Anal Sac Inflammation and Scooting

Treatment of anal sac inflammation

When anal sacs are swollen and inflamed they are treated by draining. Draining is done manually or surgically with a scalpel and under anesthetic. When done manually, the procedure is called anal sac expression.

Manually emptying (expressing) the anal sacs

Anal sacs are emptied manually either by external or internal expression. Disposable gloves are worn and tissues are prepared to collect the expressed material. With external expression, fingers are placed outside the sacs at the 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock position and the two sacs are squeezed together. With internal expression, one finger is placed just inside the anus and another finger on the outside of one of the anal sacs and the sac is squeezed.

With both internal and external expression, the sacs are milked gently in an upward direction toward the duct outlet. Sacs are milked and massaged until they are completely empty. The skin is cleaned after expression with an antibacterial agent such as chlorhexidine. Many veterinarians recommend inserting a Hemorrhoid Suppository into the anus to release healing homeopathic medication into the area to prevent the procedure itself from causing inflammation.

If your pet was scooting because its anal sacs were full, expect it to stop scooting within 24 hours. Some pets may be more uncomfortable for a short time after the procedure. If your pet was scooting because it has food allergies, fleas, or ringworm that cause itching, expressing anal sacs will not resolve the scooting.

Both internal and external expression are best done by your veterinarian who is able to address the underlying cause, as well as to take the time to gently milk the sacs and ensure they are completely empty. Although many groomers offer anal sac expression as one of their services, this is not a grooming procedure. Anal sacs are normally self-emptying, and if they are full or inflamed, there is a medical problem to be addressed.

Surgically emptying (expressing) the anal sacs

For chronic sacculitis, anal sac abscess, or anal sac rupture, your pet may need systemic antibiotics, such as Lincocin (Rx), Clavamox (Rx), cephalexin (Rx), or Zeniquin (Rx). However, the antibiotics with the greatest benefit are those flushed directly into the anal sacs, such as Panalog (Rx), Otomax (Rx), or Animax (Rx).

Your veterinarian will submit a sample of the anal sac material to a laboratory for analysis when the surgery is done. Analysis of the material ensures your pet is on an antibiotic that kills the bacteria which caused the problem.

If the area does not heal within a few days, and your pet is on an effective antibiotic, your veterinarian will investigate the possibility of other problems, such as cancer.

Surgical removal of anal sacs

Surgical removal can lead to fecal incontinence if nerves to the perineum are cut. This is rare, but can occur. It is less likely to occur if only one sac is removed because the muscles that close the anus will work efficiently if one of the nerves is intact.

Relieving anal pain and reducing bacteria

Treatment for anal fistula

Increase fiber in the food with fruits, vegetables or whole grains. Fiber increases the size of the stool so it does a better job compressing and emptying the anal sacs when your pet defecates. Fiber is especially important if your pet is on ZD or ZD Ultra diet that produces soft stools. For sources of fiber, consider the following:

• Cats often enjoy cooked rhubarb.
• Dogs and cats enjoy cooked squash or canned pumpkin (not the pie filling with sugar, but the plain canned pumpkin), oatmeal, oat bran, and wheat bran.
• Dogs and cats benefit doubly from fiber in ground flax because flax is also rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. The best supplement sources of flax are Be Well and Missing Link. Be Well has organic green tea (decaffeinated), which provides more antioxidants than Vitamin C, organic flax, and organic barley sprouts, molasses (sugar removed), sunflower seeds, beef liver, alfalfa, carrot, fish, oyster, kelp, lecithin, garlic, and yucca. Be Well for Dogs has 1000 mg of Omega 3 per serving. Be Well for Cats has 250 mg Omega 3 per serving, but no green tea.
• Psyllium, which is present in Vetasyl also provides fiber.

Keep your pet’s bottom clean with ChlorhexiDerm Flush or baby wipes.

If your pet’s bottom is inflamed, clean it, and apply topical treatments that kill bacteria but do not contain steroids, such as OxyDex Gel (Rx) and Miracle Mist Spray with tea tree oil.

If your pet’s bottom is itchy as well as inflamed , clean it, and apply topical treatments containing an antibiotic and a steroid, such as Genesis Topical Spray (Rx), Betagen (Rx), Animax (Rx), or Panalog (Rx).

If your pet has ringworm, use Clotrimazole Cream, Miconosol Solution (Rx) or Malaseb Shampoo.

If your pet has fleas, use Advantage or Frontline. If your pet has fleas and ticks, use K9 Advantix for dogs or Frontline Plus for dogs and cats.

Use homeopathic Hemorrhoid Suppositories periodically to help stimulate a healthy anus and prevent inflammation and anal sacculitis. These suppositories help heal tissue, and reduce itching and inflammation. They do not stimulate a bowel movement.

Don’t have your pet’s groomer empty the anal sacs. Anal sacs that are not self-emptying indicate a medical problem that your veterinarian can help you solve.

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 »»

 

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