My dog has a lump under his tail. Is it anal glands or something else?

If the lump is associated with one of the anal sacs (glands at about 4 and 8 o clock inside the anal sphincter) it could be an apocrine gland tumor. Apocrine glands are sweat glands. There are also other lumps that can occur in this area so it depends on if the lump is in the typical location for one of these glands. One thing that could be considered before surgery is a needle aspirate with cytology. We use this test commonly to try to diagnose lumps before surgery. It can be helpful to know what it is before surgery because if malignant some tests may be recommended before surgery and the surgery plan sometimes changes. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I am afraid I cannot see a lump on this photo, however if you can feel a lump near the anus it is likely a full or impacted anal sac. *You may need to take your dog to a vet to have it expressed, if he is bothered by it. Usually dogs start scooting on the floor when they have a bothersome anal sac.

I would have to see some pictures of the area to get a better idea of what you are talking about. I can't think of any normal anatomic structures that meet your description in that location, but that does not necessarily mean that whatever you are seeing is necessarily going to be problematic. Whenever there is any sort of unknown mass or lump on the body, options moving forwards are usually pretty similar. If it isn't causing any issues, you can continue to monitor it for increase in size and behavior, or you can have a your vet take a look at it and obtain some diagnostics to discover what it might be. Unfortunately, usually just by look alone there is generally no guarantees as to know what precisely it could be. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. These could also be abscesses based on your description. 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 Saffie evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

This lump on Alfie could be a cyst, an abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I would have Alfie seen by a vet tomorrow to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed.

This hard mass could be due to anal sac impaction or it could be an anal gland tumor, both of which would cause him to drag his bum on the carpet. Given Angelo's age, cancer is unfortunately always a possibility, and I would not squeeze this mass to try to relieve the pressure. I also would not wait until Tuesday to get him into a vet. If it's an anal sac impaction, it can rupture, and it's best to have them expressed as soon as possible. If it's an anal sac tumor, early treatment is imperative, as this is a malignant and very aggressive cancer. I would have Angelo seen by a vet first thing on Monday.

This lump could be a cyst, an abscess, a lipoma, or a growth. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give Rosemary's vet a call to make her an appointment.