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HELP! Anal Gland Problems

29305 Views 13 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  Sophie.12, 
A
Daisy has always had problems with her anal glands. I've had to take her in about once a month to have them expressed.

Even with having them expressed on a regular basis, she apparently leaks. I periodically find little brown spots on my carpet that reek of anal gland fluid. I don't think she's scooting on the carpet because I've never seen it happen, and these spots aren't smeared, they look like drips.

Well, the spots on the carpet are bad enough, but this morning she leaked all over my bed. She sleeps on my bed on a doggie blanket that I throw on top. This morning I woke up to the horrific and overpowering smell of anal gland fluid. I checked her blanket and there was a big fresh brown stain of fluid - much bigger than any little spot on find on the carper.

The fluid had soaked through her blanket on to my comforter. I removed the comforter, and sheets underneath reeked of anal gland fluid. I removed the sheets, and the mattress pad reeked of anal gland. I removed the mattress pad and I could even smell it on the mattress. And of course, I reeked because I was in the bed at the time.

Needless to say, there's a lot of washing going on today.

Daisy isn't my first dog, but she's my first dog with anal gland issues. I'd never even heard of anal glands before I got her. Now I'm quite familiar with them, but I'm at a loss about what to do with her and her glands.

Obviously having them expressed isn't enough. Her glands were just expressed three weeks ago and she's already leaking all over my bed.

What are my options here?

Should I just have her glands expressed more often? Is there any kind of diet or medication I can give her? Can they be removed, is that an option?

It's going to be a few days before I can get in to talk to the vet, so I was just wondering if anyone had any input.

Thanks.
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murraysmom
Murrays anal glands don't leak, but both became badly abcessed when he was 2 years old. I didn't want the vet to remove them so I started having them expressed monthly by the vet, and started giving him a couple of tablespoons of canned pumpkin with each meal( folks on this forum recommended it to me), plus salmon, for the Omega 3 oil. This solved his problem.

I'll add that last month when I had Murray at the vets, he told me he had never heard of pumpkin and omega 3's to help with anal glands, but after seeing the results in Murray after 6 years he is now recommending it to other patients.

(There's a pumpkin shortage right now and canned pumpkin is almost impossible to find- I've been getting it at a health food store all summer where it's really expensive- a can that should cost .89 is 3$!!!! You might try frozen butternut squash, or sweet potaotes until the new pumpkin crop comes in)
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Mikey T
Obviously having them expressed isn't enough. Her glands were just expressed three weeks ago and she's already leaking all over my bed
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Actual the two are generally exclusive. anal gland only need to be expressed when the don't do so on there own. However there is a danger to physical expression in that the becom damged and problem like you are now experience are not uncommon.

One option is alway surgical removal, they are not necessary for the the health of the dog.
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A
I would prefer not to go the surgery route just yet if other options might work. So I may try pumpkin and salmon to see if that helps. If it doesn't, I'll have to have them removed because I can't go through this mess again. My bedding was easy enough to wash, but my mattress - even after letting it air out all day - still has an anal gland aroma to it.

Well, I had been contemplating a new bed anyway.

Thanks for the replies.
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B
My vet has a product in a spray bottle (has a picture of a skunk on it) and it takes care of that smell. I have no anal gland issues however when my abused rescue was at the vet and scared she expressed them on her own, they reached over grabbed the spray and it seconds it was gone. They swear by the stuff I will be at the vets for a yearly checkup on one of the dogs this afternoon and will try to get the name of the product. Wishing you luck!

Bo =o)
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Rusty Stickers Mom
Many years ago I tried Metamucil & Pumpkin for my German Shepherds anal issues. Nothing helped. After months of repeated infections we made the decision to have them removed. I really liked his Vet and didn't want to be referred to someone else. I insisted that he do the surgery. It turned out he had only done a few and their were complications. In the end everything was fine but I caution you if surgery is the route yo go, find a Vet with experience with this type of surgery. Good Luck
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J
I am really enjoying this forum, so many topics!
I just wanted to let you guys know that you helped me answer a question in my mammalogy class today.

"What other mammal has anal scent glands besides a skunk?"

"Canidae!" :D
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A
Boopus1965 said:
My vet has a product in a spray bottle (has a picture of a skunk on it) and it takes care of that smell. I have no anal gland issues however when my abused rescue was at the vet and scared she expressed them on her own, they reached over grabbed the spray and it seconds it was gone. They swear by the stuff I will be at the vets for a yearly checkup on one of the dogs this afternoon and will try to get the name of the product. Wishing you luck!

Bo =o)
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The smell comes right out of things I can throw in the washer. But things like my mattress, it's a little tougher.

I do have some stain and odor remover with enzymes that seems to be working OK on the mattress. I slept on the couch last night but I'll try to go back to my bed tonight so I guess I'll find out just how well it works soon enough.
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A
Rusty Stickers Mom said:
Many years ago I tried Metamucil & Pumpkin for my German Shepherds anal issues. Nothing helped. After months of repeated infections we made the decision to have them removed. I really liked his Vet and didn't want to be referred to someone else. I insisted that he do the surgery. It turned out he had only done a few and their were complications. In the end everything was fine but I caution you if surgery is the route yo go, find a Vet with experience with this type of surgery. Good Luck
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That's something I hadn't considered. Anal gland removal probably isn't something vets handle every day.
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lvnMattie
Mattie just had her anal glance expressed yesterday!! Vet taught my husband how to do it, which we express her glance roughly ever 2 months! But this time Mattie was well over due and she won't let my husband near her, so we took her to vet.

My vet told me that in hounds espically Mattie's sizes (yes, she is over weight), it is hard for her to rub across the floor due to her size and her shape. Mattie has had this problem since she was little.. Since she don't leak and they don't need express every month we have not discuss sugery with vet yet! Hopefully she continues doing good and we won't ever have to have that discussion.
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LuciaB
Is this something all Bassets have an issue with? I haven't had any problems that I know of, but all these stories have me wondering if maybe I'm missing something. I don't even know where they are or what they look like!! I suppose I could google it, but do you suppose that would make it through corporate security here at work? ha ha!
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lvnMattie
LuciaB.. The only way we found out Mattie had this issue was, she had bumps around her tail and she was having a hard time going to the bathroom. We could just tell she did not feel good!
You could be a lucky one and not have the issue. This is the first dog I have ever had that had this issue.
As the vet told my husband when she was teaching him to express them.. she said the glances should be the size of a peanut but they swell up to the size of a walnut or bigger.
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LuciaB
Thanks for the response, I'll keep an eye out and hope we are lucky!
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S
Anal Glands

Sounds like a very messy and unpleasant issue you and Daisy are experiencing. Definately not a nice way for either of you to start the day. My bassett used to have her glands expressed every couple of months. I used to put a teaspoon of olive oil into her food a couple of times a week and found this helped in increasing the length of time between expresses. I could always tell when they were blocked and needed attention because she's start rubbing her butt across the floor. Fortunately we had no leakage. Talk or even ring your vet - if it's any consolation it's probably just as unpleasant for Daisy - just imagine the stench her basset nose would be receiving. Good luck. I feel for you both and really hope you find a solution soon! If you do please share it with us.

RN
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