Why does my dog have a recurring draining hole near her rear?

Question

Wondering what could be causing this so that we can figure out preventing it. We've been doctoring it up with first aid gel and putting a doggie diaper on her to keep her from irritating it. It has healed up and it's reacured twice.

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. From what I can see in the photo, it looks like your girl has a small draining hole just below and to one side of her rectum. Based on the location and overall appearance, I would be suspicious that this may be an abscessed anal sac - these are scent glands that dogs have on either side of their anus, that can sometimes become impacted or infected, and may abscess out through a hole in the skin that looks very similar to this. I would recommend taking your dog to the vet for an exam, to get a better idea of exactly what's going on. Your veterinarian can do a rectal exam to check her anal glands, and if this is the issue, she will likely need prescription medication (antibiotics +/- an anti-inflammatory such as an NSAID or steroid) to effectively treat the infection. If this continues to be a recurring problem, the gland may even need to be surgically removed.

Why does my dog have a recurring draining hole near her rear?

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