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His Bum Is Really Bothering Him Still


Guest Kpparker

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Guest Kpparker

Hey guys

Last week I posted about Tavi scooting and licking his bum a lot and ended up taking him to the vet who said it was probably his anal glands (which may have expressed themselves earlier that day). Since then he hasnt been scooting (only a couple times close to when we had seen the vet) but he's still been licking on and off. Now he seems to be licking A LOT more, I'll even wake up to hear him licking/biting at his bum like crazy. So I picked up his tail to see how it was looking down there and the poor guy has what looks like little open sores on the underside of his tail and around his bum hole from licking so much.

 

So here's my question -

Are there any at home remedies/people medication I can put on the sores to help them heal? My initial thought is that he keeps licking the area because the area is already so inflammed, and that getting the inflammation down will do the trick.. but maybe I should go to the vet instead? Oh - he was on antibiotics when we saw the vet for the anal gland problem for about a week.

 

Okay any suggestions or similar stories and what you did would be welcome...

 

thanks!

Karen

 

 

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so the vet just gave antibiotics and didn't actually express the glands? I would take him back in...

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Michelle...forever missing her girls, Holly 5/22/99-9/13/10 and Bailey 8/1/93-7/11/05

Religion is the smile on a dog...Edie Brickell

Wag more, bark less :-)

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I'd take him back to the vet - this is a busy area, so I'd be worried about infection. The vet may also be able to suggest something for the itching, topical or otherwise. And you want to know why he's still licking.

 

Maybe you could spray around the general area with bitter apple to make it less appealing.

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Guest Kpparker
so the vet just gave antibiotics and didn't actually express the glands? I would take him back in...

 

 

No she did but she said there wasnt much left in there. And earlier in the day DBF saw a gush of liquid come out while he was pooping so that may have been when the glands were expressed.

 

Rickiesmom - I know, I should probably take him in to be on the safe side. I feel like crap today though (I think the filter or whatever it is in my air conditioner needs to be changed but they're not coming for over a week to do it and so i have horrible allergies - my nose is all stuffed up and my face hurts :( ) so was hoping someone had a solution to try at home before going to the vet.

 

Oh, I dont have any bitter apple right now - but I'd be worried about it hurting the sores... maybe i should try to find some old shorts and cut a hole for the tail then make him wear those

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Cleo did the same thing to her bum the last time she had her glands expressed. She was way too interested in the general area and managed to lick her hind quarters raw. Our vet prescribed Surolan (?) which seemed to soothe the area and discourage licking.

 

You might want to try muzzling Tavi when you can't watch him. If you don't have the poop guard for your muzzle, use duct tape to cover the open areas. (If you have any questions just call and I'll attempt to explain.)

Jennifer

Cleo (Golddust Cadilac 83484 Blazing Desire X Greys Blu Fox)

Cole (Hallo Jeremy 88778 My Rooster X Bahama Tango)

Athena (R and a Peach 93839 Coldwater Guv X R and a Lady)

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Surolan is what I am using right now for Arlie's bottom - in her case it isn't helping but we're still looking for the root cause with her. Prior to getting the Surolan I was using Unda 270 cream which you can get at the health food store (if they carry homeopathic products). IMO it did as much good or more than the Surolan in her case, but the issues are different - so thinking here that the Unda 270 might be a stop gap til you can get to the vet.

 

The treatment process for us is: clean the area first with an unscented babywipe (can't seem to get Maleseb wipes here), blot it dry with a tissue, then apply a small amount of ointment.

 

I wouldn't put the bitter apple on the sores - I was thinking more spraying around the area to make it less appealing.

 

Keep us posted - I went through anal gland misery with Arlie awhile back, so I feel your pain.

Edited by Rickiesmom
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Poor guy.

 

One thing that happened with Icarus when his glands were full was that he become obsessed with cleaning his bottom so even after it was emptied.... he was almost habitual. He kept licking.

 

Until you can get him seen (I'd worry about the sores in that area), take a pair of shorts that tie up at the waist and put them on him. I used just a pair of track shorts. Feed his tail down the leg, it won't bother him as long as the shorts aren't too tight. That way he won't have as easy access to lick his behind... and they look so darned cute dressed up in people clothes. ;)

 

ETA: If you have any Polysporin handy, I'd use that on the sores. It's safe to use on them and won't harm them if they accidentally or purposefully ingest it ;)

Edited by Jiffer

Jennifer and Beamish (an unnamed Irish-born Racer) DOB: October 30, 2011

 

Forever and always missing my "Vowels", Icarus, Atlas, Orion, Uber, and Miss Echo, and Mojito.

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Guest Kpparker

Hey guys,

Thanks for the tips. I called the vets office and explained the problem - so we're going over there this evening to have it checked out, better safe than sorry. I hope its something that is a quick fix and not something that'll keep bothering him down the line. But we'll see. Im going to take him out for a walk right now and its pretty warm out so that should knock him out for the rest of the afternoon until we go see the vet at 6. I'll let you know what she prescribes.. Don't thinK I'll need the muzzle or people clothes for the rest of the day - but might want to use it later (when I cant watch him like a hawk).

 

On a side note - is it just me or do dogs seem to have a lot of problems? lol.. DBFs dogs at home in Barbados are outdoor dogs and they see the vet once a year - we've been to the vet like 4 or 5 times now in 2 months...I know thats not that much compared to some other people whose pets have chronic problems and have to go in all the time... but i wonder are our pets less able to cope with problems? are we too cautious and take them in for anything? are their immune systems not what they used to be?

