My dog finished anal gland antibiotics, still licking tail. Vet visit?

If Mavrick's anus is still smelling terribly after a week and a half, I would take him back into the vet. It could be that the antibiotics are not working, and a different treatment may need to be tried. I would take him back into the vet tomorrow morning.

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.

That's not a typical side effect of giving an antibiotic, but it is possible that Brooke is still experiencing some pain related to the anal glands, and so she is licking to relieve it. It's also possible there is another issue, such as irritation on the legs, that are causing her to want to lick and chew. If you haven't already, I would schedule a recheck with your veterinarian to make sure the anal glands are healed up and to look for any other issues such as pain in the legs or around the anus, allergies, parasites, etc that may be causing her to lick. In the meantime, keeping the Elizabethan collar on may help. There are also no-lick wraps that can be placed on the legs that may help deter licking if there is no injury (once you've gotten the OK from your vet). Distraction through a puzzle or chew toy such as a Kong stuffed with treats or food may also help redirect this behavior into something more positive if it's stress or habit-related instead.

I am sorry to hear that! It may be that the infection is still going on - you may need a longer course of the antibiotic or perhaps a different one. I would recommend having them expressed again to see if there is still debris present. I would also want to double check and make sure there is not a mass present in the area:( You can ask for a biopsy to be done if the lump seems unrelated to the infection. I hope this helps and that it is nothing more than a persistent infection!

It can take 3 weeks or longer to completely heal from this surgery. The itching is likely due to the sutures and healing. Keep an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking or chewing. Your vet may be able to prescribe a remedy for the itching.

Yes, this is normal. She is likely painful. You can request pain medication for her from your veterinarian if none was dispensed. Keep the e-collar in place until she heals. Excessive licking will delay healing and may introduce more infection.

I do recommend bringing him to a vet for a recheck and expression of the anal glands and a reflushing if the anal glands with dilute chlorhexidine solution if they appear to still be oozy. It is unusual, if the anal gland were expressed the first time, for there to be a second fistula within 2 weeks. I also recommend placing an e-collar for a week while Barney is on antibiotics and pain meds as well as a topical prescription steroid/antibiotic/antifungal ointment such as dermavet/quadritops etc. that often speeds up healing of the fistula. With topical as well as oral antibiotics on emptied/flushed anal glands, fistula usually heal within a week. Good luck!