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My 2 year old bichon frise recently got an infected anal ...
Sent to Pet Experts March 13 12:06 PM

My 2 year old bichon frise recently got an infected anal sac we took her to the vet and had it lanced. the vet said that she has scared tissue in the sac and must have it removed. all of the info I found on the web said that the sac is removed after chronic infections. the vet also insisted that we just remove both of them and I definatley refuse to remove them both when the other one has had no problems, and the chance for incontinence is greater. what should I do about the scarred sac? thanks!Optional Information: Age: 2; Female; Breed: bichon frise

Edited by Customer (name blocked for privacy) on March 13 2006 at 12:13 PM

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March 13 12:15 PM (8 minutes and 49 seconds later)
         
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If you are unsure about this vet's opinion on the topic you can always seek another opinion.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/anal_sacs.html
I would be tempted to see if antibiotics and maybe a diet change would resolve this. You can always opt for surgery but you can't undo surgery.
Some people find that the anal sac problem goes away when they stop feeding certain food ingredients found in the usual commercial dog foods.
You might find going to a food with no corn, wheat, soy, or beef in it will help. California Natural, Wellness fish,duck, rabbit, or venison, or one of the other higher quality dog foods might work for you to help with this.
If it continues to be a problem you can always opt for surgery. If you do I'd go with a board certified surgeon rather than your regular vet.
Hope this helps you!

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NancyH -- Pet Health Care, Rescue,Train,Breed -- 99% Positive Feedback on 7076 Pet Accepts
30+yrs pet vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior & training, responsible breeding, small animal care
Reply
March 13 12:44 PM (28 minutes and 59 seconds later)
         
Relist: I want a different opinion.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
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March 13 1:33 PM (49 minutes and 48 seconds later)
         
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Do you have other specific questions or just want a different take on the situation?

Is your dog overweight? What kind of diet is he on?

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Tammy F. -- Pet Care Expert -- 99% Positive Feedback on 5067 Pet Accepts
15+ years-Pet care, Veterinary shelter medicine and infectious disease, Behavior training, Rescue
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March 13 2:29 PM (55 minutes and 55 seconds later)
         
Reply to Tammy Falkner's Post: I am just wondering if this problem is likely to reoccur? my dog is already on Inova which is better than the previous dog foods listed in the reply. she had always had a plump belly, but no she is not over wieght. I would really like a response from a Vet. with experience in this area.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
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March 13 9:22 PM (6 hours and 52 minutes and 9 seconds later)
         
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I have not seen very many cases at all of recurring anal sac abscesses. I also do not recommend surgery after only one incidence! Seems rather harsh to me, especially considering the types of complications associated with the surgery. I have seen only 2 dogs in my career that have had frequent infections of the anal sacs, and they did have theirs removed. However, the rest seem to resolve with proper treatment, and then they aren't any more prone to problems than any other dog is in my opinion.

I treat with two weeks of antibiotics, and an anti-inflammatory if necessary. Most heal up well. It is not uncommon for scar tissue to develop after an abscess, but I don't think this is a reason for surgery.

I would wait and see if this becomes a chronic problem before going ahead with surgery. You never know, she may never have another incident for the rest of her life! You may want to have her glands emptied out regularly (every 4-6 weeks) by the vet or a groomer. This may help prevent future problems. If her gland/s become infected repeatedly, then I would opt for surgery at that point.

Dr. Vicky Lamb -- Veterinarian -- 97% Positive Feedback on 259 Pet Accepts
15 years small animal veterinarian
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