Anyone else have problems with anal glands?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Marcie on
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Have you asked your vet? My last dog used to get anal gland infections and eventually had to have them removed. You problem does not sound like an infection, but it would be worth a checkup.
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Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on
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I would definately go to the vet, have them expressed by him/her.
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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Waffle has very, uh, active anal glands too. Expressing them wouldn't fix the problem. He obviously has no problem expressing them on his own! It's just something we deal with...
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Permalink Reply by Christina vassill on
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what do you do when he is expressing them in public? Does he ever do it in the way I've mentioned where he is essentially squatting?
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Yup, especially on the beach after we've been away for a while. Most of the time, I just walk away embarrassed. He did it in the surf once in front of a family and I about cried. The family then packed up their stuff and left because they thought he pooped in the water. :[
If anyone asks, I explain that it was just anal gland fluid and I can't pick it up. After enough times of it happening, it stops leaving a sour taste in your mouth when people confront you.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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It's never left a sour taste in my mouth because I never taste it. :)
But if anyone gets snooty ("Do you need a bag to pick that up?"), just pretend you're tasting it with your finger ("No, it's not dog sh!t, just anal glands..."). That will shut them up.
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Permalink Reply by Jen Giammona on
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oh wow. this happened to linus once. i actually thought it was diarrhea and i put him on the bland diet for a few days, but this makes so much more sense (because he had a solid poop about 10 minutes before the liquid came out of him on a walk). i actually did the "pretend to pick it up thing" too.
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Permalink Reply by E on
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What kind of dog food are you feeding him? My dogs also had active anal glands but I noticed when I switched them Wellness Super5Mix Healthy Weight, which has a lower fat content, the problem went away. Previously, I had fed them regular Wellness Super5Mix and regular Wellness Core (both had higher fat percentagees) but the doggies still had active glands.
BTW, I switched them to the healthy weight brand because my doggies were getting a little fat, not because of their anal glands. However, I soon noticed that they didn't seem to be excreting as much and, after a while, it went away.
I currently have them on Wellness Core Reduced Fat Formula because I wanted to move to a grain free product. So far, so good, although, every once in a while, I get a little whiff of odors past (though nothing like before), so I may switch back to the healthy weight formula since it has the lower fat content.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Only time this happened to one of mine was on the exam table at the vet when we were trying to get Wiley's nails trimmed:(
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I've had Nash on three different types of food since he was a puppy. He still has managed to produce the fluid with all three. He's been on a homemade diet, grain free Merrick, and is currently on Berkeley Jensen holistic. It doesn't seem to affect him. At first I thought it was diarrhea. It seems that he just gets excited and anxious and likes to squat. His bowel movements are solid. It's good to know that other dogs also seem to have the same problem.
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Throneberry on
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Sammie has this problem but I release her anal glands myself. You can learn from your vet how or on YouTube!!!! This way you can do it at home where it's not seen!
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Permalink Reply by Heather and Applejack on
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I see a lot of dogs come into the practice I work at with anal gland issues. Be forewarned that if you just start having them expressed at a vet, and do nothing else, that they lose muscle tone in the tiny little duct that goes from the gland to the rectum. In normal circumstances, the weight of the stool puts enough pressure on the duct where it will release fluid normally during a bowel movement. But in cases like Nash, there simply might not be enough pressure.
I would also suggest going to your vet to get them expressed and make sure there's no infection or abscess blocking the way, but I will also suggest a change of diet. Fiber will bulk up the stool and firm it up. A simple solution to that may not necessarily require a food change, but the addition of PUMPKIN to the diet works wonders! A couple teaspoons of canned pumpkin, like you'd buy to make a pumpkin pie, might do the trick! Try that in conjunction with the food.
However, you should find a food that gives him nice firm, formed stool. I personally am a proponent of grain-free diets and recommend them whole heartedly. But whatever works for you and Nashie-pants! Hope it helps!
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