My dog has cancer. Why is he suddenly having involuntary anal leakage?

I'm so sorry that Harley has cancer! Every dog is different, and some decline faster than others. I would monitor him daily, and make a list of five things he loves to do. If he reaches a point where he isn't doing at least two of these things, then his quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face these issues with my client on a regular basis. If you'd like to consult with me further on this, I'd be happy to speak with you. Otherwise, I'm very sorry he has cancer and you have to face this issue :-(

Sorry to hear Ninja is not feeling too well. There are a number of possibilities regarding Ninja's symptoms. If he has not had blood work performed, I would strongly urge you to have some lab work performed. I would consider something infectious and possibly have him tested for Toxoplasmosis. You might consider a specialist consultation such as a neurologist if he seems neurologically depressed. X-rays and abdominal ultrasound may be useful but also may not find anything. I hope this helps and hope that Ninja improves! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions / concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation.

Poor guy. He either has really loose stool or an anal gland issues. The anal glands are located inside the rectum and can get infected or even rupture, causing leakage of fluid that is very strong and smelly. I would definitely recommend taking him to your vet on tomorrow if possible to get this looked at. Either condition is very treatable through your vet with medications (i.e. antibiotics). For now, it is best to just wipe the area gently with a wet cloth or paper towel. If the area appears to be irriated, you can also apply a cold compress on the area if he will allow it, for 2-5 mins to help soothe the area. Also an epsom salt water solution can help clean the area and provide additional relief. I hope that Frankie's rear end improves soon! Best wishes and take care. : )

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the last portion of his intestine was lowered, however I think it is very unlikely that improper anal gland expression could lead to fecal incontinence. Sometimes dogs with chronic anal gland inflammation will leak anal gland fluid, however this would also probably not be related to improper expression and rather ongoing inflammation and anal gland disease. Fecal incontinence is more often a sign of a neurologic problem or occasionally gastrointestinal disease.

It sounds like Trevor has fecal incontinence. This can have several causes, including nerve damage to the rectum and arthritis, which causes pain when posturing to defecate so they hold it longer than they should. Prostate enlargement can also cause some issues. I would recommend taking Trevor to the vet for a thorough evaluation. They will do a physical and neurologic exam to determine if there are any issues. They may recommend x-rays to look at the pelvis and bones around the based of the tail, and to determine who things look on the inside around the colon.

Shaking usually is a sign of pain. I would make sure his is on pain medication and that you are giving it regularly. He may have increased pain from the cancer when he defecates or if the cancer progresses. Talk to your veterinarian to make sure Rusty stays comfortable during this difficult time. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rusty.

I am very sorry that Missi is so ill. Unfortunately there is a chance that the cancer has spread to her lungs, which would likely cause the coughing, unless she has a congestive heart condition. Not pooping could be because either the mass has grown so big it is obstructing the rectum and poop cannot pass by it to the outside, or pooping is painful and she just holds it in. So the next step here would be to check if the coughing is indeed caused by metastases or not. An x-ray would be diagnostic. As for the mass in her anal gland, your vet probably is afraid of removing it as it could make your dog incontinent, while not really extending her life as it already has spread to the lymph nodes, and is likely spreading through the body. So, as painful as the thought is, I believe you may need to prepare to say good bye soon in order to prevent her from suffering. Listen to Missi. She will tell you when it is time to let go. Your vet may be able to give her a laxative to facilitate feces to pass, after checking whether there is any gap at all. If there is not, then I am afraid it would be cruel to wait until she has serious life threatening problems with fecal toxicity and constipation. So I am very sorry the news is not better. :isten to Missi. Missi will know. And give her lots of TLC.