Dog Anal Knot
Anal sacs (also referred to as anus glands) are small pouches located on either side of your dog’s anus between its external and internal anal sphincter muscles, lined with sebaceous (sweat) glands which secrete an odorous, brownish oily fluid when they defecate, which spreads pheromones that are unique to their pet – this could be considered one way they mark their territory by diffusing their unique scent when their stool hits their ducts upon defecate release through its ducts and helps control stool consistency by helping anus glands regulate it further! Anus glands also help with the pooping process by providing additional lubrication, while helping regulate stool consistency by helping regulate its release through its release through their vent ducts when your dog does poo!
Unfortunately, various factors can lead to your dog’s anal sacs becoming blocked, infected and painful – known as anal sac disease – leading to symptoms including scooting the bottom, biting at or licking at the anal area and an unpleasant odor. While not very common, anal sac disease is fairly straightforward to identify with a simple examination of their hind quarters.
If a veterinarian detects a mass in your dog’s anal sacs, they may use fine needle aspiration as a means of diagnosing. A needle inserted from outside their rear end into the mass retrieves cells for analysis by pathologists; or they can perform surgery and submit them for pathologic study; either option would likely require placing them under anesthesia and can be quite painful or risky for your pup.