Anal Sac Problems In Your Dog
Something you may not understand regarding your dog are their anal sacs. These two sacs are located in the muscle tissue on either side of the anus at the five and seven o'clock positions. A deeply fragrant discharge, usually brownish and watery, exists in the sacs.
The anal sac fluid, which surfaces through two tiny ducts, has no known purpose in dogs. It may help dogs mark territory or help them distinguish each others sexual identity, according to different theories. Whatever their purpose, the anal sacs of most dogs can be ignored throughout life.
Some dogs, however, are bothered by periodic anal sac problems. They start to madly drag their backside across the floor or biting and licking at their tail area. These dogs need to have their anal sacs emptied. In some cases, they may need to have the sacs surgically removed.
How often do your dog's anal sacs need to be expressed? This depends largely whether your dog suffers bouts of impaction or from actual anal sac infections. Some dogs need monthly attention, while others can go several months with no visible problems.
This should be discussed with your veterinarian, principally if anal sac impaction affects your dog. If you feel you want to empty these sacs at home, here are three guidelines.
1. Start by standing the dog on a firm surface. The floor works fine if you have a large dog, while a table may be required to express the sacs of a small dog.
Hold a piece of cotton or paper towel in one hand to cover the anal area. This is useful because the secretion usually squirts out from the ducts once pressure is applied over the sacs.
2. Using an absorbent material, put your thumb on one side of the anus and your index finger on the other. Gently squeeze your fingers together until the contents of the sacs emerges from the ducts.
Typically, the discharge is watery and if it's been held on to for a while, it will look like toothpaste. Doesn’t use unnecessary force or you can rupture these delicate sacs.
3. Another method of expressing these anal sacs requires inserting a gloved and lubricated finger into the anus and feeling for each anal sac in the sphincter muscle. Then, grasping it between your thumb and finger and softly pressing on the sac until the fluid is released. This procedure should not be painful but it can be painful for your dog, so you'll in all probability need somebody to hold your dog.
the pressure. Occasionally, the sacs are completely impacted and if that is the case its time to see the veterinarian. This also holds true for a secretion of either pus or blood, which can indicate an infection of these anal sacs.
If not treated promptly, they could become abscessed, which is very painful. Anal sac infections are frequently treated with oral and local antibiotics. The latter is inserted through the ducts into the anal sacs themselves.
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