My dog walks crooked after anal gland surgery. Is this normal?

Hi and thanks for your question. The scabs you mention may be due to chronic licking around his anal area before his anal sacs were expressed. Full anal sacs can cause discomfort and dogs may lick their rear end excessively because of this. You may wipe the area with a mild cleansing cloth a few times a day and see if it improves. I hope this has helped!

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Continued scooting following anal sac expression may not be related to the need to be expressed further. Occasionally the anal sac may still be inflamed/irritated following the expression which may still result in some discomfort and the urge to itch. Scooting of the hind end can also be due to a superficial itch that may be related to an underlying environmental or parasite (i.e flea) allergy. It is difficult to tell from the picture without being able to palpate the rectum, but I do not see any evidence of overt swelling in the region (the anal sacs sit at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock position at the anus). If Emma continues to appear irritated you can have her evaluated by her veterinarian to palpate the anal sacs and make sure everything palpates normally.

There is a pretty big hole where the anal sac used to be, so there is a chance that there is a seroma there filling it up, which is a perfectly normal reaction of the body. Unless the discharge is yellow or green (pus) or frank blood, I would not worry and you can wait for your recheck appointment with your veterinarian.

Anal sac removal surgery can have this kind of complication, that could be transient (lasts up to 2-3weeks time) or unfortunately permanent. Fecal incontinence is due to nerve inflammation. Perianal/anal reflex can be eventually stimulated by using a thermometer. I would wait a week time more before considering it permanent. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Residual inflammation is normal, especially if the glands were already inflamed. You may call your vet and ask about a course of anti-inflammatory medication. Omega 3 fatty acids can also help. Lastly, a cool (not cold) compress may be a better option to relieve the burning. Sometimes supplements like Glandex can help. If Adam continues to have itchy anal glands, you may want to discuss ruling out food allergies with your vet. I always use a hydrolyzed protein for this. I hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sky. I typically prescribe two weeks of antibiotics in these types of cases. This helps with healing. It depends on how big the wound was, but most of the time it can heal within 7-10 days. Make sure to keep the E-collar until the wound is completely healed. The snow likely feels good on her sore bottom. I hope this information helps!