# Faith has something going on, advice?



## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm completely freaking out right now. Faith started scooting a bit yesterday out of the blue but I didn't think much of it. Today she's scooting constantly and walking around in a crouched way and is obviously very uncomfortable. I checked her rear end and to one side of her anus it is extremely red and puffed out. I called the vet immediately and described it and asked if it could be her anal glands. They told me if it were the anal glands that I would not see it all puffed up and red. The earliest they can see her is 2:30 pm today which is 2 hours from now. Faith is very uncomfortable and I am a mess worrying about her and what is going on. Two hours until the vet sees her feels like a lifetime.

Any ideas what this could be or what I can do in the meantime? I am so upset right now I can hardly type.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Sounds like an impacted possibly abscessed anal gland. You could apply heat to it that would help sooth it (take a warm/hot washcloth and hold on her bum) for about 10 minutes if she'll let you.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

She will let me touch the area so I will give that a try and hopefully it will offer her some relief. Thanks for your fast response. She's got me worried sick since she is showing obvious signs of discomfort.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Impacted/abscessed anal glands will be puffed up and red. It can also bust open, and be even more of a problem. Have her seen today, Val. It needs to be lanced, and treated.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks, she has an appointment in an hour and 50 minutes from now. Might she have an infection if that's the case?


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Eeesh, I hope she's OK and they can get this sorted asap. Let us know what the vet says, good luck


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Yeah i was thinkin abscess too, poor wee girl!
Tricia's Holly on here had that and it was very sore for her.

Let us know what the vet says anyway.
Darla send lots of love and licks to her big sis. xxxxx


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

huskyluv said:


> Thanks, she has an appointment in an hour and 50 minutes from now. Might she have an infection if that's the case?


Could be, yes. They will lance and clean it all up, and if it's bad enough they will send you home with instructions on continued cleaning until it's all healed. A few follow up visits, and some antibiotics. It is pretty painful, so maybe some pain meds if you want them.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks so much for all the advice! I will be leaving in an hour to head over the the vet and get this all sorted out. I will definitely update later after the appt as soon as I get a chance.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Good luck Val, let us know how it goes. I had this same exact thing happen to Pip once and it turned out to be an impacted anal gland. The swelling just seemed to come up overnight, it was awful seeing him scooting and licking the area and acting uncomfortable so I know how you feel.  I'm glad you are getting her in right away.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Yeah, it definitely sounds like its her anal gland. The vet will take care of it.
I just went through this with Lila. Only she never scooted or licked at her bum at all. She was fine the night before than by morning she had a ugly blister/bubble thing on one side of her bum. It scared the hell out of me!
I took her to the vet and he took care of it right away. He injected her with a pain medication, and sent me home with an antibiotic to be given until gone. She was fine after that. 
I am still baffled by it though. I mean, she has never once shown any of the signs typical of having anal gland trouble. Very weird. Needless to say I now check all their bums every morning. 
I'm sure Faith will be okay, but I totally understand your being upset. Keep us posted!


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Good luck - we'll be thinking of you & will be anxious for an update! Hopefully it can be sorted out w/o much intervention or anymore discomfort to the poor thing...


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks everyone! You guys have certainly put my mind at ease a little bit, so I'm no longer freaking out like I was earlier. Don't get me wrong, I'm still concerned but not completely on edge thinking it was the most awful thing like earlier.



Mom of 4 Chi's said:


> Yeah, it definitely sounds like its her anal gland. The vet will take care of it.
> I just went through this with Lila. Only she never scooted or licked at her bum at all. She was fine the night before than by morning she had a ugly blister/bubble thing on one side of her bum. It scared the hell out of me!
> I took her to the vet and he took care of it right away. He injected her with a pain medication, and sent me home with an antibiotic to be given until gone. She was fine after that.
> I am still baffled by it though. I mean, she has never once shown any of the signs typical of having anal gland trouble. Very weird. Needless to say I now check all their bums every morning.
> I'm sure Faith will be okay, but I totally understand your being upset. Keep us posted!


