Beyond Pets Animal Hospital · Marietta, GA
Bilateral anal sacculectomy
Typical cost at Beyond Pets: Bilateral anal sacculectomy: $1,709.50–$1,840.72.
A clear guide to surgery for persistent anal sac problems, including the benefits, risks, and care your pet may need.
Appointment-only. Same-day appointments are usually available — call to confirm today’s openings.
What it is
Removal of both anal sacs — the two small scent glands just inside the anus. It is done when the sacs cause problems that medical management has not solved.
When it is recommended
- Repeated impaction or infection that keeps returning despite expressing and medical treatment
- Abscesses that have ruptured or keep recurring
- A mass in the anal sac, which is a different and more urgent situation
Chronic scooting, licking, or a foul smell are the signs owners usually notice first. Those have several possible causes — anal sacs are one, and so are allergies and parasites — so the first step is finding out which.
What happens
Under general anaesthesia, both sacs are dissected out whole and the site closed. Removing the sac intact matters: a fragment left behind can keep secreting and cause a draining tract.
Complications, stated plainly
What is common, and settles. Soft stool, straining, scooting and discomfort passing stool in the first one to two weeks. Some swelling and bruising around the surgical sites. Most pets are back to normal toileting once healing is complete.
What is uncommon but serious, and why we tell you before rather than after. The nerves that control continence run immediately alongside the anal sacs. If they are bruised or damaged, a pet can leak stool or lose control of when they pass it. When this happens it is usually temporary and improves over weeks as the nerves recover. Permanent faecal incontinence is rare, and it is the reason this surgery is not done casually. The risk is higher when both sacs are removed than one, and higher again when the tissue is already infected, scarred from repeated abscesses, or involved by a tumour, because normal landmarks are harder to see.
Other risks worth naming. Infection or breakdown at the incision. A draining tract, if any secretory tissue is left behind. Narrowing of the anal opening, which is uncommon.
How we reduce it. Careful dissection directly on the sac wall, and doing the surgery when the tissue is as quiet as it can be made rather than in the middle of an active abscess, where that is clinically possible.
Ask the veterinarian doing the surgery to walk you through this in your pet's specific case before you consent. The answer differs between a routine bilateral removal and one done through inflamed or cancerous tissue.
Recovery
- First 48 hours. Discomfort passing stool is expected. Pain relief is sent home and should be given as directed rather than only when your pet seems sore.
- Days 1–14. E-collar at all times — this is one of the harder sites to stop a pet licking. Leash walks only. No baths, swimming or grooming of the area.
- Stool. Expect soft stool early. A stool softener or a temporary diet change is often used so that passing stool does not strain the incisions.
- Recheck at 10–14 days, sooner if anything below appears.
- Back to normal activity at around two to three weeks, once healing is confirmed.
Call us if your pet cannot pass stool, is leaking stool, has a swollen or opening incision, a bad smell or discharge from the surgical sites, or is off food or lethargic.
Frequently asked
Will my dog lose function? This is the question that matters most and it is answered honestly in consultation, with the specific risk for your pet's situation, not with a reassuring generality.
Can we treat it without surgery? Often, yes, at first — expressing, diet change, treating an underlying allergy. Surgery is for the cases where that has been tried and has not held.
Does it need to be both sides? Not always. Bilateral removal is one option; a single-side procedure is another. Which is appropriate depends on what is actually affected.
Plan for the cost of care.
Prices are subject to change; the final estimate is provided at the exam. We’ll discuss the recommended care and your estimate before treatment.
Bilateral anal sacculectomy
$1,709.50–$1,840.72
bilateral procedure. Includes: preoperative testing, anesthesia and monitoring, routine medications, procedure-appropriate routine pathology, routine rechecks. Please note: the final client estimate is examination-dependent.
Patient needs, case complexity, additional diagnostics or treatment, and complications can change the estimate. A typical range is not a complication ceiling.
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How is the final cost determined?
Bilateral anal sacculectomy: $1,709.50–$1,840.72. Prices are subject to change; the final estimate is provided at the exam. Patient needs, case complexity, additional diagnostics or treatment, and complications can change the estimate. Review payment options before treatment.
How will my pet’s recovery be planned?
Recovery timing depends on your pet and the procedure. Your veterinarian will explain the home-care, activity and recheck plan for your pet; follow that individual plan rather than a fixed return-to-activity date.
Let’s talk about your pet.
We’ll help you choose the right appointment and explain the next step.
Assessment, estimate and preparation
The team will assess whether the procedure is appropriate here or whether referral is needed. Call 770-971-1556 to discuss an assessment. Bring relevant records and medication details.
Review the condition, procedure and recovery guidance below. The treating veterinarian will provide your individual preparation, activity and recheck instructions. Recovery ranges are guidance, not a promised outcome. View veterinary prices.