Itchy, Gassy!, Stinky Anal Glands...new Owner Needs Advice (For Do

[Guest roweboy]

Two months ago today we took our first greyhound home He's wonderful in more ways than I could have ever expected. I've been feeding him Costco's Nature's Domain Beef/Sweet Potato, giving him daily wild salmon oil, pumpkin most days, a spoonful of plain yogurt, and a frozen turkey neck once a week. He will be two years old in a few weeks and has gorgeous teeth!

 

Our problem in the past 2 weeks is he's developed itchy skin, licks at his bum which often has a stinky anal sac smell and terrible gas (literally, I can't sleep at night with it!). In my past dogs, not greys, these symptoms would mean an allergy. I've tried giving him only the kibble for a few days but that didn't help. His coat is somewhat shiny but not as soft as other gh's. I ordered some Missing Link and expect delivery today.

 

Can anyone advise me on what I might need to change? Try another food? Any suggestions?

 

Seriously, this gas has got to stop and while he had it once in awhile in the first 6 weeks, it's terrible and almost constant now. He must have been completely empty after his 2-poop walk last night but the air was not fit for human consumption all night. I was out of pumpkin for a week, and I think that helps the anal gland issue, but his poop has been solid even without it.

 

Thank you. Between hot flashes (me) and the dog's stinky gas, my nights are pretty awful :/

[macoduck]

If he's licking the anal gland area there could be a problem with too much "stuff" in the glands. Your vet can express those glands. I've only had one greyhound lick lick lick there and it wasn't until one of the glands ruptured that I realized there was a problem.

 

You could discontinue the pumpkin of the poop is still firm and see if that affects the gas. Maybe then cut back on the salmon oil.

 

Don't delay getting the anal glands checked. Bring air freshener for your car for the ride home. To me even the doggie perfume they use doesn't mask the -post-expressing odor.

[Time4ANap]

Not all hounds can tolerate pumpkin or yogurt. I would discontinue all of the add-ins unless there is some reason you need to give them.

 

Most hounds do just fine on kibble and a few treats. Pumpkin and yogurt aren't necessary unless there is a problem they are being used to address. You may just be throwing too much in his stomach with all of those add-ins. After a few weeks, you could start the salmon oil again if you find that it's needed for the coat, but again, not all hounds need it. We used to give it, but found that a change of kibble made it unnecessary, as Rocket's coat got much softer on the new kibble. A new hound most likely has a "track coat" which will blow off after a while in the new home and on kibble.

 

As noted above, the anal gland should be expressed ASAP, and you may find that you have to have it done more than once before it resolves.

[Hubcitypam]

I'd ditch the pumpkin and yogurt. Neither have ever done anything for any of my guys. Yes, try another food with a different protein source.

Sounds like a vet visit may be in order, if only to have someone express his anal glands. None of my greys had that problem but the terrier does. My vet offered to show me how to do it myself but believe me that is $18 well spent to have someone else do it.

I agree with Time4anap that what you are seeing is farm or kennel coat so that is why he's not so shiny. This is the time of year for "blowing coat" so if you start using a zoom groom or something in the yard every day you might find a whole new dog underneath. Most black dogs from the farms are brown when they arrive then slick off nicely.

[MaryJane]

Needs to get the anal glands checked - could be an infection and that would cause "seepage" and give the illusion of having gas all the time. You might also want to get a culture when the glands are expressed to make sure that you get the right antibiotic.

[greysmom]

Vet visit for the glands. asap. They could be infected. In my experience, a bad infection can affect all the systems, not just the place that's infected, causing the gas and other problems.

 

I might suspect he's lactose intolerant, or else he might have developed a bacterial overgrowth in his gut (again, might be due to an infection elsewhere). You can switch to pills or a powdered pro biotic if so.

 

Excess fiber can also cause gas.

 

He will likely shed up a storm over the next couple months. He will have a nice coat after getting rid of the harsher kennel coat he probably has now.

[gryhnd_adoptee]

My Grey had constant anal gland issues for the longest time too, and I simply "stumbled" onto what the problem was. We fed taste of the Wild Pacific Stream for a long time until the salmonella recall a couple summers back. While Taste of the Wild is a great food to feed, I refused to go back to it only because it is manufacturd in Diamond facilities (which I have lost faith in - too many recalls).

 

Anal gland issues stopped as soon as I stopped the fish based kibble. I then figured that because she was not getting any fish oil in her kibble, I would supplement with plain salmon oil, and oddly enough, the anal issues resurfaced. Bottom line is she has a fish oil sensitivity.

 

I now feed a fishless diet, and rather than supplement with fish oil, I now give red krill which has done wonders. No more anal gland issues

[Guest UnFROGettable]

My girl Devina has/had anal gland issues. I cut out all add-ins (she still gets a glucosamine pill) and switched her food to a salmon based grain free kibble. She doesn't get extra fish oil now either. Her coat is beautiful and shiny and there is virtually no more gas. Haven't had an anal gland leakage in well over 6 months!

 

gryhnd_adoptee--

Just read your post! Funny how different dogs are sensitive to things! I had to stop chicken & brown rice based food. And she hated fish-pills. I don't feed TOTW, but she is doing well on the salmon grain free kibble I give her.

Edited April 22, 2014 by DonnaM