Grossest Doggie Medical Issue EVER!!!
Don't read if you don't want to get the heebiegeebies. Really, stop now. So my sweet Henry has always had a funny little slit right below his butthole. I've always meant to ask about it. I wondered if it was a cut but it was clean and neat. Almost like a second mini-butthole. But I stopped thinking about it and never remembered to ask. The past couple days, Henry has been licking and scooting as if he had anal gland issues. He's never had anal gland issues before so that was weird. Last night, he had low energy at the park and then all last night he was up licking. When Maggie has anal gland issues, she licks right next to her butthole. But he was licking that little slit area below his butt. So I thought I should look to see what was happening -- maybe he has a grass seed or a burr stuck there. I saw that the little slit was opened up and seemed filled with something white. Ewww. Maybe an abscess? But it wasn't soft and pussy. Hmmm. I thought maybe some of the bully sticks or trachea treats had punctured his colon and were coming out the extra butthole. I knew I had to get him to the Vet. The Vet. . . never saw anything like it before. He thought maybe the anal glands had a direct route out of the body there. Nope. Turns out, that little slit is a hole to nowhere. A little pocket. A genetic abnormality. And somehow. . . some maggots started growing in there! MAGGOTS! In Henry's body! The vet thinks that maybe he sat in something that was infected and they just crawled in and made a home for themselves. The white that I saw was their maggoty heads poking out! EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! He said he'd never seen maggots in a clean, well-groomed dog like Henry. I wonder if it was something he picked up at the Reservoir on Friday because the licking started Saturday afternoon. . . . Maggie was rolling in horse poop and Henry was sitting there. . . . I bathed them afterwards, of course, but maybe that pushed it into the cavity. MAGGOTS. Can you believe it?! So, they spent quite alot of time flushing and picking them out and putting ointment in there to suffocate any remainders. (Apparently, ear ointment is what to use.) I have to take him back Friday for a re-check to make sure they are all gone. And then they will need to keep an eye on how it heals because he might require surgery to seal it up. It is a very bad place to have a hidey-hole. Henry came out of the Vet with the biggest smile I've seen in days and is finally resting comfortably without licking. Still -- eeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! I have spent all day feeling like things are crawling on me and I am going to wash the sheets because eeeeewwwwwww!!! Can someone please say something that will make me feel better? |
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| Maggots are definitely the grossest thing ever ...but I've heard of that happening more than once, and I believe there was someone who came to the board with the same problem! This summer I squished a fly and maggots were everywhere. Not sure what the heck happened but that's the second time that's happened to me. Anyway, I think it's easy to miss that little piece of poo stuck solid on their butt esp if there was a little slit!!! And then it was enough time for the maggots to come? Poor Henry!! I'm so glad to hear he's doing better! |
well, I don't know if it will help, but maggots were routinely used to clean infected wounds before we had nifty things like antibiotics.  did that help??  I too, would be changing the sheets, etc...just because! And yes they really wouldn't have gone "in there" if there wasn't something nasty going on, or at the very least an open, raw area. So thank those little maggots that caused you to find out more about Henry's secret passage.....  |
| The vet said that they only looked a couple of days old. . . Still, poor Henry! That must've felt so miserable. I don't think the area was nasty before they moved in. The Vet said he was so puzzled because the tissue was clean and unbroken -- not like the usual cases where there is a wound (from an embedded collar, etc). So he speculated that maybe some poo was infected with larvae, got pushed in there and started growing. He's hoping that the abrasion of the clean-out will cause the hole to close-up but if it doesn't, I either need to be really careful or consider surgery to close it.  |
| This has been the worst year for maggots in animals. I have 2 bunnies, they thankfully have not been touched by this, but several of my friends that have bunnies have had the yucky experience of flies laying eggs creating maggots in their bunnies. I learned, don't try to pull the maggot out yourself, it may separate/split in half. Let the vet with clean utensils and skilled hands remove the little beast. Glad you caught it quickly and Henry is happy. peg & pup howie |
| We have had tons of flies and spiders. . . I just had no idea that this could happen to a clean, healthy dog. |
| Poor Henry! I hope it closes by itself, or I would definitely get it surgically closed. Who would want a repeat of that??!  |
| I know! Uggghhh! My concern about surgery is that there are alot of important nerves in the area that could affect his bowels or urinary continence. I really hope it closes up. I don't see why they couldn't rough up the edges and sew them together. . . I will learn more in the next couple weeks. It is such a relief that he hasn't been licking at all since coming home from the Vet. It was amazing to see him suddenly completely happy again. I am still in shock. |
