Regulate anal glands

[S & Charlie]

Charlie is 10 months old/ 36 pounds and has had his anal glands expressed 3 times since he was 6 months old. He's never shown any signs of discomfort with them. The first two times they were expressed, I had him at the vet for other reasons and they just checked them and they were full. The last time (this week) I just caught him looking at his butt a few times... not licking or scooting or anything like that, literally just looking. I had a hunch, so I brought him in and they were super full according to the vet.

He's been on Taste of the Wild since I've had him, and he does great on this food. I know it's not the absolute best, but I'm comfortable with the ingredients in it (and it's in my price range). I've switched back and forth with the Bison/Venison formula and the Salmon formula. He has had no medical issues his whole life, no allergies, he doesn't itch at all, his ears stay super clean without me having to clean them, and his poops have always been firm! He had a bit of loose stool when he was recovering from his neuter, and that's the only time in his 10 months that his poops weren't firm!

**Also, he is a very picky eater. He eats his kibble just fine, but will not eat ANY fruits or vegetables (especially pumpkin / sweet potato, even if frozen). The only "people food" he will eat is plain meat, cheese, peanut butter and cream cheese (the last two I only give him with his monthly heartworm/flea/tick meds). I give him a little coconut oil on his food each meal which helps keep his breathe super fresh, and he gets 1 raw marrow bone a week to help clean his teeth. He really doesn't get that many treats because he's not food motivated. I have Sojos freeze dried meat as his treats for when I do give them. He'll get a bully stick maybe 1-2 times a month, and I get him freeze dried treats from a specialty store here sometimes (like beef esophagus / tongue / chicken feet... whatever they have that day that I like lol).

What can I do to regulate his glands so he doesn't have to have them expressed? I know that once you start having them done it's harder for them to regulate on their own, so how do you break that cycle? Do I need to firm up his already firm poop?

Help!! :)

The dood himself:

[S & Charlie]

oh and I always tell the groomer not to touch his anal glands! I leave that for the vet.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Another thought: you could mix a little plain pure psyllium powder into some meat baby food and add that to his meals. 

[S & Charlie]

good idea! thanks!

[Nicole and Teddy]

Karen- Teddy has anal gland issues as well. He gets them expressed once a month at the vet. I want to try adding the psyllium/pumpkin (he doesn't do well with sweet potato) mixture to his food to see if he can start regulating on his own. Do you have a psyllium brand that you recommend? Also, was doing some research and came across some supplements (glandex and no scoot) that are supposed to help. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's a name brand pure psyllium that's widely available called Konsyl, but it's pretty pricey, although a jar does last a long time when you are only using a teaspoon a day, lol. CVS has a store brand that's less expensive, which is what I use. You have to read the labels carefully, because a lot of these products contain flavorings, sugar, etc. 

This is what JD's internal medicine specialist has always recommended for him, so I haven't looked into any other types of fiber supplements. 

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

Up until about a year ago we struggled with anal gland issues. Oliver had about one spontaneous expression per month and we were also getting them expressed at the vet regularly. We tried fiber and were even considering the surgery. On a forum (maybe DK, I can't remember), I heard that increasing fatty acids is sometimes helpful. I wasn't particularly hopeful but since we had nothing to lose, we started Oliver on Six Fish and supplemented with some fresh salmon a few nights per week. We also stopped getting his glands expressed at the vet. After a few months, the spontaneous expressions stopped. It has now been over a year since his last spontaneous expression. Oliver now eats Stella and Chewys Duck Duck Goose Superfood in the morning and Orijen Six Fish at nights (still with the occasional fresh salmon). We couldn't be any happier--it's been life changing--I'm not exaggerating. I know you don't want to change his food but I just wanted to give you this info.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep, as I mentioned in my post earlier in this discussion, Omega 3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil really help a lot. And TOTW is notoriously bad for it's Omega 3 content and Omega 6:3 ratio.