That is weird and it was the same for Faith. Never showed any signs of discomfort or anything out of the ordinary. She did not scoot at all until yesterday. Then this big swollen thing pops up on her bum literally overnight it scared the daylights out of me. I'm just glad this seems to be somewhat common and isn't as big a deal as I was imagining it out to be.


I'll be heading out a few minutes, finally! I'm so anxious to get her taken care of, I know you guys understand the feeling. I want to get there a little early in case they can see her a little sooner.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

huskyluv said:


> That is weird and it was the same for Faith. Never showed any signs of discomfort or anything out of the ordinary. She did not scoot at all until yesterday. Then this big swollen thing pops up on her bum literally overnight it scared the daylights out of me. I'm just glad this seems to be somewhat common and isn't as big a deal as I was imagining it out to be.


It was exactly the same for Pip. Happened out of nowhere, it was weird. It was just the one side puffed out and red, same as Faith's, so I'm pretty sure that is what it is and all will be fine shortly.  They will empty it and probably give her antibiotics.


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## Reese and Miley (Jun 24, 2010)

Poor little Faith! Glad you were able to get her seen so quickly, although Im sure the wait still felt like a lifetime! Sounds like she will be getting some relief soon. Sending good thoughts your way.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Oh ouch poor girl we hope she's okay


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

You've been given great advice Val. It does sound like an impacted or infected anal gland. Yes, they can come up overnight! Sometimes they can express them and then fill them with an antibiotic gel to help them heal. My mom's dachsund had recurring problems so they eventually just had surgery and removed her anal glands and she was fine after that. That would be a last resort though.

They will probably tell you to up her fiber and try to sell you prescription dog food with high fiber!! Just warning you. I'd do metamucil or bran buds before I'd do a prescription dog food though.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Or try her on the Embark. Those are some of the beefiest poos we get, as it has 9% fiber in it, higher I think than any other dog food I've seen?


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

has she been to see the vet yet? I hope she is doing better poor little girl.


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## rcj1095 (Mar 4, 2009)

Oh honey, I am so sorry. What a horrible thing to go through. I am on the phone with Tricia right now and everything that everybody has said is what Holly went through. She says god bless you and it's a pain in the a#& literally. LOL. After Holly got healed up, she had no more problems and it's been a year or so since then. Thinking of you and knowing what you must be going through. Let us know how it went at the vet and give her lots of loving from us.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thank you all for the wonderful advice and support. Seriously, you guys are one in a million!

Faith is home now and recovering. It was an abscessed anal gland that was infected. They put her under with anesthesia then did a lance and flush. After she came back around from the anesthesia she was given pain medication along with antibiotics. The procedure only took 5 minutes but they kept her for an hour to watch her and make sure she was okay to go home. They sent her home with antibiotics which she is to get twice a day for 7 days.

She's pretty tired and is bleeding a little bit but she ate her dinner and is drinking water normally which is good. She checks her bum every so often but isn't bothering it. I called the vet back about the bleeding and he said it was normal and said to expect minor bleeding for about 12-24 hours.

All in all she's doing very well considering what's she's been through today. I expect that she'll be sore after her pain meds wear off and hopefully she'll be good as new soon enough. The vet said to limit her activity for the next few days.

I'm just so happy she's home and feeling better than she was earlier.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

aw poor thing. That must be so painful and scary!! 
I'm so glad you were able to get it taken care of so fast! Hope she's feeling better soon


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## N*T*M*4U (Nov 10, 2008)

I'm glad she's doing better now...get well soon little Faith..


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Glad to hear it wasn't anything too serious. Hopefully she will be feeling better soon.


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Awww the wee soul!
Least that's over and done with and she can start recovering.
Give her kisses from me and mine. xxx


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## Dragonfly (Jun 6, 2010)

Omg poor baby! When I first read this I freaked out too, I had no idea! Thank God for everybody here who gave awesome advice! I love this place for that!! I hope little Faith has a quick recovery and is back to feeling great! That's wonderful she's eating and drinking good though, love hearing that!!!


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Val, I'm so glad she is okay! 
They did the exact same thing with Lila. She didn't seem to be in any pain afterwards so hopefully Faith won't be in any either. Lila had to wear a cone though. She hated it! I only had her wear it the first few days.


