anal sac adenocarcinoma

Question
Our soon to be 12yrs old Aussie male was diagnosed with anal sac adenocarcinoma. He has not been nurtured, the polyp was removed one week ago. 7/7/08

Vet said best thing we can do is have him nurtured to help prolong his life. We are scheduled to do this next month.
After the surgery he seemed fine although drinking alot - which from what I understand is a sign that the disease could have progress because blood calcium is elevated.

(I did notice he did seem to drink alot more in the past few months, before the surgery - but we just thought he just thirsty after all we live in West Tx.)

Anyway after the surgery I notice that he was going to the bathroom easily, nice and regular looking- thought this is a good sign. However my daughter notice today 7/13/08 he seemed to have trouble, took him maybe 6 times and it looked very soft kinda splotchy she said.
My thinking is to watch him and see if it is ongoing.

My question is if he is already starting to have problems.. is this just the beginning of of the "end" and do we forgo the neutering and just let things be as nature intends? And what should we expect if we choose to go this route.  

Answer
Sandy -

This is probably a question you will have to discuss with your veterinarian.  He/she will know the condition of your pet better than I and will know if your dog is healthy enough for surgery.  Neutering can decrease the hormones that can exacerbate your dog's condition, but if the pet is not healthy enough to withstand the surgery, then surgery is definitely not the answer.  The good news is that the procedure for neutering is a short one, so there is a good chance that is your pet is relatively healthy, then he should be okay to neuter.

You may want to request that your veterinarian do more bloodwork to help determine why your pet is so thirsty.  That may also give you an indication how healthy your doggy is and if he can withstand surgery by evaluating liver and kidney function.

Stool softeners can help to decrease the straining you mentioned.  Again, ask your vet how much is recommended for your pup.

I cannot say that this is "the end" for your pet.  Most do well after anal sac adenocarcincoma and can live happy lives for some time after surgery.  Best of luck to you -


Charlotte Sherrell, DVM