Odin-Genie Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Yesterday when we got home, our Golden Retriever looked really uncomfortable. She would get up, then immediately sit down and lick her anal area. She wasn't scooting, just sitting down. She is nearly five and has never had issues with anal glands. Her poos are almost always very firm. We rushed her to the vet who said that her anal glands are full. She tried to express them but came back to say that she could not empty them completely since my dog was getting very anxious. She also said that it can be a very painful procedure and that if my dog isn't better in a day then we should take her back, get her sedated and express the anal glands again. We took our dog for a walk when we got home and she walked fine. When we got home, she was walking a bit and not sitting down as frequently. This morning she ran around the park. However she continues to lick her anal area and prefers to sit down. Would that be because she is sore? She seems to be better but not 100%. Do we need to take her back to the vet, or wait another day? Is there anything else we can do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Find a good canine chiropractor and get her hips checked. I would also return to the vet to ensure there is no infection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 You can express them yourself....but....if she is really getting upset it may be better to sedate her at the vets and make sure they can be completely emptied. It's usually a pretty quick thing to do and I have seen dogs have it done with no issues, but it sounds like she is getting scared, and of course it would hurt them a bit. Poor munchkin , I hope she's feeling better soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted December 6, 2012 Author Share Posted December 6, 2012 Find a good canine chiropractor and get her hips checked. I would also return to the vet to ensure there is no infection. Do Chiropractors treat anal glands, or do you think there could be an issue with her hips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Anal glands can be an issue if hips are out of alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted December 6, 2012 Author Share Posted December 6, 2012 Anal glands can be an issue if hips are out of alignment. Thanks. I didn't know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirra Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 What is the relationship between hips and anal glands? I'm asking because my girl has intermittent anal gland problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted December 6, 2012 Author Share Posted December 6, 2012 Can anyone recommend a good chiro in Sydney? I'm on the upper north shore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Go to the All Natural Vet at Russell Lea - a bit pricy but wonderful and can have a good look at your girl overall - just ring and ask the price first though, i wouldn't want you to be really shocked. They can recommend the whole approach to any issues with diet and supplements. She might have an infection brewing in there so be very careful because it can become an abcess, it happened to my first dog and was terrible for him. There is another chiro out in the north west who does greyhounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 I imagine the connection between anal glands and being out of alignment is that the dog emptying its bowel is supposed to empty the glands as well. If the stool is not firm enough or for some other reason does not stimulate the glands enough, they will not express. If the dog is sore/out of alignment and not squatting just right, the same problem may occur and the glands do not get emptied properly. Foxy had issues with hers before as one of hers sits a bit funny and I was also having issues getting her to a decent weight, so her glands did not always empty properly. I changed foods and added psyllium husks to her meals, as well as more bones and chicken wings/frames/necks/whatever and after I had her spayed she gained an extra bit of weight. We have not had any more anal gland issues for a while now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 (edited) Two things: It's not the firmness of stools that empties anal glands. It's their BULK. Small, hard stools do not assist with the process. This is why psyllium husk or other fibre sometimes needs to be added to a dog's diet to assist. Bones won't help at all. Anal glands are expressed by stool moving through the lower bowel. If hips are out of alignment,muscle also tends to be affected and this tends to be reflected in trouble properly emptying the glands. Muscle tone matters – this is why fat and unfit dogs also tend to have gland issues. Regular walking can be of real benefit. It's not a coincidence that many dogs defecate on a walk. Be under no illusion that anal gland issues can be very painful for the dog. A dog licking its rear end should be taken to the vet ASAP in my opinion, before you end up withi mpacted glands, nasty infections and potentially a burst abscess. Very senior dogs who have never been regularly chiropracted will probably not get particularly good improvement from a visit. You take a dog to prevent issues developing as much as you do to 'fix' problems. Fused bone can't be repositioned and arthritis won't be cured. Prolonged spinal and hip misalignment throws muscle and ligaments into all kinds of trouble which is why regular chiropracty can, in my opinion, help prevent issues like ruptured ACL's. Edited December 6, 2012 by Haredown Whippets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 (edited) Ah, thanks for clearing that up, seems I was a bit fuzzy on the details because I got a bit woosey when my vet said I'd have to