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## Reese and Miley (Jun 24, 2010)

Glad shes home with you and on the mend. Feel better soon Miss Faith!


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm so glad all is well now and she is home and resting with you, Val. Feel better soon sweet little Faith!


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

flippedstars said:


> Or try her on the Embark. Those are some of the beefiest poos we get, as it has 9% fiber in it, higher I think than any other dog food I've seen?


That's a good tip, Kristi. Ever since mine have been on THK (and I feed Embark) they have had zero anal gland issues. Previously they had lots, especially Roo. I was literally taking her in every month to have them expressed, seriously! Now no issues at all.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I'm so glad to hear that she is home now and recovering. Bless her heart! Give her hugs from The Wee's and I.


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## rcj1095 (Mar 4, 2009)

So glad she is home and resting comfortably. Bless your heart honey, what a stressful time you've had lately. I'm so glad she was seen and you know what you have to do now. Kiss her for us and we are thinking of you. Poor angel. Love ya!!!


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## pam6400 (Oct 5, 2008)

How is little Faith feeling this morning?


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Aww, poor thing. I'm glad it's all done with & I hope she's feeling MUCH better this morning!! We'll be thinking of her....


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## Bella&Max's_Mom (Aug 18, 2010)

I'm glad you got Faith to the vet and she is on her way to getting past this mess. How is she feeling this morning?


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Faith is doing much better this morning. She took her antibiotics nicely (good girl!) and is eating and drinking normally. She seems to be her normal self overall. She had a bowel movement this morning which I was worried about how that would go, but she had no problem whatsoever. The bleeding stopped however when I let her loose in the house she tries to scoot so I put her in my husky's large crate with food and water so she has plenty of room to stretch and move around but so she won't scoot. For some reason she won't scoot in the crate so I have her in there for now so she does not irritate her back end. She checks her bum frequently but is not bothering it.

Glory is keeping her mom company, she hangs out by Faith's crate so her mom is not lonely. So sweet!

Kristi and Paula, regarding THK for food she's been on Keen mostly but she also gets Verve, Force, and Thrive regularly too. I've fed Embark to my husky but I'm not sure if I've fed it to Faith yet. Her stool has been very firm on THK so it's not an issue of soft stool. I don't think her stool can get any firmer than it is on Honest Kitchen really.

Thanks for the tip on Metamucil, Tracy! I would never have thought of that. The vet and vet tech asked what I feed and when I told them The Honest Kitchen neither said another word about food...not sure why the silence though. They did have Science Diet in the waiting room, but did not recommend a diet change. Faith's stool has been very firm since being on THK but I wonder if it would do any good to add additional fiber?

Faith appreciates all the hugs, kisses and well wishes from her fellow chis and chi lovers. I think she likes all the special attention she's getting.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

huskyluv said:


> Thanks for the tip on Metamucil, Tracy! I would never have thought of that. The vet and vet tech asked what I feed and when I told them The Honest Kitchen neither said another word about food...not sure why the silence though. Faith's stool has been very firm since being on THK but I wonder if it would do any good to add additional fiber?


Val, such good news this morning! Glad she's doing so well. I would just chalk this up to "one of those things" and not blame it on diet just yet. If her stools are nice and firm, it could just be a genetic predisposition towards anal gland problems, or where the sacs are located anatomically. If they are tipped, for example, they won't empty completely. Not a problem usually. If this becomes a recurrent problem, then I would look at adding more bulk/fiber to her diet. But for now I'd just get her healed and see if she doesn't just rally on her own.

My guess is that the vets and techs weren't familiar with THK and so they didn't know what the fiber content was. They probably didn't want to say they'd never heard of that food as they probably made a note to google it later. HA. The truth is that only a VERY small number of people feed their dogs holistically. Most people just grab whatever is on sale at the grocery store. That's the 'normal' unfortunately.

Hope she continues to do well and you never have to deal with it again.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

That's great news, Val! I'm so glad she is doing better. Give her a kiss and a cuddle for me.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Great news Val! I'm so happy to hear Faith is doing well.

When Lila went through her anal gland trouble I was so confused as to why. She eats a raw diet, so her poops are always small and firm. She never scoots or licks at her bum. 
Anyways, it got me thinking that maybe because her poops are soooo small, they aren't big enough to express her glands naturally. 
Anyone have any thoughts/opinions on that?


