The rear end rescue blog - an anal gland surgery diary

Need I warn about specific pictures again?!?

Before going to sleep Éowyn pooped, but it was not a very good experience. She yelped in pain and ran all over the place (outside) in her leash. Poor thing. Molly didn’t poop yesterday evening, but it WAS freezing cold (-15⁰C in the night and morning (5⁰F)), so I didn’t push her. If it became necessary we could go out during the night. We then did a “butt inspection”, and Éowyn seemed a bit swollen and a bit red/inflammatory, so we decided to call the vet if it hadn’t improved in the morning.

This night they seemed to accept their confinement in the crate, only a couple of growls and howls during the night. Big improvement! At 6 a.m. they woke me up, just 20 minutes before the alarm clock, and I let them sit in their crate, while I prepared breakfast and medication. Then out in the freezing cold. Molly – no problem at all – and then Éowyn with yelps and howling, but she did it.

I cleaned them again, and Éowyn yelped when I touched her. Molly was a bit sore, but not so much. My problem with Molly was that she kept sitting on the cloth, because it felt good for her behind. So I let her do that and continued with Éowyn, before I got back to Molly. Éowyn had got the ointment from the vet, and it is a challenge to hit the right spot. The ointment contains corticosteroid, and it is important to be very precise where to put it¸ and definitely not too much.

Then we “butt inspected” them again. Éowyn’s behind was still red and a bit swollen, and the way she kept yelping, wanted to be carried, and made sudden movements trying to get to her behind, we decided to call the vet. I did so at 8 a.m., and I got an appointment for 9.20. Really, that’s good service.

I brought both the dogs, since Molly hates being left alone, and it would be less stressful just to have them both with me. The waiting room at the vet is always a challenge. Molly and Éowyn LOVE their vets, the groomer, the owner of their dog pension and so on – they just like other people a lot! So when we go to the vet, they pull towards the door; and they can’t understand that not ALL the other people in the waiting room are there for their pleasure. My fault, I know, I have boosted their confidence too much, ha ha.

Well, the vet looked at Éowyn and quickly concluded that she was fine. He could touch her, and she didn’t yelp or complain. The swollen, red behind was nothing more than expected at this stage, he said, and overall she looked fine. Her clinginess towards me, her yelps etc. were signs of pain and frustration, but probably because she suffered from “mummy sickness” and wanted to be with me, while she recovers.

The vet also wanted to take a look at Molly, since her left side had been the most difficult to operate. She looked fine, as expected, with the left side a bit more swollen, but nothing alarming at all. He told me not to worry about neither of the dogs, the healing does take a long time, and that’s also why the stitches have to stay for 10 days.

Even though they were fine, I am glad I went. None of us have any experience with the recovery pattern, so we thought every step back was bad. Besides, the vet has to be called, if the wound is still swollen and red after the first couple of days. It is Friday, and this was last chance to get them checked before the weekend. Of course I can call the emergency service, but it would be a random vet on duty, and I preferred the vets who did the surgery and had an idea of how it was supposed to look by now.

The rest of the morning and afternoon they slept. They don’t follow me around the house as usual, only if they consider it worth the while. Molly is the most active, even though she had the hardest ordeal with teeth removal, too, and she doesn’t whimper as much as Éowyn, who is sitting a lot. She is just sitting, waiting for me to find the final resting place.

After their evening meal they booth pooped, Molly quite easily, Éowyn with yelping. Then cleaning again, and the normal procedure with one dog sitting on her soaked cloth, while I tend to the other and then shift between them followed.

A couple of hours later they got their medicine, and I took them out again. Éowyn pooped again, under yelping, and I had to clean her again. Poor little girl. There is not much warrior princess in her at the moment. She is now sitting with me again, shaking to calm down.

I must stress again that they react very different, quite opposite to their normal temper. The timid Molly is calm and collected, even happy, while fearless Éowyn is mummy-seeking and scared. Their different behaviour also confirms that every dog heals and reacts differently.

Cuddling up, Molly kisses me from the cone.



Molly at day 3



Éowyn at day 3



We brought the small, spare crate into the living room, and Éowyn seems to find comfort there.