Back to the topic of Anal Glands

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Tried researching but it looks like it's been a while since the topic was last discussed.  My Josie has had anal gland issues from the day we brought her home (over 4 yrs ago)!  We go in and out of the fish butt smell and this last time, oh my, it woke me from a dead sleep gagging unable to catch my own breath (literally) and with my ankle (post surgery) I couldn't get up and run away to fresher air!  

I'm hoping with the food change it won't be as much of an issue but I'm ready to call out the forces.  I'm noticing with her eating habits that it's worse at times (such as when she's grazing she gets stinky, but when she's inhaling her food, not so much)!  Her poops are fine and look firm but obviously not large enough to do the trick and as I mentioned above she's not a hardy kibble eater?  Where my Sassparilla will inhale her food Josie grabs a kibble or two runs to the nearest piece of furniture she can hide behind, eats and repeats until the bowl is empty or she's done eating?  We just switched from Orijen/Acana to Zignatures (for her only) and so far she is inhaling the food.  She even comes to remind me it's time to eat and steps only a foot or two away from her bowl to eat it!  

I recently heard about Glandex and wondered what folks thought?  I'm desperate to try anything.  I'd express myself but I really can't stomach that smell!  Our last vet visit and pardon if TMI, as the doctor was expressing we heard three loud pops and it kept coming and coming.  Now when your Asian vets eyes are open so wide you can see the entire pupil and all the white around them you know he wasn't expecting that much followed by the words WOW, OH MY, WOW, QUICK MORE TOWELS!  Which then we almost had to clear the entire building! lol 

I'll have to try the green beans again, seems to me Josie ate them but Sassy wasn't interested??  They both love baked butternut squash, should I prepare that for them on a more regular basis rather than as a special treat now and again??  

Any suggests/advice welcome.

TIA

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Anything that gets more fiber into her would be a good idea; it might not solve the problem but it can't hurt. Green beans contain only 40 calories per cup, which is next to nothing, so there's no harm in adding some to every meal if she likes them. I find that most dogs like the canned beans better than fresh or frozen, and it helps if you warm them first. I buy the "no sodium added" canned beans. 

Squash is good too. Butternut squash contains about 60 calories per cup, so use it a bit more sparingly than the green beans if you add to meals on a regular basis. 

I'm not familiar with Glandex, but I looked at the ingredients and there's nothing in there that's harmful, so I don't think it would hurt to give it a try. 

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Thanks Karen.  Josie is real lean so it wouldn't hurt her at all to increase calories.  IF I remember she liked the green beans and both girls love butternut squash.  I bake it let it cool a little and they inhale it!  They must recognize the smell because they pace the oven till it's done! lol  I think I still have a can or two of the sodium free canned beans, neither girls touched the fresh or frozen??

Can the fact she nibbles/grazes her kibble that she's not getting enough bulk to control the issue.  We were having a horrible time but when I switched to the Zignatures she's eating it all, promptly and we haven't had that gawd awful smell!  Or could that just be a coincidence?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's possible that the food may be helping, as well as the fact that she's consuming a decent amount of food at once rather than grazing. But I do think that some dogs are just prone to anal gland issues while others aren't, regardless of what they eat, how they eat, etc. Sometimes there is a physical issue; we've had at least one dog here on DK who underwent the surgical removal of the glands due to recurrent anal gland infections. Nothing else solved the problem. On the other side of the coin, you have dogs who graze all their lives, don't eat high quality food or get much fiber, and never have impacted anal glands. 

[Sheree Small]

Our Zoey (2 years old) has had a consistent gland issue all of her life.  I asked the vet about it and he said that excitable dogs can have issues because when they get excited or scared they express themselves.  I have notices that as she is calming down the frequency has decreased.  Don't know if this helps, but that's all I know.  Good luck.... it is yucky!

Sheree

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

She's not really excitable but she is very skittish and nervous??  Wonder if that's the connection??  She is forever begging for food but picks at her kibble!  ugh!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Murphy had constant anal gland problems until his IBD diagnosis and treatment.  I'm not suggesting that they're related, but the change in his diet firmed his poop to the point where the anal glands were again able to self express.  I do remember my Vet saying that sometimes this is caused when the anal sac opening is small or if the gland is overactive.  That was not the case with Murph...it was just that his poop was not firm enough.  Did your vet say what he/she thought might be causing the problem?  Also in addition to the additives that Karen suggested, my vet talked about adding some bran to the food....we opted not to do that because of all the digestive issues going on with him at the time.  You might check with your vet to see if that might be an option.  Good luck....I know how difficult this can be.  At one point Murph had an abscess so severe that he had to be sedated and the glands flushed.  Even that was only a short term solution.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

The vet hasn't really said much other than some dogs have more issues with their anal glands than others?  He did mention after this last time we need to watch it?  I'll have to sit him down and pick his brain.  As mentioned above I am beginning to notice when she's a hearty eater I'm not recalling an issue but when she gets bored with her food and goes back to grazing it reappears?  

What and how with the bran?  She's on a grain free diet for the most part so maybe she just needs more fiber?  The vet hasn't really said much but has only expressed them a hand full of times (actually we have two vets and they alternate so they may not have noticed it's been a consistent issue?  She is the first dog I've ever had/known to have this problem and with her it's been since the day we brought her home?

Poor Murph!  This last bought the excretion had a dark color to it, not sure if it did before or maybe I just didn't noticed?  We switched her kibble mid week and she hasn't had a problem since (it stopped that quickly) so I didn't follow up with the vet.  Maybe I'll go ahead and take her in to see if/how impacted they are currently and ask questions?  

Like I mentioned above she got to the point she was barely eating her food and the fish odor was getting progressively worse then the food switch and now no, lurching, licking and smelling!  She's a very skittish dog, for example if my stomach growls she'll fly off the couch and hide like she's seen a ghost??  When she sits with me she is sitting on me, as close as she can get? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack's IMS advised me to add psyllium fiber to his diet. I use the CVS generic, 100% pure psyllium. (It's basically Metamucil without the flavorings and sweeteners. The brand name is Konsyl, but the generics are less expensive. I add a quarter ysp to s spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes and that gets mixed in with his food twice a day. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Hopefully the food change will make her more regular with firm stools and her anal glands will self express.  If not you might want to try Karen's suggestion and add some psyllium fiber to her diet to see if it helps.  Murph's issues were always food related (soft stools), but some dogs definitely discharge anal fluid when they're anxious or excited.  If it continues, I would definitely schedule a consultation with your vet to talk about options and watch that they don't become impacted at any point.  I knew immediately with Murphy because he was very uncomfortable and kept licking along with the leaking.

[Karen & Maple]

I remember when Maple consistently had leaky glands, I thought 'oh god please no! How awful!' When she was a pup she sat on my friends lap and leaked on her. How embarrassing! Now I get a wiff - 'OK, let's go to the tub' no big deal. And after much practice, I can empty like a pro. We have tried, Glandex but didn't really find any difference. Although it can't hurt to try it. Similar to Sheree's Zoey, I believe M's issues are related to her excitability. I am grateful that her glands do not seem to get impacted. She just has leaky glands, and we've learned to deal with it. This includes emptying before we go to a friends house for a visit when I think she may get too excited/ nervous. And I carry gloves and wipes in the car. And never make the mistake of looking directly behind while learning to empty. I have had a couple very close calls :) I asked my vet to teach me.