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm curious about that too, Lisa. How long ago did this happen with Lila and has she had it happen again since? I really hope we never have to deal with this again but at least I know more about it now in case it ever does.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

It was about a 2 months ago. She has been fine ever since.  
My vet wanted me to bring her back in 2 weeks to express her glands. I took her back and both of her glands were fine. 
Yeah, it was very scary. Lila's bum had a big ugly blistery thing on it that literally popped up overnight.
I mean she showed no signs of trouble like scooting, licking, or a drainage track coming from her anus.... nothing! So weird. But like Tracy mentioned maybe our chis are predisposed to it. Faith and Lila do eat a great diet, so I'm really at a loss as to why.


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## FireFox (Jun 4, 2009)

Oh poor baby  I feel your pain, we went through this with Peppi back in April, she had ruptured gland. And just like Faith she didn't show any sings before. Her stools were always nice and firm, no matter what. 
I came home that evening and she didn't even come to great me, I new straight away that something is wrong, very wrong. Checked her all over and there it was - so sour! I brought her straight away to emergency vets. Recovery was long, as I remember she was on antibiotics for 3 weeks. Now I bring her for check-ups to the vet every 4-6 weeks, but the last time we were in (end of October) the vet said that her glands are completely empty, so now we can have longer intervals between check-ups  


Speedy recovery to Faith!!!


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## indyco (Oct 25, 2010)

Hope it gets sorted quick for her and you. Keep us posted x


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I wanted to check with you guys that have been through this before. I was just cleaning Faith up again from any discharge that came out in the last 24 hours and noticed that the site has swelled up just a little bit. I'm thinking it's probably normal but wanted to see if that was the case for those of you who have experienced this before. Right now it's nothing major, just a little bit of swelling at the site. I just don't want to take her back in to the vet if it's just normal swelling.

I remember a couple days after one of our guinea pigs' neuter last year rushing Rocky (our guinea pig) to the vet first thing in the morning and sitting in traffic for over an hour to get there only to find out it was normal post op swelling. lol I don't want to do that again.

So does this sound normal? She seemed more sensitive to my cleaning the area today than she was yesterday.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I would question whether the gland is filling up again? It it's different than yesterday, and more sensitive, that would make me think that something might be going on. 

Could you call the vet and ask his opinion before driving her in? I know he will probably say to come on in, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. 

I would hate to tell you to wait and then have it get really swelled and painful this evening when the vet is closed!


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

That thought occurred to me too but I wasn't sure and was hoping someone who's been through this might be able to say whether or not they've seen it happen.

I just am positive the vet will want me to bring her in if I call. Same thing happened with Rocky's post op swelling, I called they said bring him in and when all was said and done it turned out to be normal swelling. I just hate to make a special trip if it's nothing but at the same time I don't want to ignore it and then it turns out to be a problem. The vet closes at 6 pm so I'm hoping I might hear from someone before then.

I actually do know a vet tech that I could call but I'm not sure if she'll be able to answer my call since I know she works on Thursdays. I guess I could at least try. :-/


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Val,
Lilas didn't swell back up. Hers may have been different than Faiths. Lilas was an actual brownish blister that looked like it was going to pop at any minute. I never saw any swelling of her bum. After the vet fixed her up, Lilas sore would drain a bit and it scabbed over. My vet said to clean with hydrogen peroxide which I did daily, but I only lightly cleaned it as to not mess with the scab. Basically I just dabbed it with peroxide.
I can't imagine that it filled up again so quickly. She is on antibiotics and isn't bothering with it, so I would guess its just swollen from having the vet mess with it. I would give him a call just to be on the safe side. I don't think its anything to worry about, but its really better to phone the vet.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Now I'm wondering since I didn't get any "after care" instructions aside from giving her antibiotics. I've been cleaning her with a wet towel but maybe I should be doing something different, possibly doing warm compresses.

I called my vet tech contact and left a voicemail, haven't heard back from her yet.

