Anal sac troubles affect as many as 12 percent of dogs, according to multiple sources. Yet, animal health professionals have no clear understanding of what causes anal sac issues and there is limited research on the subject. Further, there is confusion on the topic of anal sac expression.
Source: The Whole Dog Journal, January 2016. Page 16-17. (direct link unavailable).
The fact that dermatologists are the specialists under whose purview anal sacs usually fall tells you just how much of a veterinary stepchild these obscure little cavities are. “In veterinary medicine, dermatologists are a catch-all for things related to glands,” says Dr Jennifer Schissler, DVM, MS, DACVC, Colorado State University. “Nobody is really an expert in anal sacs.”
INSIGHTS: If the incidence numbers are correct, a busy, two full-time-equivalent DVM hospital will see at least two to three clients weekly whose pets have anal sac issues. Since clients don’t wish to express the glands and there is confusion about expression frequency and methods, veterinary teams will benefit by discussing how anal sac issues are handled in their practices. Getting everyone on the same page will keep clients from scooting away to let someone else handle the problems.