Poor Fergus. We’ve been working on his anal sac issues for quite a while. They just don’t drain properly and then they become impacted. We (me and the vet) thought we had everything figured out but they’ve become a problem again.
We have tried everything (holistic, homeopathic, medicinal) short of surgery and now we’re talking about removing them. I don’t want to put Fergus through an Anal Sacculectomy but we’re running out of options.
Have any of you ever had your dogs have this surgery? I’d love to hear your experiences.
My dog had it done. He had no complications but the surgery does have the potential to cause fecal incontinence. Even with this knowledge, I opted to go ahead with it because we had no other options at the time. He recovered just fine.
Are there any holistic practices near you? I work at a holistic/rehabilitation practice and I know we have one patient being treated for chronic anal sac issues with herbs and low-level laser therapy. I’m not sure how successful it’s been thus far, but it is another option.
When I worked for a vet I did see many dogs helped by surgery.
Hi Sarah.
I know it’s now several months since your original post, but I thought I’d add my two cents worth. My dog has just had her anal sacs removed with absolutely no complications. Yes. There was some minor fecal incontinence for a couple of days, but I just kept her confined to rooms with linoleum flooring. She is definitely much happier now the sacs have been removed.
I would recommend shopping around, if cost is an issue. Most vets had quoted me $1250, but I ended up finding a vet who only charged $800. The best thing is that there will be no more ongoing costs associated with treatments and therapies.
If you have already had Fergus’ anal glands removed, I’m sure you’ve noticed a definite improvement.