On Thursday Ted, our younger dog, was fine. Friday morning he was lethargic, wouldn't eat and was straining to poo without producing anything other than a bit of mucus. I rang the vet and sent them a video of his apparent stomach cramps but they were only seeing life or death emergencies and said to give him paracetamol and ring them the next day if I was still worried. He seemed to be uncomfortable around his back end so I put a (gloved, vaselined) finger up there to check his anal glands. They felt like half grapes and a little bit of gunk came out on the glove but not much.
The next day he was eating a bit but still no poo and uncomfortable in his back end. I had a feel up his back passage again (yesterday's vet suggested it) which felt clear. Rang the vet who was really reassuring, thought it might be a virus and said to put olive oil in his food and if he hadn't pooped by the next day to ring again.
Next day, ie this morning, I got downstairs to a really unhappy dog with a pink bottom and a huge swelling at the base of his tail. I thought he had a tumour but when I prodded it a bit it burst and loads of bloody gunk came out. I enlisted OH's help to hold the head end while I tried to massage it out. Afterwards the dog still wasn't well but managed to squeeze a very small solid poo out. The effort made more stuff come out, which is when I took this pic
Sent it to the vets and this time they let me go and pick up some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories which he started this morning. Apparently anal abscesses are quite common and it will have been brewing for these past few days. Under normal circumstances they would have had him in and lanced it before now but things just aren't normal are they.
Anyway, pleased to report that he is feeling much better, although I am being kept busy cleaning his bum with salt water as it keeps dripping pink fluid. He can't understand why we don't want him to sit on our knee
(he's a percher)
He's tired now and snoring away in his bed. Hopefully tomorrow he'll be feeling more comfortable. Poor love he must have been in so much pain
The next day he was eating a bit but still no poo and uncomfortable in his back end. I had a feel up his back passage again (yesterday's vet suggested it) which felt clear. Rang the vet who was really reassuring, thought it might be a virus and said to put olive oil in his food and if he hadn't pooped by the next day to ring again.
Next day, ie this morning, I got downstairs to a really unhappy dog with a pink bottom and a huge swelling at the base of his tail. I thought he had a tumour but when I prodded it a bit it burst and loads of bloody gunk came out. I enlisted OH's help to hold the head end while I tried to massage it out. Afterwards the dog still wasn't well but managed to squeeze a very small solid poo out. The effort made more stuff come out, which is when I took this pic
Sent it to the vets and this time they let me go and pick up some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories which he started this morning. Apparently anal abscesses are quite common and it will have been brewing for these past few days. Under normal circumstances they would have had him in and lanced it before now but things just aren't normal are they.
Anyway, pleased to report that he is feeling much better, although I am being kept busy cleaning his bum with salt water as it keeps dripping pink fluid. He can't understand why we don't want him to sit on our knee
(he's a percher)He's tired now and snoring away in his bed. Hopefully tomorrow he'll be feeling more comfortable. Poor love he must have been in so much pain
