Anal glands can become impacted; this means that the secretion is too thick to be excreted naturally. The secretion becomes thicker as it stagnates in the anal gland. If the duct of the anal gland becomes narrowed due to inflammation, scar tissue, or for other reasons, the secretion cannot escape from the gland. Infection of the anal sac may accompany anal sac impaction. With infection, pus forms in the anal sac. A swollen or scarred duct may not allow the infection to escape from the gland, thus the gland ruptures internally and the infection spreads to neighboring tissues.

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What does brachycephalic mean?

In dogs and cats, being brachycephalic means that the skull and in particular the face and nose are shortened. "Brachy" means "shortened" and "cephalic" means "head". People may describe it as the face appearing "pushed in." As the face and nose bones are shortened, the anatomy of other tissues change as the amount of space is restricted. Animals that are brachycephalic have a compressed face, with nostrils that are, often times narrowed.

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The cruciate ligament is a major part of the canine knee. Cruciate injury is one of the most common orthopedic complications seen in dogs. Sometimes called ACL or CCL tear, a ruptured cruciate is often a painful and immobilizing injury. While not a serious or life-threatening injury, it is still one that must be addressed for the sake of your dog. As a dog owner, it is relatively likely you will eventually see this injury occur in one of your dogs. It is important to understand the signs and treatments of this injury, as well as know how to prevent it.

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The elbow joint is made up of 3 separate bones, the radius, the ulna, and the humerus. Developmental abnormalities may occur in the elbow joint, mostly in medium and large breed dogs. There are three common developmental problems that are often referred to as 'elbow dysplasia', namely a fragmented coronoid process (FCP), and ununited anconeal process (UAP), and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).

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Hip dysplasia is one of the most studied veterinary conditions in dog health, and the most common single cause of arthritis of the hips. Some dogs will show clear signs of hip dysplasia at a very young age, before the arthritis sets in. For them, a commonly used surgical method is available to prevent its onset. But for many canines, the symptoms will not be obvious until severe, crippling arthritis has developed, usually by the age of 18 months. At this point, the options for hip treatment are limited and complex.

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The inguinal canal is an opening of the muscle wall in a dog’s groin, which exists in order for blood vessels and spermatic cord pass to the testicles in male dogs and for the vaginal process to pass through for female dogs. An inguinal hernia occurs when the opening of the inguinal canal widens, allowing abdominal contents to bulge out of or pass through.

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The parathyroid glands are small (1/4 inch diameter), flat glands that play a very important role in maintaining the blood calcium concentration in dogs and cats. Chemical sensors within the parathyroid glands monitor blood calcium levels and if the calcium levels decrease, the glands secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH acts on the kidneys, intestines, and bones to increase the amount of calcium in the bloodstream. There are usually four parathyroid glands in most mammals, two on either side of the throat, closely associated with the thyroid glands (hence the name, parathyroid). Tumors of the parathyroid glands are uncommon; however they can produce serious problems in dogs and cats if the tumors secrete excessive, unregulated amounts of PTH. Excessive PTH causes elevated levels of blood calcium which can have toxic effects on the kidneys, the intestines, and the brain.

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The patella, or knee cap, is a small bone buried in the tendon of the extensor muscles (the quadriceps muscles) of the thigh. The patella normally rides in a femoral groove within the stifle. The patellar tendon attaches on the tibial crest, a bony prominence located on the tibia, just below the knee. The quadriceps muscle, the patella and its tendon form the “extensor mechanism” and are normally well-aligned with each other. Patellar luxation is a condition where the knee cap rides outside the femoral groove when the stifle is flexed. It can be further characterized as medial or lateral, depending on whether the knee cap rides on the inner or on the outer aspect of the stifle.

