A retrospective study of 43 dogs with anal sac adenocarcinoma (ASAC) was performed to characterize the clinical presentation and response to treatment. Clinical signs at presentation varied considerably, with signs related either to sublumbar nodal metastasis (tenesmus or constipation) or hypercalcemia (polyuria-polydipsia and anorexia) being the most frequent findings. At the time of presentation, 23 (53%) dogs had hypercalcemia and 34 (79%) had metastases, with the regional lymph nodes (31 dogs, 72%) being the most common site of metastasis. A variety of chemotherapeutic agents were administered, with partial remission (PR) recorded in 4 of 13 (31%) dogs treated with cisplatin and in 1 of 3 (33%) dogs treated with carboplatin. The median survival for all dogs was 6 months (range, 2 days-41 months). There was no statistical association between the presence of hypercalcemia and survival, although the power of the study to detect an increase in survival of 3 months was low (.33). We conclude that platinum chemotherapy has antitumor activity in canine apocrine gland carcinoma and that further study of these agents is warranted.Key words: Anal tumors; Chemotherapy; Dog; Surgery.A nal sac disease in the dog is common and affects approximately 12% of the canine population. 1 The majority of anal sac disease consists of impactions and infections, 1 with neoplasia being an uncommon occurrence. 2 Tumors in the perineal area, however, are common in the dog, with the majority being adenomas of the perianal glands. 3 Perianal adenomas are seen most frequently in intact male dogs because of the tumor's testosterone dependence. 3 The most common malignancy in the perineal area in older female dogs is anal sac adenocarcinoma (ASAC). These tumors arise from the apocrine glands of the anal sac. 3 ASAC accounts for approximately 2% of skin tumors in the dog. 2 ASACs are malignant neoplasms with a propensity to metastasize initially to the regional lymph nodes, and then to the liver, spleen, lungs, and other sites. 4,5 Reports of ASAC are limited in the veterinary literature. [2][3][4][5] There is some conflicting information regarding gender predisposition. In 2 reports, 11 of 14 4 and 30 of 32 5 dogs with ASAC were female. A large study of 238 dogs, however, suggested a similar occurrence in males and females, with 56% being female. 2 ASAC is a disease of older dogs, with the mean age at presentation reported to be 10.2-10.8 years, having a range of 3-17 years. [2][3][4][5] There is limited information on breed predisposition. German Shepherds accounted for 3 of 14 4 and 4 of 32 5 patients in 2 small studies. In the larger report of 238 dogs, several breeds including the English Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, Alaskan Malamute, English Springer Spaniel, and German Shepherd were reported to be at increased risk of developing ASAC. 2