| Dont feel bad Val it happens, we actually have a bush fly here that blows live maggots. Not eggs that hatch so always diligent checking butts living here in Aussie land. They can be outside, do one that clings on and in summer when the flies are at there worse it can happen straight away a dog being what we call "Fly Blown" with maggots there straight away. It can happen with the cleanest of dogs, unfortunately Henry sat on infested poo and having his little special pocket they invaded it and there would be no way you would ever pick up something like that when you took him home and bathed him. Glad henry let you know he had a colony living on/in him  Gross but it happens |
| OK, the ick factor is wearing off. Thanks everyone. I appreciate the kind words and other examples. Fly Blown is a much nicer term than maggot@ss. I am very interested to find out what the little cavity actually is. . . It kinda sorta seems like the sort of opening a girl dog would have. . . Weird. |
HOLY COW!!!  That is soooooooo gross and soooooooo weird. Glad that you caught it though!! |
| Eewwww, Eewwwww, Eewwwww. Just when I think I'm getting used to things that can happen, maggot butt. Poor Henry! |
| Ok, that gets the gross prize. Poor Henry! Just the thought of those give me the creepies. Glad that he's back to being a happy fellow. |
Valerie wrote: I really hope it closes up. I don't see why they couldn't rough up the edges and sew them together. . I'd guess for two reasons first in case there are still maggots there and second because then it could turn into an abscess. It is amazing the things that can happen. Funny that flyblown sounds better to you than maggots. To us it just means maggots. |
Mim wrote: Valerie wrote: I really hope it closes up. I don't see why they couldn't rough up the edges and sew them together. . I'd guess for two reasons first in case there are still maggots there and second because then it could turn into an abscess. : I meant after the maggots are gone -- please I have to believe that they will be gone. . . But you are right about the possibility of an abscess. A doctor friend at the park explained that they cannot sew up and close a cavity because it would get infected. There needs to be drainage. I don't really understand how they remove a cavity. . . But apparently this is not a simple situation. I will have to find out whether it is something that could be kept clean . . . I really don't understand it at all. |
| Val, was it a 'fissure'? Did the vet give you fluids to flush the area? I'm wondering aobut when they were aroud the horse sh*t, and sat in it. This would be my best guess. Henry will be fine. You will be fine and all WILL return to normal. We'll get together soon. Ali |
Ali wrote: Val, was it a 'fissure'? Did the vet give you fluids to flush the area? I'm wondering aobut when they were aroud the horse sh*t, and sat in it. This would be my best guess. Henry will be fine. You will be fine and all WILL return to normal. We'll get together soon. Ali Thank you! It is not a fissure. It is below his butt. He always had a little slit there -- perfectly formed and symmetrical -- I just didn't realize that the slit opens into a cavity. An empty space that goes nowhere and isn't connected to anything. It is between his butt and his ball sac. The vet said he'd never seen anything like it before. |
| O. M. G. !!!! Ewwwwwww! Val, I'm so sorry you went through that! YUCK-O! Hugs to Henry. |
| Yup, Val - you win the gross award!! Ewww, ewww, ewww!!! Glad to hear Henry is feeling better. Hopefully the slit will heal closed by itself, but even so - wouldn't there still be a risk of an abcess if the slit just closes but the cavity is still there? |
| So, how long are you to wait to see if it closes? Did they give you any timeline? |
Drezzie's Mom wrote: Yup, Val - you win the gross award!! Ewww, ewww, ewww!!! Glad to hear Henry is feeling better. Hopefully the slit will heal closed by itself, but even so - wouldn't there still be a risk of an abcess if the slit just closes but the cavity is still there? Yes, if the cavity persists. The hope is that the whole thing (the "hole thing") closes up. I don't see why it would. Seems like they are just trying to give me a least invasive option. It is also possible that maybe it is just an area I could keep clean . . . got sheep wrote: So, how long are you to wait to see if it closes? Did they give you any timeline? He has a follow up today to make sure all the buggers are gone and to make sure no infection is forming and then they say after 2 weeks, they will evaluate what the next move is. He is on a monster dose of antibiotics for the next two weeks. It is amazing how immediately he became a bouncy, happy boy again. |
| Good news! Henry went for his recheck today and the Vet says it is healing beautifully and he even thinks that the little cavity may heal up and go away without needing surgery. He can't explain why there was a little pocket there. He said he is going to be looking more carefully at other dogs' butts to see if this is common but just something he never noticed before. Henry is very happy and me too! Edited to add: It occurred to me that the Vet suggesting surgery might be needed was the same Vet who thought we should maybe get xrays when Henry had a rather routine bout of diarrhea. He's a new Vet in our regular practice and maybe he is just a worst-case scenario kind of doc. Our regular vet has a more moderate approach which I really like. |
Good news! Henry went for his recheck today and the Vet says it is healing beautifully and he even thinks that the little cavity may heal up and go away without needing surgery.       |
Yay Henry's Butt!  |
| Yay So glad to hear that Henry is healing up. Sorry you both had to go through this. I think I would have ewwwww I don't even want to think about it.  Lisa and Frankie |
| oow ! POOR HENRY And you ofcourse... good thing you took him to the wet so quikly ! Hope Henry is doing OK ! |
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