Anal sac problems.

Dr. Marie replied:

It does sound like Bella may have either an anal sac abscess or an infection in the sacs.

There are a few different ways that these can be treated. In the past, I used to recommend surgery every time I saw these. However, I often can treat a dog quite well without surgery.

What I usually do is have one of my technicians hold and calm the dog and then I gently put a finger into the anus and see if I can express anything out of the sac. Sometimes, if this is an abscess we can empty out a lot of the debris inside which really speeds up the healing process.

I usually put the dog on antibiotics as well as pain medications. (Even if she is not acting in pain, we know that these things are painful.)

Some vets will treat these by infusing a solution into the anal gland. I will do this sometimes, but usually I find the conservative treatment works.

Unfortunately there isn't anything I would recommend giving her tonight for pain. If we give her something like aspirin tonight it may interfere with any medication that your vet wants to give in the morning.

If she allows it, she may get some relief from placing a warm cloth over the area for a few minutes a couple of times tonight.

I hope everything goes ok!

Dr. Marie.

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Dr. Marie replied:

In my office you would end up paying about $150-$200 so I think you are on track.

We really don't know why these happen. Some dogs will have their anal glands fill up with debris quite often, so sometimes having the vet empty them every couple of months will make a difference. But then I have seen dogs that get an anal sac abscess with no warning whatsoever.