Anal Gland Nightmare!

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

So, I recently posted about us having problems with Remington's anal glands. We had them expressed in November and they were full... and we had to have them expressed again yesterday, once again, FULL! I could not believe it. Our vet said that the next time we needed to have it done he would just show us how to do it ourselves... YUCK YUCK YUCK! However, I feel I have no choice since I don't want to be paying 30 dollars a months for a 5 minute procedure! And they said they could be raising the price up to 50 dollars! AHHH! Anyways, so I'm looking for some home remedies that would help Remington to be able to express them himself. The Dr. suggested green beans or pumpkin. I'm going to the store this afternoon to get some pumpkin to see if this helps to clear the problem up. I have also read the coconut helps, prunes, Metamucil, or Nature's Variety Raw Medallions (have any of you tried these). I read that if we keep expressing them ourselves that he will lose the ability to do it on his own and I would much rather him do it on his own than for me to have to do it! YIKES! I have also heard that low grade food can cause anal gland problems but we feed Eagle Pack which is a very high quality food! I just want him to be healthy and not have to go through this every month! Any advice would be great! Thanks

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have not had this problem with mine fortunately but I've read about it. anything you do do increase the fiber in the stool should help. Calla hated pumpkin but some dogs like it I think. Don't get the pie filling but plain pumpkin. My dogs love pieces of baby carrots. the first time Calla had her nails dremeled the trainer did it. Calla not only peed on her but expressed her anal glands. The trainer was not too pleased. God luck.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

How did you know it needed to be done? Did he rub his butt on the ground? Guinness does that once in a while and I've wondered if it was due to the anal glands.

[F, Calla & Luca]

If they scoot along the ground it usually is anal glands. Many dogs do empty the sacs on their own, one way or another.

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

We know it needs to be done just by the smell! I mean it is a distinct smell! Remington does not rub his butt across the carpet or anything like that... he just has a smell about him that won't go away!

[Tammy & Gracie]

I've not had this problem with my doodle. Is he professionally groomed? My toy dogs have their glands expressed by the groomer whenever they are groomed. Since fiber helps, I say try the pumpkin or fresh veggies as snacks/treats. If Remington does not care for veggies, you can just sprinkle a little metamucil on his food. It is tasteless and should be ok. Also, it sounds like this might be an ongoing problem so make the supplementation a daily habit.....

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I have never had a problem with this - maybe because my dogs love carrotts and that is their main source of treats?
Mine like pumpkin also...give that a try (it is inexpensive and you can refrigerate in a sealed container for up to one week).

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

Does this firm up their poop or just make them poop more? Because I have read that the anal glands aren't expressed by some dogs because their stool is too soft. I would think that pumpkin or carrots would make it even softer!?! I dunno? :/

[F, Calla & Luca]

Actually pumpkin can be used to help both constipation and diarrhea. You want the stool a little bulkier and somewhere between soft and hard. We all like hard poop because it's easier to clean but too hard really is not good for the doodle either.

[Frannie & Callie]

Kendra - I know that smell EXACTLY! Callie has had periodic issues with this, and I also identify it by smell. I had no idea what it was at first...I scrubbed my house, febreezed the sofas, washed Callie, and still kept getting whiffs of this odor that I could only describe as "butt". My sister was the one who clued me in (when I called her and said that Callie smelled like butt and I couldn't find anything stinky on her). This does seem to resolve itself. I do give Callie baby carrots, apple slices, and raw sweet potato as snacks sometimes, so maybe that's helping (never would have occured to me before I read people's responses).

[Azure & Muppet]

The smell from the secretion from anal glands is one of the worst smells to me. I can't describe it, but once you've smelled it, you never forget, and you recognize it immediately. It's soooo foul. It's worse than fish, vomit, or even diarrhea or poop. It's extremely unpleasant, to say the least.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't have much to add the good advice you've already gotten, except that I would not give prunes or coconut, and the NV raw medallions by themselves won't help. Raw feeding advocates claim that the raw diets including edible bones helps keep the anal glands from becoming impacted. I don't know if that's true, but it would have to be the full raw diet regimen and not just feeding the NV medallions in addition to his normal diet. I really think that just getting more fiber and less filler is what helps.
Jack had a little trouble with his anal glands this year, and the vet told me that for dogs who tend to become impacted, the glands should always be expressed internally. The groomers tend to do it from the outside, and that can make the problem worse.
Good luck!

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

Yes, the glands have been expressed internally the last two times... and that is what they are wanting to teach us to do ourselves... I'm sorry but sticking my finger up there is not my idea of fun! AHHHHH :(