Express Anal Gland

If a cats anal glands are impacted, will they become unimpacted on there own?
What are the complications of not expressing the anal glands?
How do you express a cats anal glands?
I have a family member who feeds her cat chicken cooked with onions, I tell her that she is poisoning her cat. She does not beleive me. Could you write what could happen by feeding your cat onions and garlic.
Thank you for your help.

[Samson_Delilah]

I don't know about the onions.  But, my female had the surgery to have the glands removed.  Hers were impacted and they told me that if they rupture - she could lose control of her sphincter muscle and thus would not be able to control her bowels.  Since she was only 3 at the time - we went ahead and had them removed.  It wasn't exactly cheap - but there aren't any long term issues she has had with it.  They did clean them (express) them during that initial visit - b/f the removal - but I don't know how they did it.  

[tina1111]

I just posted about the same thing above. They had to express my cat's once and has never had the problem again. They basically insert a finger and with the thumb outside and the finger inside, mash it really hard and it pops and drains. They also gave him a steroid injection and antibiotic injection. They said if it happened repeately, they would have to remove the glands.

[tsh1111]

Careful about that "mashing it really hard" statement above by Tina1111.  The articles I've been reading indicate that while firm pressure should be used to push the blockage out of the gland, you should never press harder than the pressure it would take "to pop a grape."  If it is impacted, you could actually end up causing an abcess (abscess) to rupture (pop) rather than purging the gland normally out the normal exit.  Don't be too forceful and end up causing injury.

[stretchycat]

My cat had a horribly infected anal gland. When it decided to rupture, kitty was on ny lap. First yellow pus, then plasma and goo..when it got bloody I applied pressure to try to stop the bleeding. Vet next AM - the bleeding was  a small tumor, the 40cc. or so was just pus. The things we do for our babies!!
stretchycat