Anal Gland Problem

[Stitch]

My girl is doing well on Hills Science I/D diet plus chicken with juices however I find that her anal glands block fairly often now.

This causes her to gnaw at her backside.

I empty them probably every 2 weeks sometimes more frequently.

After I do that the gnawing stops for a while.

Any ideas on what I can feed to a dog with colitis/irritable bowel that won't upset the gut but will help to clear the anal glands naturally??

I big ask I suppose but the problem seems to be getting worse.

[cowanbree]

I use Metamucil

[Erny]

Boiled or steamed pumpkin?

Edited November 18, 2009 by Erny

[poodlefan]

Yep, pumpkin or psyillum husk?

Edited November 18, 2009 by poodlefan

[LouiseBrooks]

Yep, pumpkin or psyillum husk?

These are boh what I use by the psyillum from the supermarkets it is so much cheaper, metamusical is flavoured psyillum so I have been told.

[Stitch]

Thanks for all your responses.

Silly question I suppose, but how do you get mashed pumpkin or psyillum down when a dog only has dry food (plus chicken juices) to eat.

It will be hard to disguise.

[poodlefan]

Thanks for all your responses.

Silly question I suppose, but how do you get mashed pumpkin or psyillum down when a dog only has dry food (plus chicken juices) to eat.

It will be hard to disguise.

Try dry baking the pumpkin - all my dogs love it!

[Erny]

My dog loves cooked pumpkin.

If your dog likes it too, you won't have any problems. Mash it up and mix your other foods in with it.

[Stitch]

Last question, how often do you feed the pumpkin?

Every meal or will several times a week be OK?

[Erny]

I'm not the expert, but I used to feed it according to how my girl's stools were. When they were looking as though they were getting towards going soft again (and hence wouldn't express the anal glands, as has occurred in your case, it seems) then I'd feed some steamed pumpkin.

Someone else might be more expert than my limited experience in this respect is, but I'm inclined to think it would be a matter of playing it by ear. You don't want to feed so much that you end up with too much fibre (assuming that is possible if pumpkin is fed too often).

[Stitch]

Thanks for that Erny.

I fed her some steamed pumpkin last night.

She ate about a 5cm cube - this morning she was a bit farty so maybe that is a bit much. ;)

I will see how it goes.

[mita]

My girl, Gracie, had similar trouble with anal glands. Best vet we've had, recommended light sprinkling of psyllium on her food. Available from health food shops.

Now I also do the same for my other girl, NinaZena, to prevent anal gland problem occurring in the first place.

[tlc]

One of mine had a problem early on, and I started her on psyillum and never looked back it worked a treat. Mine eat pumpkin every meal along with other veges.

[SwaY]

And some chicken necks/wings to her diet. Firm stool help to keep the anal glands empty.

[Stitch]

I can't do that Sway as she cannot tolerate bones of any sort.

It inflames the IBS and she gets terrible pain and diahorrea. She can't even tolerate rice - I presume that it is too much fibre.

Last thing I want to do is to set that off again.

[Erny]

I can't do that Sway as she cannot tolerate bones of any sort.

It inflames the IBS and she gets terrible pain and diahorrea. She can't even tolerate rice - I presume that it is too much fibre.

Last thing I want to do is to set that off again.

My boy has irritable bowel. He's been on Vet's All Natural "Allerblend" diet since May this year and there's been a considerable improvement. He gets Roo Tail bones - I don't feed him a lot of them and tbh he wouldn't eat a lot of them, but he seems ok when he does eat them. His food treats comprise of the VAN "Medi-treats/Skin Support". And that's it. What we've been doing is sticking to one protein source only and I believe that 'game' meat is the easiest on them. I think this has helped sort a few things out. He still has a rotten bowel movement more often than I'd prefer, but his stools over these past months have at least been much better (firmer) than they had been in the preceding weeks. More recently my Vet put me onto some Chinese Herbal supplements and one of these has actually made even more of a difference to the quality of his stools. It is such a joy not to have to scrape poops out of the lawn . I think part of his issue relates to him being a bit high on nerves.

[Finnesse]

My dog also has anal gland problems and psyllium husks have helped immensely. You can get them from Coles, it’s a lot cheaper than the health food stores.

[Stitch]

I have found it very difficult to get the vet to actually dianose the problem.

I went for years doing battle with the vomiting and diahorrea, taking her back and forth from the vet every few months, never knowing exactly what was causing it and my girl always had a painful stomach.

She would growl when anyone touched her tummy - never bite of course but it must have been very painful. He tummy was always like a rock.

As she got older the problem got worse. I had her on VAN for several years and then after one particularly yucky episode the vet suggested the Hills I/D and it produced such a change in her.

She no longer vomited, she no longer had diahorrea and you could touch her tummy.

He diagnosed her to have Irritable Bowel or maybe colitis. Since then I have proved that she can't have liver and BARF makes her poo about 4 times a day.

I got the same result when I gave her some left over brown rice - I mean, who would think that rice would upset her gut, but it did.

If I just leave her on the Hills I/D she is a happy camper, apart from the anal gland thing.

[Erny]

If I just leave her on the Hills I/D she is a happy camper, apart from the anal gland thing.

And that's fair enough .

Out of curiousity, what is the protein source used in Hills I/D?

[Stitch]

Chicken I believe.

Yet I have heard that chicken is one of the top protein sources for causing allergies.

Luckily it isn't a problem with my old girl.