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Some dogs are extremely healthy.

 

I've had Orion for two years. He's only gone to the vet for annual checkups and he had a dental this year.

 

Atlas had some food allergy issues we needed to address, but that was only in his first year home. He's been 2 years now with only vet visits for annual checkups.

 

Echo has also been really healthy, however, she's had to go twice in 2 years for stitches.

 

Icarus was our special one. He was very expensive vet wise in the time we had him. However, he was also epileptic and accident prone.

Jennifer and Beamish (an unnamed Irish-born Racer) DOB: October 30, 2011

 

Forever and always missing my "Vowels", Icarus, Atlas, Orion, Uber, and Miss Echo, and Mojito.

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Guest D_MansMommy
On a side note - is it just me or do dogs seem to have a lot of problems? lol.. DBFs dogs at home in Barbados are outdoor dogs and they see the vet once a year - we've been to the vet like 4 or 5 times now in 2 months...I know thats not that much compared to some other people whose pets have chronic problems and have to go in all the time... but i wonder are our pets less able to cope with problems? are we too cautious and take them in for anything? are their immune systems not what they used to be?

 

No, they generally don't have many problems. Greys are very healthy dogs in general. Like you, we did have a few problems with Donovan. He was very sick at one point but it was caused by an infection he caught in NC. Could have happened to any dog. Infected anal glands are also common in small and large breeds. After the glands are expressed, make sure to keep your pup on the antibiotic for at least 3 weeks. Cephalexin did not work for D-man. Made his stools really runny, which did not help the problem.

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Guest Kpparker

Well we are at home from the vet. Vet checked his anal glands and they are fine. He gave us some topical cortisone to put on the sores for the next week, and if it doesnt help then to call them. The type of cortisone is something that starts with an F, if anyone wants to know what it actually is I'll check the packaging. In the meantime though poor Tavs has to wear a cone to keep him from licking his bum. He is not a happy camper at all. Luckily he doesn't need to wear it when we're out on walks though since we can easily correct him from trying to lick it.

 

Here's 2 pics of Tavs looking sorry for himself, poor pup.

 

DSC00334.jpg

 

DSC00333.jpg

 

 

On another note - I think I need to find a new vet. I paid $63 for a 5-10minute visit for the vet to prescribe something that cost $40... if Im not mistaken I bet I can buy some kind of human topical cortisone similar to what was prescribed. The vet I go to is an a relatively expensive neighborhood so I guess thats part of the problem... but I just think its ridiculous to be spending $60 plus for a couple of minutes...grrrr...

Edited by Kpparker
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Guest SillyDog

Hope Tavi starts feeling better! My old man Prancer went through anal gland problems this past winter and it was not fun for any of us. He was on two different anitbiotics for 6 weeks and finally got better. I called him Smelly Butt for quite awhile, and I know the problem really bothered him.

 

Depending on what the new steroid cream is $40 might be right on mark. While hydrocortizone is $4, there are many more powerful steroids out there. Your vet might have prescribed something a lot more powerful than something OTC to help stop the itching & inflammation faster. If the f is fluticasone, that's certainly the case.

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Guest Kpparker

The type we got is called Fuciderm. Sillydog - I see your point, didn't think of that before, but Im still not happy about the vet visit fee :angry: I should rant on soap box, dont worry I'll get over it soon enough.

 

He's doing okay.. just sleeping. He's tried to get the cone off a couple times, and Im worried he may when we're not home. Luckily someone will be with him the whole day Fri, Sat, Sun.. and hopefully by monday it will be less itchy so what I might do is just put some old men's boxers on him while we're not home instead of the cone.

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Guest Spiff

Poor boy!! I hope that the new cream helps him feel better faster!!

 

A similar thing happened with Spiff one time that his glands needed expressing... but we didn't need to get cream for it.

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You might ask your vet if they have a no-bite collar, though if they didn't offer it, they probably don't. They come in different sizes - discovered Arlie needs a size 6 (vet had sizes 5 and 7). The no-bite collars are sort of like cervical collars but taller and stiffer. I tried using cervical collars with Arlie but she could get them off and also they are soft enough that with a bit of determination she could still reach her bum, so not recommended unless you can supervise.

 

Hope Tavi feels better soon - poor pup. Also hope the collar doesn't irritate his neck where he was bitten!

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Aww, poor little lampshade.. um I mean Tavi! :P

 

As Rickiesmom suggested a no-bite collar might be more comfortable for him with less irritation, though I'm still a fan of just putting shorts on them... cheaper too.

Jennifer and Beamish (an unnamed Irish-born Racer) DOB: October 30, 2011

 

Forever and always missing my "Vowels", Icarus, Atlas, Orion, Uber, and Miss Echo, and Mojito.

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I have to agree with you about the exam fee. If anything you should only have been charged for a recheck. Recheck fees are usualy about 1/2 the price of a full px. I think I would mention something to the office manager as you may have been charged incorrectly. Hope he's feeling better :P

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Guest Kpparker

Tavs is doing well. I actually haven't been making him wear the 'lampshade' that much. He looks so sad and pathetic when I put it on. I haven't put shorts on him yet but instead just cover him with his blankie when he's lying down and he doesnt seem to try to bother it too much so we're doing okay!

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