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My dog has a painful anal gland abscess. Does he need a vet now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Male | unneutered | 4 years and 3 months old | 3 lbs

So I think my dog has an anal gland abscess. It went from nothing to this in 24 hours. It is on the right side of his anus. He is obviously in a bit of pain, and it's extremely swollen. Is this something that needs to be seen about tonight, tomorrow, or can it wait until my vet opens on Monday?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 5th, 2019

Hello. You are correct that Tucker probably is in some pain. Having him seen sooner would certainly allow us to start him on some pain medications. He also would be started on antibiotics. However, if you cannot have him seen now , sometimes sitting them in warm water with some Epsom salts is very soothing and will allow the abscess to go ahead and rupture. This will cause some bleeding and you may see some discharge, but he should feel better at the same time. I think you should have him seen as soon as possible, but I would not wait until Monday. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 12th, 2019

    Hello, thank you for your question about Miya. Based on the history and the symptoms that you are describing I believe that Miya likely has an anal gland abscess, which can occur secondary to an infection. The most important aspect of treatment of an anal gland abscess is to drain it, which Miya has already done herself. Therefore, as long as she is still on antibiotics and you have a way to prevent her from licking at the area (such as an e-collar) than there is no need to have her seen sooner. You can continue to warm compress the area if she will allow it as this helps to express any infected material further. Hope this helps, good luck!

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