

TBagpuss

I'd be wary of using sudocrem before speaking to the vet.

Some medications which are beneficial / harless for people can be a problem for animals, and while it seems unlikely that sudocrem would be I would check first. (even if it is fine medically, it might make things worse if he licks it and doesn't like the taste!)

I would stick to cleaning him with a bit of warm water until you have seen the vet. (or you could call your local cat rescue and ask what they would use )

Silvertabby

I'd be wary of using sudocrem before speaking to the vet.

Some medications which are beneficial / harless for people can be a problem for animals, and while it seems unlikely that sudocrem would be I would check first. (even if it is fine medically, it might make things worse if he licks it and doesn't like the taste!)

I would stick to cleaning him with a bit of warm water until you have seen the vet. (or you could call your local cat rescue and ask what they would use ) Posted by TBagpuss.

I agree. I don't know about sudocrem, but TCP cream is definitely toxic to cats.

DD265

I was thinking of what I'd do for my horse, but you're right I don't know what's safe and what isn't for cats. He'll be fine for a couple of days.

jenny-wren

Try using a large cotton wool pad dampened with warm water (you could add a little salt to the water to help the healing process if he's sore). Hold the pad on the dried poo for as long as he will tolerate and it should soften. It might take a few goes to loosen it but he'll be a lot more comfortable.

I also get 'Water Wipes' from Tesco to use on our cat (who, due to being fat and lazy, has difficulty reaching those parts). They don't contain any moisturisers like baby wipes. I run a wipe under the hot tap first to warm it up. I find it easiest to tackle our cat when she has just been fed and has settled down for a nap (she's not one to be messed with!).

If it's an ongoing problem, he might need his anal glands cleaned by the vet (a very simple procedure which only takes a few seconds).

From memory, our vet suggested using a small amount of vaseline (instead of sudocrem) on sore areas.

Hope this helps.

annandale

A vet advised me that sudocrem was fine to use on cats and they they use it.

My cat had a wound and they told me to put sudocrem on it and it healed it up well.

Its not toxic to cats

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Madam Fluffyknickers got that before I switched her to gluten free cat food.

Madam Fluffyknickers can do a full Wall of Death circuit round the shower room wall.

Madam Fluffyknickers wasn't impressed, but her bum wasn't sore anymore after using baby shampoo to clean her.

And Madam Fluffyknickers smelled gorgeous. Especially when she gave me her best Death Stare from the top of the wardrobe after she was dried off.

Gingernutty

My brother's cat fell in something, clacked through the cat flap and I smelt him before I saw him.

He was usually a near silent ball of fluff and he was still silent as he turned the bathroom into a Wall of Death. There were paw marks running horizontally across the walls.

He got the claws out and spreadeagled himself across the plastic bath as I tried getting him in as gently as I could.

When the bath was removed years later for a refurb you could still see the claw marks.

I succeeded in cleaning him. His thick long coat went frizzy, like a bad perm.

He succeeded in clawing me pretty badly. I wore long sleeves for a couple of weeks afterwards.

Be careful and keep the doors and windows closed.

DD265

Third vet visit tonight!

We got some foam cleaner and have had two painkilling injections. He's been wearing a cone since Monday. Still no real improvement.

I've started adding Sudocrem so hopefully that'll make a difference. Not sure what else the vet can suggest really.

His anal glands were fine; I think he over groomed and then made himself sore and has gotten into a cycle. Based on a bad graze on his neck which took a very long time for the hair to grow back, I think we could be dealing with this for quite a while!

I'd like to see some significant improvements within the fortnight as I am going away for a week and OH will struggle to keep it clean on his own. I will force him to enlist the help of my mother, I'm sure she won't mind.

He's an indoor cat, both he and his brother have James WB dry food and Whiskas wet food. Vet suspected he'd had diarrhoea which initially started this all off, but I don't remember ever finding any in the litter trays. Vet doesn't seem to think it's an issue with their diet, or that they needed worming. I plan to press him on both tonight.

paddypaws101

The vet might not think diet is an issue but diarrhoea, itchy skin and slow healing all sound to me like things that could be linked to food allergy or poor nutrition.
I would try changing his diet to avoid grains and include better quality ingredients and also add a Krill oil supplement.
Leucillin is an excellent product which is safe to use on broken skin and can prevent itching and secondary infection.

DD265

The vet concluded on Friday that my cat has overactive sebaceous glands - and the crusties weren't actually poo despite being dark. From what I've read on the internet, cats who have previously been very ill (as mine were before we adopted them) can have overactive glands going forwards. I need to read up on it some more though as I'll bet there are things we can look at in the diet to help.

We got some gel to use and between that, the foam, sudocrem and wearing a cone he is looking and feeling so much better.

I think we'll just have to accept that we need to help him with his cleaning in the future as he's not managing it on his own.