Hi there!
 
A week or so ago we asked some advice concerning what we thought was a boil
on Josie's behind, near the rectum.  Thanks to all who responded.  When we
finally got to take her to the vet, we found out that she had infected anal
glands.  We had her spayed, but not decented, around the beginning of last
August and she was doing well.  It is amazing how fast these little guys
bounce back.  She has never used her scent glands (not like some of the
others do anyway) and they just clogged up.  We were treating her with
Chlorpalm and warm packs to try and keep infection away and get the swelling
down.  We could get the scent glands blown out and hope for the best or get
her decented.  We figured that since she never used them anyway and keep her
from having this problem again, we would get her decented.  The swelling
just did not go down and since the tissue around the rectum was healthy, the
vet decided to go ahead with the operation.  She pulled through just fine.
The glands were several times the size that they were supposed to be.  One
was a real mess and the other one was still in pretty good shape but it had
to come out.  We just cannot believe that something that large (the vet kept
them in a jar with formaldahyde (sp) so we could see them) could come out of
such a little rear.  In one of the previous posts, someone had said that
decenting is not without its problems and complications.  What does this
mean?  What kind of things can happen after such an operation?  What kind of
things should we be looking out for?
 
Cam and Therese Miller, Tawny the dog along with fuzzies Bud the Stud,
Mookie, Jasper, Scooter, Snoopy, Josie, Nikki, Benji, Sadie, and BJ.
 
Tryntje Miller                   Net:[log in to unmask]
Conrad Grebel College Library    Tel: (519) 885-0220 ext. 239
Waterloo, Ontario                Fax: (519) 885-0014
N2L 3G6
[Posted in FML issue 1437]