# Anal Furunculosis Anyone ?



## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

A fairly common problem with GSDs, at least in this part of the world anyway, my jrt has recently been diagnosed with this horrible disease and we've recently started treatment with cyclosporine. Whilst doing a little research I came across this article on managing AF, it's 2005 but thought I'd share it for others who are maybe experiencing similar.

http://www.hungarovet.com/wp-conten...-furunculosis-perianal-fistula-compendium.pdf


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

maggie fraser said:


> A fairly common problem with GSDs, at least in this part of the world anyway, my jrt has recently been diagnosed with this horrible disease and we've recently started treatment with cyclosporine. Whilst doing a little research I came across this article on managing AF, it's 2005 but thought I'd share it for others who are maybe experiencing similar.
> 
> http://www.hungarovet.com/wp-conten...-furunculosis-perianal-fistula-compendium.pdf


Maggie,

When I first looked at the title, I thought it was a PM for David Fellatio ano


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Thomas Barriano said:


> Maggie,
> 
> When I first looked at the title, I thought it was a PM for David Fellatio ano


 
I can see why you would think that :smile:


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Sorry to hear that your JRT has this, does not look like any fun at all. Nice link on the subject though, one to bookmark for sure.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Carol Boche said:


> Sorry to hear that your JRT has this, does not look like any fun at all. Nice link on the subject though, one to bookmark for sure.


Thanks Carol he's quite a wee warrior, never ever heard of it in a jack russell before.


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

My deceased GSD had it from the age of 8 til his death. Meds helped but it never really went away.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I had a male GSD with onset at 7. We managed him surgically. The vet who was highly recommended to me performed a radical disscection, excision and some tracts were even extending into the leg muscles.

Never had a recurrent cyst. He died at 11 from hemangiosarcoma.

Actually, as my husband had to have a large area excised for pilonidal cysts at age 29 with no subsequent recurrence [he is now 52] the concept made sense to me as the condition is somewhat similar though not exactly the same.

There is a PF-L support group in yahoo groups and that is where I got the vet from but there is a lot of info shared in that group.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

will fernandez said:


> My deceased GSD had it from the age of 8 til his death. Meds helped but it never really went away.


 
How long ago was this and do you recall what meds were used ? Cyclosporine seems to be the 'wonder drug' for treating/managing this condition now with reports of good success rates in many dogs, but alas not all.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Hi Nancy,

Neither my vet nor I are keen for him to go on the table, he's nearly thirteen yrs old and otherwise apparently fit and healthy but it seems the problems that can arise from surgery are quite great. Many cases I believe require surgery two or three times to get rid of it.

I've had a few gsds now, never ever had any trouble like this and now it pops up in my jrt :-|


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

3 years ago--cyclosporine was used toward the end.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Thanks Will, I'll be going with the medical therapy for this guy and hope it really works for him, nothing else for it really.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Here's a couple articles. The first is written by our soft tissue surgery resident (who is also board certified in oncology):

http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/HealthConditions/SmallAnimalTopics/PerianalFistulasinDogs/

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3061


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Just a little update to this thread.

I was throwing the ball for this wee dog yesterday and he did his usual sommersaults on reaching the ball, next thing I saw was him bleeding profusely from his rectum, it was all over the place. I took him directly to the vet and it was the partner vet in attendance who informed me, he doesn't think anal furunculosis at all but a perianal adenoma. There is quite a lump there under his tail.

En route to this vet, I stopped by the practice who have been 'treating' my gsd for lumbosacral stenosis, and whilst they would only treat my jrt in an emergency (which apparently this wasn't), gave an opinion of how they would be adding anti biotics to his cyclosporine dose in addition to taking a biopsy of this lump under sedation.

The other vet has said to come in on Wednesday, likely to discuss imminent surgery for removal of this lump, or 'we'll just cut it out'.

Looks like we'll now be having surgery on the jrt as well as the gsd and probably within days of each other. I'm thinking about giving up dogs!


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

I had a 5th generation female years ago that I noticed had a hard ti,e crapping and often there was blood in it. I took her to the vet and she told me that Strutts had a growth just inside the anus that included part pof the anus. She said it was doubtful that it was cancerous but that to remove it part of the sphincter muscle would have to be removed so she would likely be incontinent.. That was the only dog I ever had put down in a vet's office.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Don Turnipseed said:


> I had a 5th generation female years ago that I noticed had a hard ti,e crapping and often there was blood in it. I took her to the vet and she told me that Strutts had a growth just inside the anus that included part pof the anus. She said it was doubtful that it was cancerous but that to remove it part of the sphincter muscle would have to be removed so she would likely be incontinent.. That was the only dog I ever had put down in a vet's office.


I was thinking along those same lines. I just could not bring myself to say it.

 I am surprised you didn't bring the dog home a shoot it.


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Moment of weakness Lee. Never had another one. I prefer to shed my tears in private.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

He's not thirteen years old yet, I think he is still good in himself. I've been reading a little on the net and these adenomas are fairly common, apparently a lot more straightforward with the intact male than a female due to partly the androgens being responsible for the growth. That probably sounded nonsense but I know what I mean. :???:

I'll have a few questions to ask before we blunder on though.


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