What is this swollen lump on my dog's butt and what should I do?

Hi and thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This appears to be what we call an anal gland abscess, which is an infected anal gland. The anal glands are two sacks location at the 4 and 10 o'clock position that are usually expressed when your pet poops. However, some pets have a hard time expressing and emptying these sacks on their own, which leads to them filling up and getting infected. This needs to be addressed by your vet unfortunately because the sacks needs to be opened up and flushed. This often has to be done under a mild sedative. For now just apply a cold compress to the area. I hope that Fiffy gets better soon. Best wishes and take care.

I am suspicious that Quora may have an anal sac abscess. These situations usually need antibiotics to resolve. In the meantime I would encourage you to warm compress the area a few times a day to help drain the area and improve comfort. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Your pet may have an inflamed or infected [anal gland](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/conditions-of-the-anal-glands). [Impacted or abscessed anal glands](https://www.petcoach.co/article/anal-glands-sacs-impactions-infections-abscesses-in-dogs) are very painful and makes it difficult to defecate or even move. Without treatment, an impacted gland may abscess and rupture, causing a open wound on your pet's rear that will require wound care, antibiotics and pain relief. I recommend getting your pet seen by your vet. He or she will express (empty) the anal glands, clean her up and possibly start her on antibiotics and pain medication if indicated. You can ask to be shown how to express the anal glands yourself at home so you can avoid impaction or infection in the future. Increased dietary fiber or supplements, such as [Glandex](), may help prevent anal gland issues as well.

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.

This could be a severely abscessed anal gland/sac or a tumor or a perineal hernia. This can only be diagnosed with a hands-on exam. You should have it examined by your veterinarian, as it is not possible to distinguish these by just looking at a photo. An abscess can usually be treated with antibiotics and/or be lanced, and a hernia may have to be fixed surgically. To identify a tumor, your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the bump with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether the mass is concerning.

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).

This behavior in Brownie can be indicative of an impacted anal sac, and the lump next to his anus indicates that as well. The anal sac will need to be expressed if it's impacted, so I would take him into the vet now during normal business hours. It's important to have it expressed before it ruptures.