Anal Gland Problems

[Guest Rainy]

My 10-ish year old galgo has had recurring anal gland problems (one side gets infected, one side gets impacted). Due to a combination of her very high stress levels at the vet, and her tiny anal gland ducts, she needs to be fully sedated (asleep) to have them properly expressed. It super sucks. So, I thought, might as well just operate, have them removed, and never worry about it again.

 

I was committed to surgery, until I was talking with the vet who was going to do the operation, and he says that it might be allergies, and a diet change might resolve her issues. Key word being "might". Now I'm on the fence again... It would be great to avoid surgery, but if the diet change doesn't work, then I'm looking at surgery anyway, and she isn't getting any younger.

 

So, has anyone had luck treating anal gland issues with diet changes? How long until you notice an improvement? She's been doing very well on her raw for years (chicken and beef) with a turkey/salmon/duck mix kibble when I'm in a rush. She also gets a variety of supplements including salmon oil, which I read in some other posts caused problems for other dogs.

[MaryJane]

From what you noted in your post, it does not sounds like there is any fiber in the diet and adding that (cooked oatmeal) could add more bulk to the poop and make expressing them easier. I'm curious, did your vet inform you that removing the anal glans can cause incontinence.

[macoduck]

I have just started using Essential Oils. Although initially I started with the Young Living brand for me, I have discovered a vet who has created an animal line of EO.

 

You might be able to view this older newsletter from Dr Sherman:

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2b722e5b53c15056ebf3b284f&id=41280c6944

 

And this:

http://www.animaleo.info/

 

I've posted questions on her Facebook page and often get a quick response. (She's at a conference this week so there may be a delay.)

Learning about the oils was a little overwhelming at first but now I'm starting to get it. Do not use the oils you can find in Walmart or other stores, even health food stores. They are not of a reliable quality.

Young Living and deTerra are 2 of the good brands, have suggested animal blends, and are not sold in stores. For pets I would only use AnimalEO from Dr Sherman.

I haven't treated any of my dogs for anal gland issues but my iggy Charlie may soon become a candidate.

[LaFlaca]

From what you noted in your post, it does not sounds like there is any fiber in the diet and adding that (cooked oatmeal) could add more bulk to the poop and make expressing them easier. I'm curious, did your vet inform you that removing the anal glans can cause incontinence.

Can you recommend other dog-friendly foods to add fiber to the diet? Thinking green beans and pumpkin, maybe? Lola has a bit of trouble expressing the left anal gland. I'd like to avoid bigger issues, if I can.

[Guest Rainy]

From what you noted in your post, it does not sounds like there is any fiber in the diet and adding that (cooked oatmeal) could add more bulk to the poop and make expressing them easier. I'm curious, did your vet inform you that removing the anal glans can cause incontinence.

She doesn't do very well on fibre, grains, or rice, I've tried in the past. The kibble gives her much larger stools though, and I think that helps (just not enough). I did ask about the fecal incontinence. He's never had a case where it was permanent, just temporary (post surgery). Still a pain though.

[racindog]

I learned from my holistic vet that The Missing Link supplement was prescribed commonly for this issue by vets. I tried it on a female with chronic anal gland issues and amazingly it worked! and she stopped having any problems at all. Apparently this particular supplement has an affinity for helping this problem. It is pretty cheap, probably would be worth a try. PS- I think it is not merely a function of adding fiber as I of course had tried that previously and she still had problems. Only the Missing Link cleared it up. I would never consent to the surgery. Some dogs are left incontinent from it-no way would I risk doing that to her.

Edited October 24, 2017 by racindog

[Bogangles]

We just received an email with this link today about anal gland problems. With my first dog -- not a greyhound -- it was a big issue for him. He came from the Human Society and had some minor surgery done there and since that time the problems started when they did mess with his glands. Have had no problems with the greys so far.

 

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/anal-gland-problems/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Best%2520Home%2520Remedies%2520For%2520Anal%2520Gland%2520Problems&utm_term=Post&utm_content=anal-gland-problems

 

I don't know if this will help at all but it does agree that removing the glands is a bad idea as mentioned by racindog. I think with these articles we have to take what make sense for our dogs and their situation.

