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The reason why the squeamish must read this is because they are the people most likely not to want to address this problem, which can cause pain and suffering to dogs if neglected. The topic is … anal glands!
The anal glands, which are situated just below the skin under a dog's tail at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively (if the anus were the center of a clock), are supposed to secrete fluid every time a dog has a bowel movement. Things can go haywire, especially with dogs who have skin (read: digestive/immune) problems. The anal glands can fill up and get impacted or even infected. Now, I know that no one enjoys dealing with the "business" end of the dog, but problems down there are pretty common and can be very uncomfortable. Not having anal glands ourselves, we can only imagine what it would be like when they get impacted―probably like sitting on a couple of marbles, only much more painful. So we need to deal with this.
Signs that your dog's anal glands are full include scooting across the floor, chewing at the tail area, and the extremely pungent odor of anal gland secretions, which can overflow out of the glands when they're too full.
I recently received this message from a friend: "Winnie [not her real name] is suffering from anal gland problems―both have abscessed and one of them can't even be expressed. One vet advised surgery to remove them, and two others have said no, don't do that. I prefer not to do it, of course, and probably won't, but I'm afraid these abscesses will return. They are truly horrible."
She went on to say, "The problem is, no one―technician or vet―has been able to express her left gland at all and can barely get anything from the right because it’s so thick. When the right does express, it is with great difficulty and pain for Winnie. They had to knock her out last week in order to apply enough pressure to express both glands. They then flushed them out and inserted antibiotic ointment. She’s going back in about 10 days to see if they can start expressing them on a regular basis―hoping that the infusion of that ointment will help break up the horribly thick gunk."
Here are some suggestions for keeping your dog’s anal glands in tip-top shape:
•Be sure that there is enough fiber in Fido's diet. I once began adding a substantial amount of grated cabbage to my cocker spaniel Rogan's food because he needed to slim down, and his rather severe anal gland problems disappeared forever. Well-soaked, shredded, unsweetened coconut is an even better choice (2 tsp. dried, unsweetened coconut per 30 pounds of bodyweight).
•Upgrade Fido's diet while you’re at it, choosing whole, natural foods and eliminating junk.
•Also add coconut oil to his food (1 tsp. per 10 pounds of bodyweight).
•Be sure that he gets plenty of exercise.
•Make sure that he has ample opportunity to eliminate.
•Do not make him feel too crowded in his own home, i.e., give him a room that he can retire to in order to "get away from it all."
•Have his anal glands expressed periodically by an expert. If you're game, have the expert show you how to do it. It's not hard, and it's such a relief to be able to express the glands immediately rather than having to wait for a vet appointment to roll around. Yes, the stuff that comes out of them smells bad (I believe it's related to a skunk's "perfume"), but it's probably no worse than changing diapers.
If you suspect that there is already trouble brewing, you can take the following steps at home, but if you don’t see substantial improvement within a day or so, then head for your vet's office as soon as possible:
•Administer one single dose of homeopathic Silicea 30C (and remember, with delicate homeopathic remedies, you need to get them into Fido's mouth without touching them, and he shouldn't eat for 15 minutes prior to or after receiving the remedy).
•Make a warm herbal compress by pouring 2 cups of boiling water over 2 Tbsp. dried calendula herb and letting it steep until just warm. Dip a washcloth into this warm liquid and hold it up to the affected anal gland for a few minutes. Repeat several times, twice a day.
•Go ahead and add the well-soaked, shredded, unsweetened coconut to Fido's food if you haven't already. (Better late than never.)
On a personal note, I did all three of the above bulleted items when Dexter had a very sore anal gland a few months ago, and he was completely back to normal within 24 hours. It was quite remarkable!
Comments ( 7 )
My dog has this problem. I tried tons of food to help him. Finally I gave up. Petco will do it (secrete the anal gland) for $10. It is nasty, $10 is well worth it!
Posted by Amber | July 24, 2008 11:03 PM
Posted on July 24, 2008 23:03
Thanks for covering this topic! My dog just had this problem for the first time. None of the dogs I'd had growing up ever had this trouble so when my girl went scooting across the living room I had no idea! I called the vet and the vet tech was able to express them the very same day. She offered to teach me, but I'm with Amber- it's worth the money. My job was to sit at her head and tell her what a good girl she was!
