Guest PaulEmandStan Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Our Stan (5 years old) seems to suffer from them very badly. In the 3 months we've had him he's had to go to the vets 3 times to get them expelled and all times they've been very full and compacted. Luckily we have a deal with our vets whereby we pay £10 a month and that kind of standard stuff is included (otherwise it'd be £17 a time) The first time we were advised to add more fibre to his diet so we started giving him some bran flakes with his break fast and a grated carrot with his dinner which did firm up the stools very much but he still suffers from them. We've been advised to book him into the vets every 4 weeks, sooner if he shows the signs (biting his butt etc) We took him today and he REALLY did not like it, it was so sore he was barking and growling which he never does. We picked up some Protexin fibre from the vets so will try him on that but the vet also seems to think the bald patch on his hind (which we assumed was from him biting it) might indicate an allergy which can affect the gland so we're keeping an eye on it, she has Greys herself so is used to their issues, Obviously there are tons of opinions on this but was wondering if anyone here has had similar issues with their greys? Here's a picture of Stan sulking after dragging his duvet into the corner which he has been doing all afternoon!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 I have been successful with a kibble that has beet pulp and I add pumpkin to their food. Firm hard poops keeps the anal glands clean. Our collie constantly had this problem. We had to place a drain and flushed him with antibiotics. I am sure that your dog incomfortable. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEB Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Kevin had this issue for the first few months we had him while we got his food worked-out. We added Missing Link based on a GTer's suggestion and we haven't had a problem since. It has fiber and bone meal which help firm poop. Good luck to you. It's a painful problem for the dog and a smelly problem for the humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulEmandStan Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 I have been successful with a kibble that has beet pulp and I add pumpkin to their food. Firm hard poops keeps the anal glands clean. Our collie constantly had this problem. We had to place a drain and flushed him with antibiotics. I am sure that your dog incomfortable. His discomfort is our main concern, we don't really get much smell from them but sometimes his poop smells like rotten fish which is always a barrell of laughs! Pumpkin is cited a lot as a great help but unfortunately here in the Uk we only really get it in October for halloween. Beet root might be an option though Kevin had this issue for the first few months we had him while we got his food worked-out. We added Missing Link based on a GTer's suggestion and we haven't had a problem since. It has fiber and bone meal which help firm poop. Good luck to you. It's a painful problem for the dog and a smelly problem for the humans. I just hope this fibre supliment sorts it our because it's horrible seeing him suffering. He'll be fine and dandy tomorrow when he's stopped sulking about his visit to the vets and feels better but we fear it's only a matter of time until they fill up again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEB Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Kevin had this issue for the first few months we had him while we got his food worked-out. We added Missing Link based on a GTer's suggestion and we haven't had a problem since. It has fiber and bone meal which help firm poop. Good luck to you. It's a painful problem for the dog and a smelly problem for the humans. I just hope this fibre supliment sorts it our because it's horrible seeing him suffering. He'll be fine and dandy tomorrow when he's stopped sulking about his visit to the vets and feels better but we fear it's only a matter of time until they fill up again! Can you get "Missing Link" in the UK? You can buy it on Amazon. We tried adding fiber to Kevin's food but it didn't do enough. The supplement and food adjustment finally fixed the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulEmandStan Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Can you get "Missing Link" in the UK? You can buy it on Amazon. We tried adding fiber to Kevin's food but it didn't do enough. The supplement and food adjustment finally fixed the issue. Yeah I can see that on Amazon if this Proteix doesn't work we'll try that. Is it just a general suppliment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grey_dreams Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 He's not sulking. He is in pain. You could try to give him some raw meaty bones, turkey necks are the best, duck necks are good too, you might find these at natural pet food stores. If you can't find them, then you could try chicken quarters, please get organic or biological. Raw bone is a great remedy to encourage healthy anal glands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulEmandStan Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 He's not sulking. He is in pain. You could try to give him some raw meaty bones, turkey necks are the best, duck necks are good too, you might find these at natural pet food stores. If you can't find them, then you could try chicken quarters, please get organic or biological. Raw bone is a great remedy to encourage healthy anal glands. We've shyed away from giving him bones due to dangers of splintering etc (on the advice of the charity we got him from) but if it will help there is a butchers nearby I could go to I'm sure they wouldn't charge me much. He seems to be getting back to himself now having a bound around and a play with his toys which is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grey_dreams Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Cooked bones have a danger of splintering, and cooked bones should never be fed. Raw bones are different. The turkey and duck necks are mostly cartilage anyway. You want to stay away from any weight-bearing bones, such as femurs or marrow bones, because they are too hard and can cause cracked teeth. The chcken quarters can be really fatty, and that can cause problems in some dogs. Personally, I've only given organic (biological) turkey and duck necks, and they were always available at natural pet stores in Europe and in US (don't know how it is in UK). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEB Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Can you get "Missing Link" in the UK? You can buy it on Amazon. We tried adding fiber to Kevin's food but it didn't do enough. The supplement and food adjustment finally fixed the issue. Yeah I can see that on Amazon if this Proteix doesn't work we'll try that. Is it just a general suppliment? It has many ingredients (like blackstrap molasses and bone meal - some missing link formulas don't have bone meal so check ingredient list) the so you should probably run it by your vet, but if your boy is healthy otherwise then he will probably do well. Start off slow and give him time to adjust up to the suggested dose. Otherwise you risk a trip to gas city. As for splintering- i don't really feed raw, but raw feeders jump-in here, I have read here that the raw bones don't splinter. It's cooked bones that splinter. raw feeders, am I correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulEmandStan Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Cooked bones have a danger of splintering, and cooked bones should never be fed. Raw bones are different. The turkey and duck necks are mostly cartilage anyway. You want to stay away from any