Signs & Symptoms of Perianal Adenomas in Dogs

Perianal adenomas are tumors that appear near a dog's rectum, on the underside of his tail or on the lower abdomen. They are usually found in un-neutered males because this type of tumor is stimulated by the male hormone testosterone. In females and neutered males perianal adenomas are often malignant, fast-growing and pervasive.

  1. Mass Around the Anus

    • Usually the first symptom of a perianal tumor is a small, hard mass around a dog's anus. The nonmalignant type of perianal tumor is slow growing. The dog may feel its pressure under the skin, which at first feels itchy. As the mass grows, it may eventually ulcerate and break through the skin.

    Scooting Behavior

    • An early symptom of a perianal tumor is scooting behavior. The pressure of the tumor, though small, is itchy, and the dog wants to relieve the itch. He may also scoot along on his bottom when he is defecating because the tumor begins to hurt from the pressure placed on it by the bowel movement.

    Licking, Chewing and Scratching

    • The dog may lick the tumor often, or he may chew on it or scratch it. The tumor then becomes irritated and the dog will have difficulty sitting down and passing bowel movements. Any pressure on the tumor and the irritated skin surrounding it causes the dog pain and more itching. He may whine, cry or lack energy because he is impacted with waste and doesn't feel well.

    Blood and Foul-Smelling Discharge

    • The tumor will begin to bleed when the dog scratches or bites it. Scooting will also put enough friction on the raised tumor to cause it to break open and bleed. If the tumor gets big enough, part of it may rupture and emit a nasty-smelling discharge. When this happens, the tumor may become infected with bacteria.

    Treatment

    • Some perianal tumors go away without medical intervention. If not, the tumor must be removed surgically and analyzed in a laboratory to see if it is malignant. If the tumor is not cancerous, the dog's prognosis after surgery and precautionary antibiotics is excellent. However, if the tumor is found in a female or a neutered male, it is always biopsied before it is removed. If it is cancerous, the surrounding lymph nodes are removed to prevent the tumor from spreading. Chemotherapy and/or radiation are often used to eradicate any remaining malignant cells.