Anal sacs or glands are 2 small glands just inside your pet's anus.  The secretions from these glands is thick and foul smelling.  Most animals empty these on their own for scent marking or in self defense, like a skunk might do.  Domestic animals have largely lost their ability to empty these sacs voluntarily.  Walking around and normal defecation serves to empty the glands but some animals become unable to do so at all on their own.  The sacs become impacted and uncomfortable often leading to scooting on the ground or that nice Persian rug you have in your house.  Some dogs will lick the area or chase their tails.  Cats often lick the fur just under their tails.

While you can certainly learn to empty these sacs yourself, due to the stinky, messy nature of the job most people opt to have our qualified staff do the dirty deed for them.  There are 2 methods.  Externally a rag or tissue is held up to the anus and both sides of the anal area are squeezed.  If the secretion is very pasty, this method may be inadequate to empty the sacs.  The second method is internal.  A lubricated gloved finger is inserted in the anus and the sac is squeezed between the thumb and forefinger into a tissue held externally.  The full gland feels like a grape and the emptying procedure is repeated on the opposite side.

If an impacted sac does not get emptied an abscess can form and rupture out through the skin.  This is a painful, messy and smelly condition often mistaken for rectal bleeding.  If an abscess forms it must be treated properly by one of our veterinarians and antibiotics are prescribed.  Many people ask how often the sacs should be emptied.  This is a highly individual situation.  They can be checked when you bring your pet in for grooming or regular check ups if no symptoms are present.  If symptoms occur it is best to bring your pet in right away.  If your pet has persistent problems with scooting a high fiber diet can help.  Talk to your vet to find out which one is right for your pet.

All Animals Medical Center encourages you to microchip your pet.  One of our Doctors implants a small chip between the animals shoulder blades, about the size of a grain of rice.  Each chip has a unique ID.  Your pet is then enrolled in the HomeAgain Pet Database.  Once enrolled your pet is entitled to many benefits offered by HomeAgain like, 24/7 access to their lost pet hot line which will quickly give you a list of all the shelters in your area.  HomeAgain also distributes your pets poster to Veterinary Hospitals within a 25 mile radius of where your pet went missing.  When pets get lost and are forced to fend for themselves sometimes injuries can occur.  To alleviate some of the worry your HomeAgain enrollment provides lost pet insurance up to $3,000.00 with only a $50.00 deductible.  Simply contact HomeAgain to give a brief medical history of your pet and your insurance will kick in.  Occasionally pets can end up very far away from home.  If that is the case Home Again will pay up to $500.00 to fly your pet back home to you.

Even if your pet is microchipped with a different brand you may still enroll in the HomeAgain program.  More than 6.5 million pets are enrolled in HomeAgain and so far over 600,000 have been reunited with their owners.  There are many reasons pets become lost and ID tags can easily become hard to read or lost themselves.  HomeAgain is the only permanent identification.