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???

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What did the vet say? Did they run any tests?

What type of medication did they prescribe? 

Absolutely stop the rawhides. And she really can't be allowed to run loose on the farm eating things. 

[Kandy Kunzman]

My daughter took her to vet. They did not run any tests.  antibiotic...we are supposed to watch the color of her urine.  Ok..so she has a tendency to chew on things.  She loves pop/water bottles, and plastic coat hangers.  Do you think any of these could be causing this??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If she has a piece of plastic in her GI tract, it could. I'm surprised the vet didn't do an Xray. 

I'm not sure how an antibiotic would help unless they determined that there is an infection present which is causing the vomiting. 

[Kandy Kunzman]

She got cimetidine for a week..I guess this is supposed to help if there is something in her GI tract. I did see something foreign in her last throw up this morning. Hopefully that was it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Cimetidine is not an antibiotic, it's an antacid. That does make more sense.

What is Cimetidine?
Cimetidine decreases stomach acid production in dogs and cats. It helps treat existing ulcers as well as prevent the formation of new ulcers. Cimetidine is also used to treat inflammation of the stomach (gastritis), inflammation of the esophagus, and gastric or esophageal reflux.

[Kandy Kunzman]

She isn't really allowed to run free outside...but when she does go out to go potty, she likes to find other dog /cat food.

[Brittney & Cally]

I have no other suggestions than definitely take away the rawhides! Dogs really cannot digest them and they can just sit in their stomachs!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Harper is a little mini Doodle....she is not intended to be running free on the farm where she can eat anything she wants.  Has she been having diarrhea...that could result in the anal gland issue?   Definitely no rawhides and I would never let her outside without being leashed so you can see what she's eating, for now.  Later if there's a fenced area that you can keep clean, that could be an option.  If her vomit was very dark I would be concerned about some internal bleeding.

[Diane and Alma]

I agree with the diarrhea causing the anal gland issue.  It took us awhile to figure out the best food for Alma.  Her stools were always loose and she would scooch on her bum.  We took her to he vet several times to have her checked and glands expressed.  Once we got her on he right food her stools became firm and she hasn't had any problems since. 

[Kandy Kunzman]

What kind of food do you have your dog on now

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Food may play a role in the anal glands becoming impacted, but it wouldn't cause the vomiting. 

[Diane and Alma]

Yes.  Vomiting would be caused by something else.