Dealing with Chihuahua Abscesses: Ned’s Bummer of a Week

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my five funny dogs, Poppy, Bailey, Kodah, Ned, and Fred.

Last week, I was talking about the Ned-shaped lump on Kodah’s rear end, but this week, Ned’s little derriere has been under the microscope. Not literally, but it has certainly been poked, prodded, and scrutinized more than he felt was appropriate.

It all started with Ned doing a little bit of bottom-scooting, jumping up as though he’d been stung on the bum, and walking as though he’d soiled his non-existent pants. This led me to inspect his less glamorous side and find an angry, purplish swelling beside his anus – full disclosure, I like to pronounce this word ‘anooss’ because it somehow makes a less appetizing subject sound ever so slightly more cute.

I knew right away that we were dealing with an anal gland abscess, and that both Ned and I were in for a very unpleasant time. Him, because this is quite a painful problem, and me, because I don’t like seeing Ned in pain, nor do I like how he tends to take that pain out on me.

Getting to the Bottom of the Problem

Every dog has a pair of scent glands that sit either side of the anus (now you’re saying it too ?) that are normally expressed when they poop, and sometimes when they are startled or scared. It’s not terribly uncommon for tiny dogs like Ned to have difficulty emptying these glands for several reasons:

1. tiny glands = tiny ducts = lots of resistance.

2. anal gland fluid is often quite thick, which brings us back to the first problem.

3. more sensitive to slight changes in diet (ie, eating things they shouldn’t), which can result in diarrhea or softer stools, making it even more difficult to empty the glands.

If these glands become overly full or blocked, that pressure will build up, leading to a hot, swollen area under the skin, like a boil, as the impacted gland tries to release pressure elsewhere. In this case, the path of least resistance is through the skin, which is why we get an abscess. Sometimes they are infected, and sometimes it is simply inflamed, as was the case with Ned.

The most painful part of the anal gland abscess is the moment before it bursts, when the skin over the top is stretched, inflamed, and sore to touch, which is why he acted like he’d been stung by a bee whenever he planted his tushie on the floor. I knew what I had to do to relieve the pain, but I also knew that it would involve about ten seconds of even more pain, followed by blessed relief. Enter the burrito. Not the tortilla wrapped deliciousness of the Chihuahua’s native land, but one with a wriggly Ned filling wrapped in a towel.

You might recall one of my Ten Commandments for Successful Puppy Training: “Thou shalt not let puppies make the rules” where I advise dog owners to get their puppies accustomed to having their feet touched, mouth inspected, ears cleaned, and all the things that we will need to do at various stages in their life. This is very much a commandment I always live by, but have failed miserably at in the case of Ned. The trouble with trying to coerce a creature that is about as large and robust as a pigeon into acquiescing to things they don’t want to do is that they are very difficult to restrain. You can’t use any level of forceful restraint without risking breaking them, which allows them to squirm and wriggle away from anything they see as potentially unpleasant. It has meant coming up with different tactics for performing basic procedures like cleaning eyes, and as you’ll see next week, trimming claws.

In order to address Ned’s painful little abscess, I stashed the Chihuahua burrito under one arm and used some cotton wool soaked in hot (not too hot, just slightly above body temperature) salty water to apply pressure to the swelling so it could burst and relieve the pressure that was causing my little buddy so much distress. After ten seconds of squealing and savaging my left hand, Ned found himself feeling relieved and almost completely pain-free, able to once again take on the world, and most importantly, the proffered piece of chicken from my hand. Fortunately, his tiny bird-like frame also meant that when he ‘savaged’ my hand, he didn’t even bruise the skin, let alone break it, so we have both agreed to put that behind us…so to speak.

Now that the abscess has drained, Ned quite happily allows me to clean the area twice daily to ensure the little hole through which the material erupted stays open for a few days to prevent it from refilling. Although it’s still a little tender, he seems to realize that what I am doing is making it feel better, and each bathing session is met with a tentative cuddle rather than the gnashing of teeth. And judging by the way he is continuing to follow me like a shadow and snuggle up at night, it would seem that my terrible betrayal has been forgiven.

Going forward, I’m going to be adding some extra fiber into his diet in the form of some steamed pumpkin, which I know he’ll be very happy to eat. Hopefully, that will help him to keep those anal glands emptying naturally so we can avoid having another bummer of a week.