Prevalence

Anal sac issues are more prevalent in smaller breeds of dogs, many of which experience multiple occurrences of the disease. The anal sacs of obese dogs do not drain well, making them more likely to experience recurrent problems as well.

Conditions

Conditions caused by unexpressed anal sacs include:

When the fluid becomes thick and solidified, the condition is called impaction.

When bacteria grows in this material, producing a yellow or bloody pus, the condition is called infection.

When the infection builds to create a hot, tender swelling in the gland, the condition is called an abscess. When the abscessed material overflows the sac, the skin over the sac breaks open, and the pus drains onto the skin.

Clinical Signs

Symptoms of anal sac disease include:

Scooting or dragging the anal area

Excessive licking under the tail

Pain, sometimes severe, near the tail or anus

A swollen area on either side of the anus

Bloody or sticky drainage on either side of the anus

Diagnosis

Physical - and specifically rectal - examination will usually confirm diagnosis.

Treatment

There are separate treatment protocols for each condition:

Impaction: The treatment for impaction is to express the sacs and clean out the solidified material.

Infection: For infection, the sacs must be expressed as above, plus antibiotics administered to kill the bacteria.

Abscess: If the sacs abscess, the abscess must be surgically drained and antibiotics administered.

Some dogs are born with anal canals that do not close well. These dogs are constantly draining anal sac fluid and leaving foul-smelling drippings wherever they go. This is another indicator for anal sac removal.

Prognosis

If a dog has several episodes of anal sac disease, the anal sacs can be removed surgically. Because they are virtually unused, there is no significant loss to the dog, but the disease is fully cured.