 

Hope this is helpful and all the best for your pup.

[tbhounds]

I would try antihistamines before I scheduled surgery. An analglandectomy is not without complications-the biggest is fecal incontinence. Also, if you decide to move forward with surgery only one side should be performed at a time. By doing one side at a time if the nerve in that area is effected you still have the opposite side to help control anal tone.

[Mimismom]

With anal sac issues, surgical removal should be the final option, after all other medical treatments have failed. The risk of permanent fecal incontinence- however small- is too great and devastating. Adding fish oil and fiber are two dietary options to try. Canned pumpkin daily is very accepted by most dogs. There seems to be a link between skin allergies ( atopic dermatitis) and anal sac issues, which is why some recommend trying antihistamines. Another option is for you to learn how to express your grey's anal sacs- either internally or externally. Please ask your vet for a quick lesson. Good luck.

[MaryJane]

Can you recommend other dog-friendly foods to add fiber to the diet? Thinking green beans and pumpkin, maybe? Lola has a bit of trouble expressing the left anal gland. I'd like to avoid bigger issues, if I can.

 

 

She doesn't do very well on fibre, grains, or rice, I've tried in the past. The kibble gives her much larger stools though, and I think that helps (just not enough). I did ask about the fecal incontinence. He's never had a case where it was permanent, just temporary (post surgery). Still a pain though.

 

 

The link provides high fiber foods although I didn't check to see which ones are ok with dogs. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948

 

You can do string beans and pumpkin. You can also try and see if lentils will work - although be careful with any "bean" like this as it can cause gas and then bloat could be an issue.

 

I've also taken the skins of apples and boiled them with water (& cinnamon), pureed it and used it over food. You could try slicing a whole apple (no seeds) and see your dog will eat the slices. Raspberries is also noted as high in fiber, one of my greyhounds would actually pick the raspberries from the bushes herself - funny to watch.

[Roo]

With anal sac issues, surgical removal should be the final option, after all other medical treatments have failed. The risk of permanent fecal incontinence- however small- is too great and devastating. Adding fish oil and fiber are two dietary options to try. Canned pumpkin daily is very accepted by most dogs. There seems to be a link between skin allergies ( atopic dermatitis) and anal sac issues, which is why some recommend trying antihistamines. Another option is for you to learn how to express your grey's anal sacs- either internally or externally. Please ask your vet for a quick lesson. Good luck.

I noticed this with my terrier. If she had too much chicken, she would get really itchy and her anal glands needed expressing more often. Cut back on the chicken (she was alright with some poultry meal and other "chicken byproduct ingredients) and she was less itchy and could go a month between expressions.

 

Definitely try more fiber. Are there any grains your pup can handle? For Daisy, when I finally found a diet that worked and gave her a good output, I noticed that she was more comfortable longer than when she was on her low fiber, low grain diet. Bulking it up helped a lot!

[Guest Rainy]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

I have tried expressing them myself (internally), but the main problem is that she has very small anal gland ducts and so it very painful for her to have it done. The vet said it was like trying to squeeze cottage cheese through a pinhole. A pinhole attached to a screaming thrashing dog. So she needs to be fully sedated to have them cleaned out, which in my eyes is almost as bad as surgery, except with surgery it could be done once and the problem would be dealt with.

 

But I wanted to cover my bases and look into allergies. However, since she's very healthy, and never ever showed signs of allergies (skin/ear/or foot problems) my gut says it isn't that... And I'm not sure if adding fibre would provide enough force. SIGH. But at least I have time to make the decision, as the surgery date wouldn't be until December.

[LaFlaca]

In my opinion, surgery is last option after all else has failed (unless the situation is emergent, of course). Having said this, my Ridgeback, Champion, had infection after infection for years. He was in pain. Surgery was indicated. It went very well and he never had another issue in that area.

[LaFlaca]

Just ordered a supplement called "Scoot Ease". It contains pumpkin, psyllium husk, salmon oil and other good stuff. They are chewables. Purchased from www.entirelypets.com. Amazon carries the product but it's much cheaper from Entirely Pets.