WRVMA Webinar: Anal Sacs: How to Help Patients Who Scoot, Lick, Leak, or Smell AND Navigating the Supplement Maze: An Evidence-Based Approach to Supplements for the Allergic Dog

Presented by: Meagan Painter, DVM, DACVD

Anal Sacs: How to Help Patients Who Scoot, Lick, Leak, or Smell

Anal sac disease is one of the most common causes of scooting, licking, odor, and perianal discomfort in dogs - yet the pathophysiology, diagnostic approach, and long-term management remain poorly understood.
This 50-minute, evidence-based lecture provides a clear, practical, and up-to-date framework for diagnosing and treating non-neoplastic anal sac disease, using current research and clinical insights from a veterinary dermatologist. Attendees will learn to differentiate impaction, sacculitis, and abscessation; identify key comorbidities, including allergies and gastrointestinal disease; apply diagnostic decision-making (including when cytology and culture are - and are not - useful); and implement effective treatment strategies ranging from expression to infusion.
The session emphasizes inflammation-driven pathophysiology, antimicrobial stewardship, long-term prevention, and communication strategies for improving client understanding and adherence. Participants will leave with actionable protocols they can apply immediately in general practice to improve patient comfort and reduce recurrence.

Learning Objectives:

1.    Differentiate impaction, sacculitis, and abscessation within the continuum of non-neoplastic anal sac disease.
   2.    Recognize key behavioral and physical exam findings associated with anal sac disease, including scooting, licking, odor, and perianal dermatitis.
   3.    Apply evidence-based diagnostic strategies
   4.    Identify major comorbidities, especially allergic skin disease and gastrointestinal dysmotility, and integrate them into long-term management.
   5.    Implement appropriate treatment interventions, from manual expression and dietary adjustment to lavage and infusion, including antimicrobial stewardship when infection is confirmed.

Navigating the Supplement Maze: An Evidence-Based Approach to Supplements for the Allergic Dog

Supplements are one of the most common — and most fraught — topics in the exam room for allergic dogs. Owners often arrive having already tried chews, oils, and probiotics marketed with confident language and emotional appeal, while the evidence behind most products remains thin, inconsistent, or absent. Veterinarians are left to separate genuine therapeutic value from marketing in a 15-minute appointment.

This 50-minute lecture provides general practitioners with a clear, practical framework for evaluating supplements and counseling owners of allergic dogs, drawing on current research and clinical insights from a veterinary dermatologist. Attendees will examine the market forces and owner psychology driving supplement use; decode the buzzwords and marketing claims that shape purchasing decisions; and review the actual evidence behind the ingredients most commonly promoted for itchy dogs, from omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics to quercetin and colostrum. 

The session emphasizes evidence-based decision-making, supplement stewardship, and empathetic communication that preserves the veterinarian–client relationship rather than dismissing owners' concerns. Participants will leave with practical language they can use immediately to guide owners toward honest, multimodal allergy care.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the market forces and psychological drivers behind supplement use among owners of allergic dogs, and why this conversation matters in general practice.
2. Critically evaluate common supplement marketing language, buzzwords, and claims, distinguishing persuasive messaging from demonstrated evidence.
3. Summarize the current evidence and appropriate dosing for ingredients most commonly marketed for canine allergic skin disease, including omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, quercetin, colostrum, and curcumin.
4. Apply a structured, repeatable framework to assess whether a given supplement or claim is evidence-based, safe, and appropriate to recommend.
5. Communicate with owners empathetically and honestly about supplements within a multimodal, evidence-based allergy management plan to improve trust and adherence.