Millie much better....But....

Tegan, Their plan is to remove the anal glands then tests will prove whether or not there is a carcinoma present. The vet seems to think it's unlikely Millie will suffer from incontinence once she has fully recovered because she is still quite young and fit.

My worry is that if it is malignant and there is follow up treatment after the op., our insurance will run out and we can't really afford to pay for treatment that could turn out to be unsuccessful.

Anal glands are nothing but a nuisance really. Domesticated dogs don't need them and the flippin' things often develop problems.

If they do discover an anal gland carcinoma what can they then do other than radiotherapy etc? Is it a cancer that spreads quickly to other organs?Did you say the operation might cause incontinence, which would not be good for her quality of life or yours . At least Hatties cancer was a slow growing, contained sort [I hope] although I'm still kicking myself for not having the lump removed when it first appeared.

Each to their own, merlot each to their own!

BTW, I think Maurice was a good chap to have his stitches out, the nurse took him off on her own, he came back sans stitches and I didn't hear any cries of "Will you hold still you little #$&*!"

I asked her if she had any problem, and she said, no, once she had got him in the right position he was fine.

I think that the room she took him off to had a cat clamping device that no-one is allowed to see!

Ha Ha, Phoenix, I wouldn't mind learning how to do it myself. Millie would be OK but Peggy would be outraged. She likes me at the other end telling her what a wonderful/patient/well behaved/beautiful doggie she is while keeping her eyes firmly fixed on my pocket of treats!

I'm all for waiting a couple of weeks then having Millie checked again. Our vet's husband will do the surgery if it's necessary because (in her words) he's top notch at anal glands.

Sounds like a fun bloke

merlot so glad to hear she's feeling chipper!

Tough call though on what to do next, perhaps wait a couple of weeks and then see? I know the anal gland problem can somtimes be nothing more than a nuisance (spaniels seem to be more prone to it) that causes the occasional visit to the vet, although with a bit of instruction it is possible to do it yourself (empty/drain the gland I mean, NOT the surgery!)