Anal Glands...mini sick

[Kandy Kunzman]

My mini, Harper is having problems with anal glans.She has been throwing up for the last two days so we took her to the vet.  They gave us medicine and her anal glands were full for the 3rd time in about 2 months. We quit giving her treats for a couple of weeks .She's on Blue dog food.  SHe does have some rawhide treats...Should we take those away?  We do live on a farm and I swear she eats anything that she sees.  Her vomit this morning was total liquid but VERY dark. Any suggestions???

[Diane and Alma]

We tried several recommended by our vet as well as our local pet store (not a big chain) where we received samples.  I also did research here on DK in the food group.  She is currently on a grain free fish.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, it really sounds to me like they need to find out if there is a foreign object in her GI tract. 

[Kandy Kunzman]

She doesn't just run free outside. Only for a little exercise and to go potty..which is not very long since it had been so cold here. Otherwise she is an indoor dog. No diarrhea.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Kandy, in your original post here, you wrote:  "We do live on a farm and I swear she eats anything that she sees."

That would seem to imply that she eats things she finds outdoors, and that you attribute her illness to that. 

Perhaps you need to clarify what you meant. 

Also, the anal gland issue is one thing, and vomiting for two days is something else, which may or may not be related. Dark colored liquid vomit, and repeated vomiting over two days are signs of illness, and probably more serious illness than impacted anal glands.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

How has she been acting? Lethargic, active, eating, drinking? I would also be very concerned with the dark vomit…What exact color was it?  I am shocked the vet didn't do an X-ray as well..especially with her history of eating things. Has she been pooping? What is her poop like?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

As far as the anal glands go, if her stools are usually firm and regular, and the glands are still becoming impacted, it may be that she is just prone to anal gland problems. There have been other dogs here with such severe anal gland issues that they had to have the glands surgically removed. The only thing that may help is to feed a grain-free, high fiber diet. You say she is eating blue, but there are dozens of different Blue formulas. She should be on one that is grain free, like Blue Wilderness. You can try adding a couple of tablespoons of plain cooked sweet potatoes or canned pure pumpkin to her meals to add fiber. But I would wait to make any changes in her diet until the vomiting is resolved.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here is a discussion by the owner of one doodle who had to have surgery for chronic impacted anal glands: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/to-remove-or-not-to-remove

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yes, stop the rawhides and anything else that she tends to be eating.  Dogs will self-medicate if something just isn't right with them.  Groucho Too even ate fresh cow poo that he encountered on the trail.  He had never done that before, and the vet agreed that he was attempting to self-medicate.  Put away anything you don't want her to be eating inside the house (up or behind closed doors) and leave out some toys that you don't mind if she chews up.  Plastic?  No, no, none of that.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Oh, yeah, about the anal glands.  Have your vet show you how to clean them and then do it every time you give her a bath.  While your hand is lathered up and you are washing her anal area, clean the anal glands.  One of my dogs always has a few squirts from his glands and the other never has anything.