Anal Sac Inflammation and Scooting

Diagnosis of anal sac inflammation

Anal sac problems are diagnosed by examining the perineal area. Your veterinarian will wear disposable gloves and massage the anal sacs to determine whether they are soft and easily compressed or swollen and difficult to compress. As anal sac material is expressed, it is evaluated for color and consistency. Normal secretions are thin, rather like motor oil, and a pale yellow-brown. Dry secretions from impacted anal sacs are thick and pasty brown. If the sac is infected with bacteria, secretions become darker brown with yellow or green-yellow pus. Chronic infections and abscesses cause red-brown secretions. Infected anal sac secretions have a foul odor.

If anal sac material is abnormal, your veterinarian will send it to a laboratory to determine what organism is causing the infection. Among the common causes are

• bacteria, such as E. coli, Clostridium, Proteus, And Staphylococcus,
• yeast (Candida), and
• ringworm (Malassezia).

Diagnosis of masses in the perineal area

Several different cancers can form masses in the perineal area. Tumors develop in male and female dogs, especially in Beagles, English Cocker Spaniels, English Bulldogs, Springer Spaniels, Dachshunds, Alaskan Malamutes, German Shepherds, and Samoyeds.

Apocrine (sebaceous) gland tumors (also called perianal adenomas) are common in male dogs because they are stimulated, in part, by testosterone. These tumors may spread through the pelvic area to the lymph nodes. A different type of cancer, an anal sac tumor (anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinoma), occurs in females and may also infiltrate and spread through the area.

If your pet has a mass in the perineal area, your veterinarian will insert a needle and remove cells that can be sent for laboratory identification. X-rays and ultrasound exams help determine the extent of your pet’s problem and whether the tumor has spread to another area (metastatic cancer). Some cancers first found in the perineal area have actually come from other areas of the body, and the laboratory tests and X-rays help find the origin of these cancer cells. Because some perineal tumors, especially anal sac tumors, increase the amount of calcium in the blood to a level that damages the kidneys, your veterinarian will include blood tests to fully evaluate your pet’s health.

The articles here were answered by a variety of pharmacists and veterinarians   Date Category Topic 05/06/12  Other  Dog Itiching In Anus 03/09/12  Other  Problem With Scooting 02/26/12  Digestive Care  Dragging Butt 02/11/12  Wormer  Worms In Dogs 12/04/11  Skin Care  What Could It Be? 10/30/11  Pain/Inflammation  Anal Sacs Glands 10/21/11  Other  Annual Glands 10/01/11  Skin Care  Shihtzu Grooming 09/17/11  Digestive Care  Anal Infection 08/08/11  Other  Draging But 06/27/11  Wormer  Worms?? 05/07/11  Other  Anal Itching 05/07/11  Other  Anal Itching 05/04/11  Other  Shih Tzu 05/01/11  Urinary Tract/Kidneys  6mo Old Female Pit Bull 1 2 3 4 5 »»

 

Enter question or keyword(s):              or search by pet type:  All Pet Types Dogs Cats Horses Other             TIPS: Search for answers by entering keywords, Use multiple keywords