My dog has an open, bloody anal gland. Should I go to ER vet or wait?

Ouch, poor Luna! Based on the pictures you provided (thank you for that!), they do not look overly red, swollen, and there are no signs of blood. As long as she is eating and drinking normally, going to the bathroom normally, and otherwise behaving normally, she can wait until the morning to see the vet. I would put an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking at her anus, and you can make one at home. I will put a link below on how to do that. If she is in a lot of pain, isn't eating, is lethargic, and/or is having trouble going to the bathroom, then I would take her into a vet now. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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.

Hello. You are correct that Tucker probably is in some pain. Having him seen sooner would certainly allow us to start him on some pain medications. He also would be started on antibiotics. However, if you cannot have him seen now , sometimes sitting them in warm water with some Epsom salts is very soothing and will allow the abscess to go ahead and rupture. This will cause some bleeding and you may see some discharge, but he should feel better at the same time. I think you should have him seen as soon as possible, but I would not wait until Monday. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there! Looking at the picture, she should be fine to wait for the vet appointment until Monday. It may be something benign, such as a sebaceous cyst. If the vet is at all worried about how it looks, they will recommend a biopsy. If she is eating well and has an appropriate amount of energy, I would recommend leaving the spot alone for now and waiting for your appointment on Monday. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, I am sorry but on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach we are not able to prescribe medications. Legally, your dog needs to be physically seen by a vet to get antibiotic treatment. If Daisy has indeed a ruptured anal gland abscess, she will need a course antibiotics to get better. Maybe you can talk to your local vets about a payment plan or try and find a low-cost clinic for Daisy ?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Sheeba. Yes, I would advise getting her evaluated immediately. That area of the body is, of course, full of contaminating bacteria so get her seen by your vet right away. Most likely your vet will place her on antibiotics, assess the wound, and make other recommendations. Good luck

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I am sorry to hear that Switzerland is having this issue. Please understand it is very difficult to give advice without examining him or at least seeing a photo. Based solely on your description it sounds like he had an impacted anal gland that ruptured. I do think it is best to take him to a vet for an exam. The first thing you need to do though is to get him a cone collar to wear so he stops chewing at the area. If the area is still bothering him the other anal gland (they have two) may be impacted/infected as well, hence, an exam is important. There is nothing you can do to sop the bleeding at home but you can put antibiotic gel/cream on it until you can get him to the vet. Again, without the cone collar though, he will likely lick off anything you apply topically. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-recovery-cone-collar-large-1225-21-3498991 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.