My dog's anal lump won't go away after vet treatment. What is it?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Lucy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

You should give the antibiotics a couple days to work, i am hoping that by Sunday you will start seeing some improvement. if by Monday it is not getting better take him back to the vet, it might need to be opened surgically in order to drain the fluids that are accumulating on that spot.

Your vet is correct. You actually have a choice now: a fine needle aspirate where a little tissue is harvested from the lump and then examined to determine what kind of growth this is. Should it be benign, or just inflammatory, treatment would be either benign neglect or treating the inflammation or possible infection. Should it be malignant, then your vet will probably elect to amputate the tail well above the tumor and then this would often be curative depending on the type of tumor. In that case it is actually good that it is in the tail and not somewhere else on the body. Trust your vet, he is on the right track.

Antibiotics will only decrease the size of a mass if the mass is infected. If it is a benign mass, it will likely stay the same size and will not go away without surgery. If your veterinarian took a sample of the mass, they may be able to tell you what they think it is. Benign masses tend to stay the same size or grow very slowly over time. If it is enlarging quickly, it should be evaluated again. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Galaxy. This looks like an anal gland infection/abscess. It would be best to get Galaxy seen by your vet since these things are badly infected and need oral antibiotics or injectable antibiotics to clear up completely. Often times these dogs need sedation/anesthesia to clean up the area, express the contents of the gland completely, then start antibiotics, pain meds, anti inflammatory meds, topical wound care, e collar to prevent licking, etc. Again, Galaxy is probably in a lot of pain and would benefit greatly from adequate treatment. I would call your local rescue groups or humane societies to see if they can help with her care.

Place an e-collar (cone) on Smugde to prevent any licking. Have her rechecked by your veterinarian. The anal glands should be expressed and flushed. Afterwards, medication can be instilled directly into the glands. Before all this, consider obtaining a sample to submit for culture and sensitivity panels. This may identify the responsible organism as well as the best antibiotic to use in treatment.

It could be an [anal gland abscess](https://www.petcoach.co/article/anal-glands-sacs-impactions-infections-abscesses-in-dogs). This occurs when the anal glands do not fully empty during the act of defecation resulting in inflammation, impaction and infection. Have her examined by your veterinarian for confirmation and treatment. This may include sedation followed by lancing, draining and flushing the abscess. Antibiotics and pain management will likely be indicated. Topical treatment may not be sufficient. An e-collar (cone) can be used to prevent licking until she sees the doctor. Afterwards, you can have her glands expressed (emptied) regularly and add additional [fiber](https://www.petcoach.co/article/high-fiber-diets-anal-gland-disease-in-dogs/) to her diet to[ prevent recurrence](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-prevent-impacted-dog-anal-glands).