Burst Dog Anal Sac Treatment

by Betsy Mendez
(Wrightwood, CA, USA)

I have a female Boston Terrier who will be 6 years old next week. About 2 years ago she had an infected canine anal gland that swelled up and looked like a spider bite filled with fluid. We took her to the vet immediately and he did surgery. He told us that he cauterized the gland, but sometimes they do grow back. ????

She hasn't had any problems with it until now. Yesterday, I came home from work to find the pus filled bubble on her where her anal gland is, mind you this time it is twice as big as it was last time.

I figured that the gland had grown back and had gotten infected again. We decided to make her an appointment for the next day (today). After I took her out first thing in the morning everything was still the same, but once she came inside she started scooting around on the carpet.

This is the first time I saw her do this, so I told her to stop because I didn't want her to hurt or pop the massive "blister" that is on her bum. After I hopped in the shower, my husband informed me that it had popped.

There was blood and what looked like pus. It smells, and is leaking on our carpet and her bed.

She doesn't seem to be in pain and when I called the vet, they said to come in at my appointment time which is hours away! She has a huge hole from this and is still bleeding and leaking.

What do I do for it? And how do I prevent this in the future? It is very expensive and we just can't afford it. We do get her groomed regularly, just so her anal glands are milked, to try to prevent this.

Help!!!

Betsy

Editor Suggestions on How to Treat Dcg Anal Sacs

Problems with dog anal sacs arise when they fill up and are left “unexpressed” naturally or by a groomer. In most small breeds and obese dogs, dog anal sac problems are more common.

Dogs, where the canine anal sacs frequently fill up, require that they be expressed or drained every week or at least once every two weeks. An owner can do it him/herself, but expertise is required for doing this.

When dog anal sacs are squeezed and pressure is applied on the base of the sac, it is then pushed upward, and all the contents (mostly liquid) is drained out.

It can be a risk to a dogs health if the canine anal sac contains some type of hard or solid mass. In such cases, softening liquids are first injected into the dog anal sacs, to soften the contents before squeezing it out.

A repeatedly occurring dog anal sac problem is more common in small breed dogs, obese dogs, and dogs with irregular intestinal mobility and in some cases due to underlying tumors/cancer. Therefore, all possible causes should be probed and then treated accordingly.

In this case, the dog anal sac symptoms you describe indicates that your dog is suffering from canine anal sac disease, which is characterized by scooting, pus formation, self injury, abscess and discharges that have a foul smell.

What is certain is that your dog needs immediate veterinary attention, therefore you should go for a detailed check up and since it is recurring again, you should go for a confirmatory diagnosis about the underlying cause.

For the time being, you can try cleaning the affected area with the help of an antiseptic solution and then use a styptic powder, such as Kwik Stop Styptic Powder, over the area to stop the bleeding, followed by the use of a antimicrobial lotion such as Nutri-Vet Antimicrobial Wound Treatment, until it is checked up on by a veterinarian and treated specifically with the help of antibiotics and any other required surgical or medical approach.

It is always recommended that dogs with anal sac problems have them surgically removed. This will resolve the problem permanently. Remember, cauterization can prevent bleeding but it can never permanently resolve a dog anal sac problem.

According to the condition described, we'd recommend that you should go for an “anal sacculectomy” or the closed technique of anal sac surgery, which has the lowest possible chance of any secondary complications.

In addition to medical and surgical options, you can also try some natural remedies such as Anal Glanz to help your dog live with normal anal sac physiology.

Along with natural remedies, also use bran as an additional dietary supplement for your dog, which can help make your dog's stool firm. Some natural remedies such as Natural Moves, if are added in regular diet, may help in regulating digestive activity and lead to a firm stool formation. Regularity in the digestive tract and firm stool formation will help your dog “express” anal sac contents automatically, with each defecation.

Best of luck to you and your dog as you treat the dog anal sacs. Please keep us up to date on your dogs condition.