I called the vet office that Faith went to have the abscess treated and described everything to her. Now I'm just waiting on a call back once she has a chance to talk to the vet. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

I would be applying warm compresses that keeps things to the head & draining.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I think I will start warm compresses as suggested, it certainly can't hurt.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Keep us updated Val. 
Give Faith some love for me.


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Oh Val i feel for you and wee Faith.
Hopefully it isnt the gland filling up again, and just a bit of swelling after it being lanced.

Let us know what they say. xxx


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Okay I got a call back from the vet. They said minor swelling and discharge is to be expected. They advised me to clean the area with hydrogen peroxide several times a day and apply warm compresses.

I am glad that I don't have to bring her in but I wish they would have told me to be doing this when I was there so I could have been doing it all along. *sigh* Oh well, now I know and will be keeping a close eye on the swelling...hopefully it goes down soon.


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Oh thank goodness it was just that afterall!!
I cant beleive they didnt tell you, you should have been doing that though, unreal!
Hope the wee soul feels better soon. xx


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## Reese and Miley (Jun 24, 2010)

How aggravating that theyre only just telling you what you can be doing at home to help her along! Hope that swelling starts to go down for her soon. Poor little thing.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Aw poor little girl. Sorry it's still a bit swollen for her. Pip's did not swell back up, but I guess every case can be different. Hopefully it will clear up soon.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I know, I am a bit irritated with them for not telling me this stuff sooner. Well I cleaned her up with peroxide although she has some discharge coming out so I will have to clean her again soon. I did a warm compress for about 5 minutes and it seems to have gone down just the tiniest bit. Faith is starting to get fed up with me now, she doesn't appreciate the antibiotics, cleaning and compresses one bit poor girl. 

I will do another cleaning and compress in a few hours and update on how the swelling is later. Fingers crossed it goes down! If things get worse then I am prepared to take her to the vet first thing tomorrow, hopefully we don't get to that point though.

Thank you all for the advice but I have to admit it's making me nervous hearing that those who have experienced this before have not seen subsequent swelling.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Glad to hear it is nothing serious. Poor Faith. I feel for for you Val. I know it's so stressful!
She will be okay. She has a good mommy!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

The warm compresses sound great Val. Is there an opening or hole that the drainage is coming out of? (Or is it internal and it's draining out of her anus?) I would think it would be important to keep it open and draining rather than having it close off and then swell up again. 

I would keep up with the warm compresses, sounds like that's working!


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks Lisa. 

Tracy, there is a small opening where the vet lanced it. That opening is where the fluid is coming from. They do that on purpose to allow for natural drainage. It's not a lot of fluid coming out but there is definitely some slow drainage going on. After dinner I'll clean the area and do a warm compress and we'll see how she's doing then. She's crying for her dinner now so at least she has her appetite!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

huskyluv said:


> Thanks Lisa.
> 
> Tracy, there is a small opening where the vet lanced it. That opening is where the fluid is coming from. They do that on purpose to allow for natural drainage. It's not a lot of fluid coming out but there is definitely some slow drainage going on. After dinner I'll clean the area and do a warm compress and we'll see how she's doing then. She's crying for her dinner now so at least she has her appetite!


ok that makes sense. I would work to keep that opening draining so that it doesn't build up inside. I seem to remember the vet injecting antibiotic ointment into Hanna's (my parents dachshund) when she had her problem. As long as it heals from the inside out and doesn't seal off - it should be fine! :hello1:


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I hope so, but how do you keep it from closing up though? It drains sometimes and other times it doesn't. When I cleaned her up this evening and did a warm compress it was not draining. There is still a little bit of swelling but it is not overly concerning and I think the compresses are helping.