weight-bearing bones, such as femurs or marrow bones, because they are too hard and can cause cracked teeth. The chcken quarters can be really fatty, and that can cause problems in some dogs. Personally, I've only given organic (biological) turkey and duck necks, and they were always available at natural pet stores in Europe and in US (don't know how it is in UK). Just looking into the Raw v Cooked bones, I honestly didn't even consider that they would cook the bone. It's great to know that the raw ones are pretty safe and from the looks of some of the articles online the marrow is really good for them. Deffo going to take a trip to my butchers. Thanks for the advice, I do appreciate it. It has many ingredients (like blackstrap molasses and bone meal - some missing link formulas don't have bone meal so check ingredient list) the so you should probably run it by your vet, but if your boy is healthy otherwise then he will probably do well. Start off slow and give him time to adjust up to the suggested dose. Otherwise you risk a trip to gas city. I will run it past our vet next time we're in there, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambuca Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 What are you feeding? If your vet thinks it's an allergy, would a food change help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 I've never had a grey with anal issues, but Barkley the terrier has his expressed every few months. My vet offered to show me how to do it, but I decined. It's evidently not that difficult to do, but the smell is not for the faint hearted. Best of luck in finding out what works for Stan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Firmer, bulkier stools expressing anal glands has not really been established to be of any real benefit--it's really just based on theory. As a tech that expresses a lot of anal glands (fun stuff folks!) I can tell you that most of the dogs that need to have their glands expressed have very firm stools and most owners have tried the firm bulkier stool method to no avail. I do think allergies have a play in making an increase of secretion--I also believe that confirmation has a say too. There are some dogs that have very narrow ducts--making natural expression very difficult. Some dogs that have a chronic anal glands problem (like the ops hound) might benefit from surgical excision of the glands. One thing I will mention though-if surgery has become essential I would recommend only having one removed at a time just in case the integrity of the nerve has been comprised (resulting in fecal incontentence). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mld Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 My Cavalier had to have her's manually expressed every 6 weeks. Warm butt soaks in a bath may help, good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulEmandStan Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 What are you feeding? If your vet thinks it's an allergy, would a food change help? We're feeding Burgess Supa dog Greyhound and Lurcher which is what he was eating in the kennels before we got him. I've never had a grey with anal issues, but Barkley the terrier has his expressed every few months. My vet offered to show me how to do it, but I decined. It's evidently not that difficult to do, but the smell is not for the faint hearted. Best of luck in finding out what works for Stan. re: doing it myself...I'll pass! I pay the vet £10 a month for that kinda stuff! Firmer, bulkier stools expressing anal glands has not really been established to be of any real benefit--it's really just based on theory. As a tech that expresses a lot of anal glands (fun stuff folks!) I can tell you that most of the dogs that need to have their glands expressed have very firm stools and most owners have tried the firm bulkier stool method to no avail. I do think allergies have a play in making an increase of secretion--I also believe that confirmation has a say too. There are some dogs that have very narrow ducts--making natural expression very difficult. Some dogs that have a chronic anal glands problem (like the ops hound) might benefit from surgical excision of the glands. One thing I will mention though-if surgery has become essential I would recommend only having one removed at a time just in case the integrity of the nerve has been comprised (resulting in fecal incontentence). The vet did mention that some dogs anatomy just makes them suceptable to this issue so it's something we'll have to keep track of. I'll be sure to bump this with updates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Kevin had this issue for the first few months we had him while we got his food worked-out. We added Missing Link based on a GTer's suggestion and we haven't had a problem since. It has fiber and bone meal which help firm poop. Good luck to you. It's a painful problem for the dog and a smelly problem for the humans. I just hope this fibre supliment sorts it our because it's horrible seeing him suffering. He'll be fine and dandy tomorrow when he's stopped sulking about his visit to the vets and feels better but we fear it's only a matter of time until they fill up again! Can you get "Missing Link" in the UK? You can buy it on Amazon. We tried adding fiber to Kevin's food but it didn't do enough. The supplement and food adjustment finally fixed the issue. I went through the same thing you are. My holistic vet told me that several vets reccommend Missing Link. I TRIED IT AND IT WORKED 100%. They never bother her anymore at all and they very rarely (maybe once a year) get expressed manually. Can't tell you why it works- it just does. And no its not the fiber because like the other poster I tried adding extra fiber and that didn't work. Try Missing LInk and I bet you're problems will be over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macoduck Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I agree with tbhounds. My mutt girlie Pudge needs to have her glands expressed frequently. She has the firmest poop of all my dogs. She also has lots of allergies. Quote Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto Angels: Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella), Charlie the iggy, Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulEmandStan Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Ok I'm going to get a pack of this Missing Link and give it a go. There's a few different types, any recommendations for the best one for greyhounds? One is labelled with "sustained energy levels!" which I think would not combine well with Stan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cardiffcouple Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Rocky and Mercy both have to have their glands emptied about once every 4-6 weeks. I checked out Missing Link online. Which one do you usse? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulEmandStan Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 UPDATE: Stan went the vets again today for his glands, he didn't have any of his normal signs (in fact apart from one day of bum biting he doesn't seem to have suffered at all) but as we're taking him away for the new year we wanted to get it checked out as our vets are very accomodating regarding his issues. The vet remarked that one of his glands was virtually empty and the other not nearly as bad as it normally is so the Protex seems to be doing the trick. We held back on buying the missing link supplement because we wanted to make sure which of the options would work for Stan and this fibre seems to helping lots. We will try one more month with the fibre supplement on the vets advice Have a good New Year everyone Paul, Em and Stan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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