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A perineal hernia is a condition that occurs in both dogs and cats in which there is an abnormal displacement of pelvic and/or abdominal organs (small intestine, rectum, prostate, bladder, or fat) into the region around the anus called the perineum. A perineal hernia is most successfully treated using the internal obturator muscle flap technique. Castration is always performed at the same time as the perineal hernia surgery so that the prostate will shrink, thus minimize straining during bowel movements.

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What is PRAA?

The term vascular ring anomaly describes several disorders that occur because of abnormal development of the major blood vessels in the chest. Malformations in these arteries may entrap vital structures, or may be harmless differences that never hamper a dog's health. The most common abnormality is a persistent right aortic arch which develops instead of the left aortic arch that would normally become the permanent aorta, the main blood vessel leading from the heart. It causes varying degrees of narrowing of the esophagus, leading to digestive problems in weanling puppies.

These anomalies are relatively common in puppies. They do not cause problems in the circulation of blood around the body; however, entrapment of the esophagus and sometimes the trachea can cause regurgitation, unthriftiness, and often aspiration pneumonia.

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Preventing Quadriceps Contracture

Quadriceps contracture is a severely debilitating condition in which the quadriceps muscle group (large muscle groups on the front of the thigh) develops fibrosis (scar tissue) and adhesions due to fractures above or below the stifle joint (knee). This results in a shortening of the muscle and the inability to flex the knee. This loss of normal range of motion prevents your pet from using the leg. Treatment is very expensive and painful surgery that, unfortunately, is rarely successful. You can see why preventing this serious complication is extremely important to the full return to normal function of your pet.

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Surgical Removal of Screw Tail in Bulldogs

Intertriginous dermatoses, or skin fold pyoderma, is a well recognized disorder caused by excessive skin folds in various regions in dogs, such as nasal, lip, perivulvular, and the secondary to the screw-tail, or ingrown tail abnormality in bulldogs. Redundant skin in these areas leads to skin friction, excessive moisture, and poor air circulation. Trapped skin secretions are fertile ground for surface bacteria and yeast to establish infection.

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Osteochondrosis occurs commonly in the shoulders of immature, large, and giant-breed dogs. The lesion usually appears on the caudal (back) surface of the humeral head. Osteochondrosis begins with a failure of immature cartilage to form bone in the humeral head. This failure leads to abnormal cartilage thickening. Increased cartilage thickness may result in malnourished cartilage cells that die. Loss of these cartilage cells deep in the cartilage layers leads to formation of a defect at the junction between cartilage and bone. Subsequently, normal daily activity may cause fissures in the cartilage that eventually communicate with the joint, forming a cartilage flap. It is with the formation of a flap that osteochondrosis becomes osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). OCD is the form of osteochondrosis that is associated with pain and dysfunction. In some cases, the resulting flap occupies as much as half the humeral head. The causes of OCD are multifactorial with genetic and nutritional interactions thought to be the central factors.

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Active Thyroid Masses in Dogs

Overview: The thyroid glands are paired structures located along the windpipe (trachea), about halfway down the neck of dogs and cats. The thyroid glands are responsible for producing hormones that are vital for normal body function. Thyroid growths in dogs can be benign (adenoma) or malignant (carcinoma). Benign growths tend to get larger and may produce excess hormones; malignant growths can also spread to other parts of the body. While benign tumors of the thyroid gland are common in cats, the majority of dogs have malignant tumors. Thyroid tumors are commonly seen in middle aged to older large breed dogs such as boxers, beagles, golden retrievers, and Siberian huskies.

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Otitis externa is an inflammation of the ear canal. Because dogs’ ear canals are L-shaped , fluid does not drain easily from canal openings. Additionally, the lining of the ear can become inflamed and thickened, blocking air and fluid flow in and out of the canal. Animals with otitis externa can also develop otitis media (middle ear inflammation). Similar to the problem seen in children (especially after airplane flights), fluid can build up behind the ear drum, causing pressure and pain. Otitis externa and media are common conditions in dogs, particularly in specific breeds such as the Cocker spaniel and German shepherd.

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