By the way- I thought that having them expressed would be uncomfortable but she never flinched. I actually think it was a relief to her. She was back to her normal self that same day!
>>>KP's Response:
Hi Rhonda!
Yes, it's a huge relief. I once expressed the anal glands of a dog who was so uncomfortable that he was limping! Afterward, he was so happy and relieved that he curled up and went to sleep.
My dogs don't show any discomfort when I express their anal glands, either. They look like they're concentrating, but it's over so quickly.
KP
Posted by Rhonda | July 25, 2008 12:30 PM
Posted on July 25, 2008 12:30
Adding 2-3 raw knuckle bones to the diet actually will prevent anal glands from ever needing "draining."
My holistic vet recommends that the anal glands NEVER be expressed. She instead said that if a dog is having symptoms, it is a sign that the dogs diet is inferior/not adaquate. Adding fiber will help somewhat, but the bone is the most important. It firms up the stools, naturally cleaning the anal glands when the dog eliminates. None of my dogs have never needed their glands drained, from birth to death.
Posted by Stacy | July 26, 2008 12:10 AM
Posted on July 26, 2008 00:10
What do you mean by well-soaked coconut?
Soak it in water...? please advise!
thanks for all the great tips.
>>>KP's Response:
Hi Allyson!
Yes, just soak it in water overnight so it's no longer dehydrated.
KP
Posted by Allyson | July 28, 2008 2:07 PM
Posted on July 28, 2008 14:07
Hi,
Well it looks you know a great deal about dog nutrition and bet your dogs are vegan. I was wondering if you could help me out with this. I live in Mexico and were going to adopt a dog but we would like him to have a vegan diet. As you could have guessed here in Mexico there are no vegan commercial dog foods. So I would like advice on what to cook for him. Or if he could eat the same food as us, as long as we dont include onions, chocolate and bla bla bla. Some books we could look for information about vegan diets for dogs. All your help will be so mucho appreciated
Gracias,
Daniela
>>>KP's Response:
Hi Daniela!
There is a lot of information out there on cooking for vegan dogs. I think one of the best books is Vegetarian Dogs by Verona Rebow (I think PETA sells it). Dr. Richard Pitcairn's book Natural Health Care for Dogs and Cats also has some vegan recipes. And the company Harbingers of a New Age sells a supplement that is added to numerous vegan recipes that they've formulated for dogs. These all contain pretty common ingredients that you could probably easily find in Mexico.
However, just one caution--not all dogs can do well on a vegan diet. It just depends on the individual and how well they can digest plant food. So watch to see if the dog thrives or not. The coat should be shiny and free of dandruff, and the stools should be firm. Otherwise, you may have to modify the diet somewhat.
Good luck!
KP
Posted by Carmina | July 28, 2008 7:09 PM
Posted on July 28, 2008 19:09
It took three AG infections and one referral later (along with $2100+) later before I got my lab's AG's removed. The vet said it's time for a specialist referral. It takes a great vet to admit he/ she can't handle it all. The dog was always so happy you never would have guessed he was in pain. The red sore butt gave it away. Anyone who says it's like a dirty diaper smell never smelled my dog's infected impacted AG's. OMG! Watch for scooting, redness, licking anal area etc. His stools were very firm and no need for fiber. After three bouts w/ antibiotics over a year time and no relief the surgery was a no brainer. Don't let the dog suffer!
>>>KP's Response:
Hi LRD,
Surgery is never a no-brainer. There are always many other things to try besides conventional drugs before electing surgery, which takes a lot out of a dog (or anyone). Anal gland surgery is especially risky because it can result in incontinence.
KP
Posted by LRD | August 20, 2008 12:55 AM
Posted on August 20, 2008 00:55
I see that it was mentioned that you can drain the anal canal at home. Do you know where I can find a step by step 'how to' in order to do that? And Thank You for the information. I have had to take my dog to the vet a couple of times for this reason and wasn't informed that there are ways to help eliminate the problem all together. It was addressed as a 'normal' problem some dogs suffer from. I am sure it will help a great deal of people and their pets. Thank You once again.
>>>KP's Response:
Hi HJ,
I learned it from a vet tech at a veterinarian's office years ago. You could ask the vet tech in your vet's office to show you how.
Good luck!
KP
Posted by HJ | August 22, 2008 2:37 PM
Posted on August 22, 2008 14:37