Would you do surgery, or no?

[skKi]

I'm in a conundrum of sorts regarding Pit and his anal glands (sacs?). For about a year and a half he's been having a recurring problem with his anal sacs becoming infected and rupturing for seemingly no reason, each time he is put on antibiotics and we are sent on our way. I've lost count of how many times it has happened now, and it happened again just the other day.

My vet keeps guiding me away from the sac removal surgery as she says the chance of fecal incontinence is very high and now that the sacs have burst SO many times, there's a lot of scar tissue surrounding the area making the surgery even more difficult. I can't help but consider the option though seeing as this infect and rupture stunt happens every 3-4 months, alternating sides each time.

I really just want to fix this problem, my dog has a constant gland problem and I can't help but feel like he's in constant discomfort/pain and I feel insanely terrible about it, however the thought of a fecal incontinent dog at the age of 4 terrifies me.

What would you do? How high IS the risk of incontinence? Have any of you chazzers ever had the surgery done on one of your dogs?

 

[sassafras]

I would have it done. The risk of fecal incontinence isn't THAT high -- the nerves on both sides would have to be significantly damaged to cause incontinence. The longer you wait, the more scar tissue is going to build up. If your vet isn't very experienced or comfortable doing the surgery themselves, you could ask for a referral to a vet surgeon or another vet who is more experienced/comfortable with it.

 

[skKi]

I think she mentioned sending me to another surgeon to have it done who does it more often than she does if I decided to go that route.

 

[Bailey08]

I'd get a second opinion.

Poor Pit -- that sounds terrible.

 

[elegy]

I would have it done, but not by that vet since she sounds very uncomfortable with the surgery. Chronic anal gland abscesses can't be that much fun for Pit or for you, and that constant infection can't be good for him in the big picture.

One of the doctors I work for does anal gland saculectomies on a fairly regular basis. He's not had any end up incontinent afaik.

 

[skKi]

I'll be looking into another vet opinion and asking my current vet who she'd recommend for the actual surgery. It would be great to fix this thing once and for all...