Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
A Cross-Sectional Study on Canine and Feline Anal Sac Disease
- Journal:
- Animals
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Ronald Jan Corbee et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 108, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands · CH
Plain-English summary
This study looked at anal sac disease in dogs and cats, which is a condition that isn't caused by tumors. It found that about 15.7% of dogs and only 0.4% of cats have this issue, with certain factors like diarrhea, skin problems, and being a small breed dog or an overweight dog increasing the risk. The diagnosis is usually made by checking for specific symptoms and examining the anal sac, but just looking at the contents of the sac isn't very reliable. Treatment often involves manually emptying the anal sacs and addressing any other health issues, while surgery to remove the sacs is done if the problem doesn't improve. Overall, the study suggests that treating the condition medically first can lead to better outcomes if surgery is needed later.
Abstract
Limited data are available on canine and feline non-neoplastic anal sac disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain observational data on the incidence, predisposing factors, diagnosis, treatment, and recurrence rate of canine and feline anal sac disease. To this end, a questionnaire was distributed among veterinarians. The incidence of non-neoplastic anal sac disease was estimated at 15.7% in dogs and 0.4% in cats. Predisposing factors were diarrhea, skin problems, several dog breeds, and particularly small breed dogs, male cats, British shorthairs, and obesity in dogs. Diagnosis was made based on the presence of clinical signs and characteristics of the anal sac content. Manual expression and treating any potential underlying disease were the most important treatments for all three types of non-neoplastic anal sac disease. Anal sacculectomy was performed in refractory cases. The most recurrent anal sac disease condition was impaction. Diagnosis of anal sac disease should be based on clinical signs and rectal examination, as the evaluation of the anal sac content is not reliable. Surgical outcomes of anal sacculectomy can be improved when surgery is performed after medical management. Future studies should investigate these findings in prospective trials.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12010095