Anal furunculosis is common and mostly affects German Shepherd Dogs(GSD) and GSD crosses. Anal furunculosis causes deep skin infection which results in skin ulceration and possibly open tracts running through the perianal (around the anus) skin. The breed predisposition is a result of physical factors including the low tail carriage, the humidity of the perianal area and the high number of apocrine glands around the anus, and possibly genetic factors causing an immune dysfunction. However we still cannot fully explain all the damage caused to the soft tissue of the perianal region.
Most dogs show extreme anal pain and have difficulty in passing feces. Initial investigation includes mapping the wounds around the anus +/- colonoscopy to determine if they have concurrent colitis (50% of cases do).
Treatment is difficult and frustrating, because relapses are frequent. There are medical and surgical options and often both need to be explored. Treating anal furunculosis with medicine would include either the use of steroid at a high dose with the view to tapering it down, or the use of cyclosporin which is currently the favoured option for treatment however is a very expensive medicine. The dose of cyclosporin can be reduced by concurrently treating with another medicine called ketoconazole. Most recently there have been a few successful trials describing the use of a topical cream that acts in a similar way to cyclosporin although is considerably stronger and therefore is only used topically rather than as an oral pill or capsule form. This cream has been used as a follow up to cyclosporin once the lesions have started to shrink. If you and your vet decide to treat with any of these medicines, their side effects should be discussed and considered.
Surgical options include: sharp excision of the tracts, cryosurgery which involves freezing the tissue, and anal gland removal. These procedures may be of benefit in conjunction with the medical treatments listed above. There are possible complications to these surgeries and they should be discussed with your vet.
Please feel free to post any questions or personal experiences you may have had in treating your dog with this condition. We hope you find this article of use.
