Bad news, need advice!!!!
 

I took my 5 month old baby to the vet bc he was having poop problems and the vet thought he has a perenial hernia so he gave me the # of another doctor to go see about it. He did however get a HUGE amount of poop out of his butt by squeezing it. Ever since that he has pooped alot better and seems to go not as frequently as before. His poop also comes out faster so there has definitely been an improvement. So anyways, I took him to this other vet that was referred to me and she said that it is not a perenial hernia. She said that when she went to do an anal exam that she couldn't even get her finger in there, that it lacked the elasticity that most dogs have and that it was abnormal. She said that he would most likely have to have surgery on his anal sphincter(?) and that is an expensive surgery and that one of the side effects is that the dog may lose control of going potty. I am so nervous and worried and I do not know what to do. Has anyone heard of this? He is acting normal and does not seem to be in pain. However his hair does seem thin and he is very skinny, like he is not getting the nutrients from the food. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Where are you located? I believe I would seek yet another opinion before I allowed surgery. Our Toto has always had hard stools and I give her pumpkin every day to keep her "regular". Our breeder said that her Grandmother was always like this too. Several weeks ago she had to have a minor surgery and the vet "flushed" her anal glands while she was under the anesthesia ... even though they are expressed regularly, he said she seemed to have lots of poop in there. Please keep us updated!

Poor baby - I don't have anything to add but Good luck to you !

I live in Chicago and I am hoping to get another opinion this week. If anyone lives near me and knows of a good vet, please let me know. Anything will help me right now. I just feel like they both said different things and I still don't know what to do. Should I take him to a board certified surgeon like the vet said, or take him to another vet? :confused:

Dear Jamie15,
I understand completely what your dog is going through.My dog,Frisky(a Spitz),died a month back with the same concern.He was 10yrs old and was unable to pass stool.We didnt realise till a day before his death.He wa squite furry and so we didnt notice that he had a swelling there.When we took him tothe doc and the doc shaved the area around his anus ,it was then we saw the swelling.The doc tried a lot to help him pass stool ,but nothing worked.Since he was old too the doc couldnt operate on him.We had to put him to sleep the next day because he suffered that night and we couldnt bear to see him suffer.
Today a month has passed that my Frisky is no longer with me.I miss him a lot but i know he is resting in peace and no longer inpain.
Do let me know about your dog.I hope he recovers soon.I would pray for your pet.
Best wishes,
Ruchira

It sounds like the first vet expressed the anal glad. Dogs can get a build up of feces in this gland and the first sign is butt dragging yet they have no worms. Anal gland expressing is good for the dog and relieves the itching associated with build-up.

I agree, I would get yet another opinion from a totally different vet. Keep us updated.

Hi, I feel so sorry for both ToTo and his mom.I hope that they find another vet and not do any surgery until all avenues come to an end.
The reason I am writing is ,you said you feed your dog pumpkin to keep her reg.I have never heard of that before . Pumpkin in what form and amount?I am intriqued by this,would it work on a cocker spaniel( My daughters ) ?
Thanks. Theo :aimeeyork

Only the best!!!
 

I would contact some Yorkie clubs in your area ,then see a highly recommended vet. If all else fails see the surgeon but have him contact Purdue University ,it has one of the highest ratings in America for veterinary studies. I will be praying for Toto.