stick my finger in there to empty them if problems persisted... I am glad our issues are now resolved. I do not have to feed any extra fiber anymore now. Edited December 7, 2012 by BlackJaq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 (edited) From experience... they can turn nasty very quickly and to be honest if the vet couldn't empty them completely they may need to be surgically lanced and cleaned. It can be a one off but it can also become a chronic issue which you want to avoid by getting it right the first time. Our experience was 4 abscesses in about 6 months, appearing overnight. The fourth time she was sedated to have the wound lanced which actually helped a lot. Our dog is young, fit and well muscled. The vet could not give us a reason but suggested that removal of the glands was the only solution. I sought a second opinion from a vet chiro, who confirmed that her right hip was quite severely misaligned.They also gave us a long term course of antibiotics to ensure that there was no residual infection. She has been on a tablespoon of psyllium husk in her food since the first episode. We went back after the course of antibiotics (a month's worth). The glands were empty, and she was "out" again but not as badly as the first time. We went back then after 2 months. The glands were empty and she was sound. We're out to a 3 month appointment now. The theory with our girl is that she possibly had an old injury which failed to heal correctly, causing the persistent alignment issues, which in turn had loosened muscle/ligament which was affecting the function of the glands. If she had continued to constantly need adjusting, we would have done x-rays to check her hips. I didn't want to go the surgical route so crossing fingers this approach continues to work for us. Thanks to the recommendations of DOLers! Edit: My girl also has scar tissue there now that will always be there, so treating them as quickly and thoroughly as possible is important. Double edit: Although the lancing/flushing under sedation sounds horrible, it was good for us because it cleaned it completely and it healed within a few days, whereas if they just emptied and gave us antibiotics, it was messy and uncomfortable and we had to continue cleaning it for over a week. Edited December 7, 2012 by wuffles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirra Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Thanks for those informative posts. I'm amazed at how much I've learned in the short time I've been on this forum :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 (edited) From experience... they can turn nasty very quickly and to be honest if the vet couldn't empty them completely they may need to be surgically lanced and cleaned. It can be a one off but it can also become a chronic issue which you want to avoid by getting it right the first time. Our experience was 4 abscesses in about 6 months, appearing overnight. The fourth time she was sedated to have the wound lanced which actually helped a lot. Our dog is young, fit and well muscled. The vet could not give us a reason but suggested that removal of the glands was the only solution. I totally agree, the same thing happened with my older dog when she was about 8. One anal gland has been removed and ever since, we've had no problems at all with the other one. ETA - I also read somewhere that poodles (and I'm sure other breeds) are quite pre-disposed to having issues with expressing anal glands due to their structure. I'm not sure exactly what it is about their physiology but for whatever reason, the glands are so situated that it can be a problem. I do'nt remember where I read this (perhaps the vet told me?) but a quick google didn't herald much but this: http://www.k911.biz/Petsafety/AnalGlands.htm "It also seems that smaller dogs or obese dogs are predisposed to this problem. In particular, small Poodles, Chihuahuas and Pomeranians have a high incidence of anal gland problems." Edited December 7, 2012 by Alkhe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I totally agree, the same thing happened with my older dog when she was about 8. One anal gland has been removed and ever since, we've had no problems at all with the other one. Just to clarify (not sure if this is what you were saying or not, sorry if I'm wrong!) but we didn't have them removed. Just cut open (tiny cut) and flushed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I totally agree, the same thing happened with my older dog when she was about 8. One anal gland has been removed and ever since, we've had no problems at all with the other one. Just to clarify (not sure if this is what you were saying or not, sorry if I'm wrong!) but we didn't have them removed. Just cut open (tiny cut) and flushed out. Oh oops - sorry! I misread. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 All sorted....sort of. The initial issue was anal glands but my GR had a thorough check up at the vets today. No infections and anal glands are completely clear. However she has developed a nasty hot spot on her bum due to the excessive humidity last few days. That's why she was so upset. The vet has now cleaned it and given medication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumof4girls Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Hot spots can be nasty, thank goodness it was found and you have treatment :-) All sorted....sort of. The initial issue was anal glands but my GR had a thorough check up at the vets today. No infections and anal glands are completely clear. However she has developed a nasty hot spot on her bum due to the excessive humidity last few days. That's why she was so upset. The vet has now cleaned it and given medication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now