A difficult decision to make ...
Last Saturday it was time for what I thought was a normal visit from the vet. Unfortunately, Rowan often has problems with his anal glands and even though it is certainly not the nicest, once they have been emptied, he is relieved of that problem for a while. So last Saturday we thought we would experience the same thing as the previous times ... emptying glands, and another happy dog. A routine job for the vet.
This time it became different. I already knew that there was a small inflammation in the last days before the vet could come ... but well, you expect it to be solved with antibiotics.
Rowan is normally a model patient, so I brought him in and the vet started his 'not so fresh but very necessary treatment'. Unfortunately, he soon said, "Oh what am I feeling here?" So it was clear that something was not the same as previous times. The right gland was normal and easy to empty. But the left anal gland, that was another story. This gland is completely swollen. Where a normal size is about de size of a pea, this anal gland from Rowan felt like 3 centimeters! Luckily no fistulas or something like that, so it does NOT directly point to a tumor, but unfortunately to connective tissue of this anal gland. Which in turn means that Rowan cannot empty this gland himself. The connective tissue may be caused by a chronic inflammation.
What now?
There are a few options ... We can try medication, daily ointment in the anal gland and antibiotics from time to time, AND empty the anal gland in time to see if it can be done for Rowan and for us.
The other option is to immediately opt for an operation in which the anal gland is going to be removed ... That will make that Rowan is freed from his problem for good. He does not miss that anal gland because in fact he does not need them at all. That would be the easiest thing to do ... However, there are a few terribly annoying and enduring risks associated with this operation. No matter how experienced a veterinarian is ... it is possible that the gland cannot be removed without the vet touching the sphincter muscle of the anus, and with it there is a risk that the dog will become stool incontinent. The risk is not great, but it is clearly present ... The second risk associated with the operation is that it is not a clean area to operate, so there is a high risk of infection. That can of course be taken care of with antibiotics ... but it does mean that you could have a very long intensive recovery period. And then a last big risk ... Rowan is now 11 years old, and every anesthetic gives the dog a risk that he won't wake up. Rowan's advanced age greatly increases this risk.
Choices, choices, choices ...
Of course I want the best for my dog! There is no doubt about that ... but unfortunately I also have to look at the consequences. Because suppose I choose the operation and he becomes incontinent. I know it won't make Rowan happy. He is a super clean dog who will NEVER do anything inside. I also know that with the other two dogs that walk around here, and the general hygiene, it is not an option to keep him indoors any longer if he gets incontinent.
And with that comes a difficult decision, because Rowan has been used to living indoors for all his 11 years. If he's suddenly stopped being allowed to do so, he would also be unhappy. He just wants to be with me, and I couldn't even get that over my heart. I also want to have my dogs in my neighborhood. And what if the worst becomes truth, and he doesn't recover from his anesthesia?
So although the operation would permanently help him get rid of his anal gland ... and maybe no incontinence arises at all, and he just wakes up again, at the moment I seriously don't know if that is the best option for him. Not to mention that you are talking about an operation that immediately costs around 600 euros or more.
Option 2 ...
The medication. Which means that there must always be antibiotics in the house for him. That I have to spray an ointment into his anal gland twice a day, every day ... for the rest of his life. And that I will have to learn how to empty his anal glands because this will be necessary very regularly. Of course I do this for my dog ... if I can help him and he is not in pain. That it remains fun for him ... Naturally, there are also costs involved. The antibiotics cost one and a half euros per tablet and Rowan is a hefty dog that needs 2.5 tablets per day. The ointment also costs something ... but then you would talk about around 30 euros a month ... for the rest of his life. And assuming that he is in good condition outside of this, we can expect him to live for another 3 to 5 years. So the costs for that also increase ...
If only he could talk!
I've thought so many times when one of the dogs is having problems, but they can't talk, and all I can do is listen to what they let me know in their own way. Watch and observe them very carefully, and hope I do right for them ...
