Perianal Fistulas in Dogs ~ Edit with pic links, very graphic

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Perianal or Perineal Fistulas: Hoping someone here has dealt with this first hand??

I have been reading up on it today. I suspect Foenix has this disease/condition, but have not gone to the Vet. He was just neutered yesterday and had a very scary episode this morning while trying to have a BM. If you have some first hand knowledge of this please tell me your experience and what the prognosis was. Thanks

http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/HealthConditions/SmallAnimalTopics/PerianalFistulasinDogs/ << for those of you who want to know what I'm concerned about.

More pics in post on page 3.

 

[sourland]

I have one male beagle who has had this problem. We treated with prednisone, metronidazole, and I kept the area clean and "draining" so that the lesion would heal from the inside out. He did not have problems defecating and is very pain tolerant so treating was not too difficult. In pain sensitive dogs, it can be difficult to treat and sometimes requires surgery. Good luck in resolving this problem.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Thanks for the input.

 

[sourland]

The healing was a lengthy process. Assuring that it healed from the "inside out" much as with an abscess was essential. I can't remember exactly how long it took, but I do remember that it was a very unpleasant experience both for the dog and for me. I believe that these tend to reoccur, but thankfully Boomer has remained healthy.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Thanks again. I have been doing a lot of reading. And from what I read its a treatable condition but not curable. However in some cases, such as yours, its controlled to a good degree. I wonder though if as your dog gets older if their will be a re-occurance of the fistulas. My dog is a GSD, which are the most common breed to have these. I remember an show on Animal Planet several years ago where they profiled K9 officers, one of the dogs was diagnosed with Perianal Fistulas and the dog was euthanized. He was also a shepherd.

When I let the dogs out first thing this morning I heard Foenix screaming like he was being killed in the back yard. I ran to the door to see him desperately trying to go poo, his tail was pumping and he was dashing around in circles, biting at his butt. He's had issues with solid stools for a long time, whimpering when he'd "go". He was in such discomfort that he actually went down on his belly, still trying to poo. When I brought him inside I got a glove on to examine him, considering a blockage or perforation of the colon from a bone or something. I lifted his tail and found quite a bit of blood.

I did an internal exam and only felt a small, hard ball of BM, the size should have made it easy to pass. That was the only thing I could feel, and I went in as far as I could. I wiped off the blood to see two freshly open wounds on his anus. They were still draining a little bit. These are not his a.nal glands, I know what they look like ruptured and know where they sit in conjunction to the anus. I went online and looked at some sites with some pics of mild, moderate and severe examples of P.F. and what Foenix's area looks like is the mild case. His area is inflammed and discolored.

Since this morning he seems normal, playing, eating and drinking. I have checked his bottom a few times and it looks just the same as before, at least he's not chewing at it.

 

[onthespot]

I have had a few toy/mini poodles have it. They have generally coincided with foxtail season, and seem to be from them getting a foxtail between their toes, and pulling them out with their teeth, and having them go through the digestive system and perforating at the picky area. Last year I had a foxtail explosion in my back yard and paid a guy to dig everything alive out with a pickaxe and dug it down to bare dirt, Then I watered, and hoed every single weed, and replanted plugs of just bermuda grass from the front yard. I am still watering and hoeing every single non-bermuda thing that is growing in the back yard and allowing the patches to grow together. They have a ways to go still, LOL. My back yard looks like heck, but I'm hoping NO fistulas this year. Always my dogs' have just burst in a day or two, and I squeeze them out a few times, keep the wound open, and they have healed. Good luck with your dog. I hope he gets better soon.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Thanks, onethespot

What I suspect that my dog has is a chronic, non-curable condition though. Its not caused by plant debris, its caused by overgrowth of bacteria in and around the anus, and just inside in the colon. The glands and crevices get too much bacteria, they cause abcesses and they rupture.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Is there anyone else with any input on this subject?

 

[Brindlebtch]

I have never dealt with this and am SO sorry you have an afflicted dog. It sounds awful!

If it is caused by an over growth of bacteria, would flushing just inside the anus (with a 3 or 5 cc syringe and maybe with a small gastirc tube attached?) with something antibacterial and wiping around the anus with something like chlorhexidine help?

I have a friend with Crohn's and she has to be very careful about what she eats because it will inflame her bowel. Maybe you could start feeding him something else? Home cooking or something?

Best of luck, Jamie.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Thanks so much!

Actually the more I read about P.F. the more I learn that not only is it bacterial infection, but the base cause is improper immune response, and have been to one site that said it was very simlar to Chrohns. One thing though is this isn't diagonosed but just something that I am keeping an eye on. I will take him in for an exam and, hopefully, a biopsy to get a diagnosis (or better yet they say he doens't have P.F.

). I have checked him once this morning and the wounds are still there, they are still draining a little but I don't see Feonix licking or being bothered by it at all. I need to observe another BM to see his reaction...I'll update this when I can.

As far as cleaning it well, yes that is a good long term preventative measure. And your suggestion was a really good one