Dog Health
Aspirin and Anal Sacs

Q. Can I give my dog aspirin?

A. You can give aspirin to dogs but make sure you are giving the drug for the right reason.

In veterinary medicine it is mainly used as a pain medication and for arthritic conditions. You can give your dog 10mg/lb twice a day but be careful it can cause GI ulcerations just like in you or I.

You should monitor your pet for any loss of appetite, vomiting that contains material that resembles coffee grounds (that would be clotted blood) or dark tarry stools. If any occur, discontinue the medication and notify your regular veterinarian.

Before starting any medication you should consult a veterinarian prior to beginning any medical therapy on your own

Q. My dog constantly has to have her anal sacs cleared out. This never happened with other dogs I've owned. What causes this? Does he really need anal sacs or can they be removed? Is it a dangerous procedure?

A. Some animal are predisposed to having anal sac problems the reason for which still is unknown.

Animals do not need anal sacs and anal sacculectomy is a fairly common procedure but it does have it inherent risks. When surgery on the anal sacs is performed the biggest concern is damage to the nerves that help control fecal continence.

If both nerves are damaged during surgery then your pet would become unable to control his or hers bowel movements and would be dropping stool around the house constantly.

With proper surgical technique this risk can be reduced but there is no absolute guarantee.