User:Ktgonzalvo/sandbox

== Overview/Definition == Anal glands, or sacs, are the glands inside animals such as dogs, cats and skunks that are located in the rear of the animal on the left and right sides of the anus. Though they are called anal glands they are more thought of as sacs with glands for oil and sweat located within the sacs. The function of the glands is to mark territory and dispose of toxins of the animals body. Given that the anal glands contain oils that are potent in smell, the feces coated in the oil will be picked up by other animals and prove as a warning that the area has been claimed. Another function of the anal glands is theoretically to help lubricate hard stool as to make passing easier. In the case of the skunk it is more for protection against wild or potentially harmful animals. The skunk uses the anal gland secretions to spray its enemy with a cocktail of thiols that contain sulfur, thioacetates, and methylquinoline.

Issues
Usually the anal gland can express itself through the passing of stool. However, some complications may arise in the form of inflammation, abscessing, or impacting of the glands. In these cases the animal is in discomfort and will try to lick or "scoot" along the floor to try to express the glands. Impacting is due to the glands being so full of toxins that they are enlarged and are causing a terrible odor to leak out of the animal as well as a painful feeling towards the animal. As the animal "scoots" along it may leave the scent and stain of the oil from the anal glands on the floor. The cause of the damage to the anal glands can vary, whether is be from the sphincter muscles not being able to contract properly to excrete the oil or the gland being punctured or a birth deformity of a narrow opening to the glands. The dogs born with small sphincters that cannot usually express themselves are usually the smaller dog breeds. However, if a dog can express its anal glands by itself it is not beneficial for a routine expression by a groomer or vet. In fact it is believed that the more often that the anal glands are manually expressed, the less likely the glands will express themselves again.

Treatment
Most dogs, especially small breeds, have issues expressing their anal glands on their own, therefore, the animal must be taken to a vet to have them manually expressed. The vet will insert their gloved finger inside the anus and feel for a grape-sized lump directly behind the anus at the left and right. The vet will then use their forefinger on the inside and the thumb on the outside to gently squeeze the lumps from the back to the front of the gland. This would be from squeezing the gland moving towards the anus. Sometimes if the animal has had anal gland distress for an extended period of time, the toxins inside the anal gland would have begun to harden which would require more force to be added into the manual expression. In the case of the presence of worms the animal will be diagnosed and given prescribed medication by the certified veterinarian. In the event that the animal has chronic anal gland issues or that the glands have abscessed to the point where the animal cannot control its stool then the best course of action would be to have the glands removed in surgery.

In the event that a skunk has sprayed a pet or a person the common belief is to bathe in tomato juice. However, the best way to rid anything of the burnt rubber smell is to attack the main components of the secretion that make it smell so vile. The main components include two thiols known as (E)-2-butene-1-thiol and 3-methyl-1-butanethiol which are water insoluble which means that water and soap will have no effect on it. They must be converted into water-soluble sulfonates which makes them easier to remove with soap and water. To do this one must first bathe the affected area in a baking soda and peroxide mixture. If the attacked pet has received a heavy spraying or multiple spraying then more drastic measures are necessary. While no one thinks of skunk spray being deadly, it can cause methemoglobinemia or Heinz body anemia in which the patient will need fluids as well as blood work done by a veterinarian. Charlotte Means said on March 27, 2015 that "To treat methemoglobinemia, give N-acetylcysteine at a 140-mg/kg loading dose followed by 70 mg/kg orally or intravenously every six hours for six to eight treatments." . After treatment is administered the patient should be monitored for 72 hours for safety measures.