Anal Glands

[debazen]

Good morning everyone,

I am interested in knowing if anyone here has had their dogs anal glands removed,? and if yes,

Has it made your dog more comfortable?, did the operation go well,?

I have heard that the operation can sometimes have some short term damage to nerves etc around the area and the dog may have incontinence problems for a short time after, and rarely sometimes for the rest of the dogs life.

Thank you

Susan

[hopenfox]

Nicky (Cavalier) had his anal glands removed many years ago without any problems at all.

He suffered through countless uncomfortable infections and painful vet visits for over a year before the Vet recommended he have them removed. The operation went well, and he was so much happier after. He had no nerve damage or incontinence and recovered very quickly. He's been great ever since (he's 14 now).

[debazen]

Thanks so much hopenfox,

That is the the sort of information I am looking for,

Glad your Nicky went through it well, and what a wonderful age he is.

Thanks again,

[WhiteLight]

Iam very interested in this as well.

When I first got my dog it was once a month to have them squeezed and now its once a fortnight and it looks like it could be done weekly.

At first the vet was against them having them removed now he is talking about them.

It is only one that is mainly blocked and I was wondering if I could have only one done. Mind you it would be micro surgery she only weight a teeny bit of 2 kgs.

Any more people had this done? To their dogs I mean.

[hopenfox]

If you do a search, you should come up with some more info - anal gland removal does come up every now and then.

A few of the search results;

Anal Gland Removal,

Anal Glands,

And this one.

Hope they help

[Muttaburra]

Before considering surgery try adding some pumpkin to the diet (gentle roughage) and some olive oil (1 teaspoon per kilogram of dogs weight) or similar 3 times per week. Also add some fish oil caps.

Does your dog get chicken necks or other raw meaty bones? - these would be beneficial provided they get the oils and the roughage as well. I really think diet plays a big part, some diets can block them up, and others not allow enough pressure for them to release naturally.

Also I have heard there can be negative effects from continually expressing them (although I understand if there is an existing problem this may be the only remedy at the time).

Hopefully a try of a different diet might help.