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## Harley's mum (Nov 9, 2010)

I've been through this before with harley. poor little doogies...
ow... anyway, definitely keep holding the warm washcloth against the butt.
After having this happen, I had to be very careful that harley got lots of fiber, or it would happen again.....
Keep up the good work, hopefully they gave you pain pills for your little buddy.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

No they didn't give any pain meds to take home but she does not appear to be uncomfortable. She is acting perfectly normal which is good, running and playing and all. lol

The swelling appears to have lessened some more. It's still not completely down but it is nothing like it was yesterday. I was very pleased when the vet called me first thing this morning to check on her. I will definitely continue the cleaning and compresses but she appears to be doing much better today than yesterday. Of course I will be monitoring her closely.  Very pleased with how she's doing today.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Glad to hear it, Val.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Yes, they should have given you instructions on how to clean it at home. It will probably need to be done for about 7 to 10 days. Depends on how long it takes to close. You do want it to close and heal, though. Keeping it open for too long will only allow for bacteria to continue to be introduced. So just continue to clean it, and let it heal at it's on pace. If after 10 days you don't see marked improvement, bring her back in. As it is closing, you shouldn't see any signs that it looks infected. Every day it should look better. Glad to hear she is doing some better. Those impacted/abscessed anal glands can be a real mess, and painful.


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## lynx8456 (Feb 26, 2009)

Val, I am so sorry I missed this thread. I am so glad Faith is ok. What a scary expierence. 
She is such a sweet little girl. Sorry she had to go through this. God Bless her.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I'm so happy to hear she is doing better!!!


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Glad she is doing well Val.
xxx


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## BellaLina's Mom (Mar 16, 2007)

We're so glad to hear Faith is well and doing better.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Can anyone give me an idea of how long it generally takes to get back to normal after having an abscessed anal gland? 

Today Faith has been back and forth with the swelling which is bothering me. This morning it was very minimal and was no longer red and she really looked almost normal aside from her shaved bum and the hole from the lance. But this afternoon it was a bit more swollen like it was when I called the vet about it on Thursday. I don't like this back and forth stuff and it's worrying me that I haven't seen real marked improvement...especially with Thanksgiving coming up and our travel plans next week. I was really hoping she'd be back to normal before we leave for our vacation. Yes, all the dogs are coming with us on our trip but I don't know about vets in the area we will be staying. I think I might be wise to check on that before we leave to have that info on hand just in case.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Lila had no problem afterward other than the bit of oozing. 
Okay, this is just my opinion and what I did with Lila while healing. It worked for her.
I think the compresses aren't necessary if anything it might be irritating the "sore" and keeping it fresh, you want it to close up. 
How much cleaning do you do? Peroxide can be drying, so to much might be irritating it. Has it scabbed over yet? I didn't mess with Lilas to much. I dabbed some peroxide on every morning, and that was it. It looked ugly, but I didn't want to mess with it and interfere with the healing. Little by little the scab/dried oozing pieces were coming off. I would gently take off any pieces stuck to surrounding fur. 
Is she possibly licking at it when your not around? Maybe at night she goes to town on it. Lila wore a cone whenever I wasn't watching her.
I hope Faith heals up quick. Please keep us updated on how she's coming along.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm sorry it's lingering for her, Val. How frustrating.  With Pip it cleared up quite quickly after the vet visit. It never swelled back up. I'm sure they are all case to case situations, hopefully it clears up completely for her soon.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

For what it's worth, I didn't use compresses either.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I wouldn't do the compresses either, Val. You want it to close. I would take a cap full of Peroxide and pour it across the wound, once in the AM, once in the evening. Don't try to blot it with things, etc. When the abscess is pretty bad, it can take several days to really start healing nicely, but should show improvement daily. Anyway, I would omit the compress, and just do the twice daily cleaning, without touching it. If she is still scooting, that may be what is making it swell some still.

I hope she starts feeling better very soon.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am really starting to worry now though. I will stop doing the warm compresses for now although I did do it this morning before checking this thread. The hole from the lance has already closed so now she has a thick blood-colored/mucousy discharge coming from her anus. Is that normal? The site of the abscess seems to have filled back up and feels pretty firm to the touch, I am concerned about the size of it now. Something doesn't seem right.

The area does scab over but she keeps scooting and that tears the scab off so she starts bleeding and I am constantly finding and cleaning up trails of blood all over the carpet, blankets and bedding throughout the house. I feel bad doing this but I have to keep her confined to the large crate to keep this house sanitary.

She doesn't seem too bothered by my touching the area however she does _seem_ to be uncomfortable when she has a bowel movement, I'm not sure though.

All things combined, it just doesn't seem right so I am calling the vet first thing tomorrow morning and am ready to take her in as soon as they will see her, if they advise bringing her in. We are going out of town in less than a week and I want her in much better condition before we travel. 

