|Articles|January 1, 2019

Idea Exchange: Be more anal in the exam room

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze your way to better patient health, says this veterinarian.

Don't be shy. Get in there and get it done. (Willee Cole/stock.adobe.com)I recommend you always perform comprehensive physical exams, including checking both anal sacs. And if they're full, always recommend expressing them.

While it's true that many dogs would be able to express anal sacs themselves, you'd be surprised how many impacted and infected glands you find. By doing this, you may minimize anal-gland-associated problems such as impacted and infected glands and anal sacculitis, and sometimes you may find adenocarcinomas.

- Brij Gupta, DVM, PhD

Denton, Texas

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Idea Exchange: Be more anal in the exam room

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