Edited to add: I forgot to mention I dab the area with peroxide twice a day.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I agree, best to take her to the vet on Monday. I didn't have this with Pip and, like you, would want to get it looked at again. The thick blood-colored/mucousy discharge coming from her anus doesn't seem right to me. She may require further treatment. Good luck, Val. Keep us posted. x


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Just got back from the vet having them recheck on her. As I suspected she was not recovering the way she should have been and I am glad I took her in today.

The verdict: The gland was still quite infected and had filled up with blood.

The vets course of action: She emptied the gland as best she could and after that inserted an antibiotic gel inside. Poor Faith was crying through it all but she was such a trooper. 

Take home instructions: I was given a lot more meds this time around. 
First, she is now on a stronger antibiotic than before and will be on that for 14 days. 
Second, she has pain meds that she will be on for 7 days. 
Third, she is also getting another antibiotic for her intestinal tract since the vet suspects that she might be getting reinfected from the bacteria in her colon and/or fecal matter.  She'll get that for 7 days also.

The vet also advised me to continue doing the warm compresses at least once a day if I can. She said that from here on out Faith should only continue to get better, so if anything gets worse such as more swelling or more discharge to give them a call as that would not be a good sign.

Faith is such a trooper really. She had a very unpleasant visit to the vet this morning and is now home sleeping, she's all tuckered out poor dear. With all these new meds she's going to hate me even more but as long as it makes her better I'm fine with that.  I will be keeping an eye on her eating and drinking as well as her back end. I'm so glad I took her in, hopefully she will finally start getting better!

Edited to add: The vet also said that it should take about 2 weeks for Faith to return to normal (assuming all goes well).


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm so glad you took her in Val and that she had further treatment. Poor sweetie, so much to go through, glad it's over for you both now. Hopefully she'll be feeling much better soon.  x


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

Awwwww poor Faith *hugs* sending vibes for a speedy recovery


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

So happy to hear that everything is on the right track for your Angel.


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Poor girl, and you Val for havn to see your baby like that!
Glad she is now on the road to recovery. xxx


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## pmum (Oct 17, 2010)

Glad your little one is feeling better/all well again.
Guess those anual glands can really cause some major
probs. for some dogs. At least now you know to keep an
eye on them. 
Be blessed.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks all. Just a little update, since her second vet visit and now that she is on pain meds daily she has been feeling much better. She's not scooting anymore and she is no longer having trouble with bowel movements.

The gland is still larger than I would like to see it but it is not red or swollen and does not appear to be bothering her. She has not had ANY blood or discharge since her second vet visit and does not bother the area at all. She's getting medication 5 times a day which she absolutely HATES but other than that she seems to be feeling a million times better. I feel a lot better about taking her on vacation now for sure. Hopefully over the next two weeks we'll see her back end return to normal.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Val, that is great to hear that Faith is doing so much better. I hope you all have a fun and relaxing holiday.


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## smallbeats_m_all (Nov 22, 2009)

Poor little bumm!
am just reading this now.. my first and only Anal gland expirence was with tonka, his bum was a little red on one side and i thought nothing of it.
then the next morning it had released and he was in obvious discomfort! 
he was always cleaning himself for the next few days, after I had taken him to the vet to drain it and put him on antibiotics. after that it dried up and he left it alone, and the area went back to normal.
hope she is back to her happy self soon


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

How's Faith doing today, Val?


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Paula, she's doing great. You'd never know she even went through this whole ordeal by looking at her. She does have a bit of a bump still at the site but it is not large or concerning by any means. She's recovering very nicely.  

Waiting anxiously for some turkey handouts from our upcoming dinner.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all as well!


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Am glad to hear she is doing a lot better Val.
You must be so relieved too. x


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

huskyluv said:


> Paula, she's doing great. You'd never know she even went through this whole ordeal by looking at her. She does have a bit of a bump still at the site but it is not large or concerning by any means. She's recovering very nicely.
> 
> Waiting anxiously for some turkey handouts from our upcoming dinner.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all as well!


Yay I'm so glad she's doing so much better! That's wonderful.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!


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