Charlotte Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Hi everyone, i just joined this forum today and am already addicted....why didn't i discover it 6 months ago when i was the nervous owner of a new puppy!! I have a 8 month old Pug who is having problems with her anal glands. They are 'leaking' approx once a month and the vet said that this is more regular than they should, and to think about having them removed. Has anyone had this operation performed on their dog? I have tried espressing them myself but she keeps yelping because i'm obviously not doing it right so i end up taking her to the vet or groomer once a month. Its like living with a time bomb because you never know when its going to happen...and of course its usually while she's only the lounge or my bed etc HELP!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Expressing anal glands needs 'hands on' instruction... get your vet or groomer to show you how and watch you do it. Increasing the fibre in her diet may help - more chicken wings etc. My vet also recommended mashed pumpkin. However, if its an ongoing problem, you may need to have one (not necessarily both) removed. Make sure you use a vet who is has experience with this op - sometimes faecal incontinence is an unwanted consequence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteLight Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 I was told to put a little moistened Physicullum husks* in her food and no dried dog food or to much bones. The poor thing has this problem and also ruptured anal pincher muscles so for her a double whammy. She is tiny around 2kgs and the vet will not let me express them. I did ask about removing them and was told not a good idea. I would go seek another opinion. *The cheapest was at the supermarket in the health food section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted February 9, 2005 Author Share Posted February 9, 2005 So is it generally caused because the stools are too hard and thats why they need increased fibre? She just looks so depressed and almost embarrassed when it happens and isn't herself for a couple of days. Is it painful for them when it leaks? Thanks again, i really appreciate all the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 I would imagine that impacted or full glands would be uncomfortable at best but possibly painful. You need plenty of 'bulk' to make the gland express (unless you want to give your dog a good fright - not recommended). I'd seek further veterinary advice - so many variables and some breeds are more prone than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Hi Charlotte pugs often have anal sac problems. When I was in my teens (over thirty years ago ;) ), my family's pet dog was (for 17 years) a pug. He had anal sac problems, and they were removed surgically when he was about 18months old. He did not develop faecal incontinence even when very old. However, faecal incontinence is certainly a possible side effect of this surgery. My brother has a pug, and as a joke Christmas present in 2003, I put together a 'pug owners manual'. This consisted of instructions on how to express anal sacs, with a box of disposable latex gloves and a tube of KY jelly . The instructions were all plagiarised from the internet :D and are quite straightforward. They come with the usual disclaimers about 'no responsibily for anything that goes wrong' and 'see your vet if you dont manage to epmty the anal sacs with gentle pressure', but I found them to be quite straightforward :D . I have to express my Shih Tzu/Maltese cross's anal sacs every 3 or 4 weeks and i guess I always will as I try to avoid surgery for my dogs wherever possible. If you want, PM your e-mail address to me, and I'll e-mail the instructions to you; it is a microsoft Word document, with diagrams as well as instructions. Cheers, Peter D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelly Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Hi Charlotte, I had the same problem with Jedda. Her anal glands would just "leak". They were not impacted or infected but just seemed to have a faulty valve! The fluid that comes out is watery and a bit yellowy in colour. ie. NOT thick or gooey as this could indicate an impacted or infected gland(s). I have found the best way to limit the problem is to feed her a bulky diet so that her stools are nice and firm and a good size (a bit graphic but anyway...). Anal glands empty naturally when your dog does a poo so the healthier the stool the more likely they are to empty. Jedda used to get really stinky in the afternoons at work (she comes to the office with me). I found that training her to poo in the middle of the day helped the problem enormously! Jedda gets chicken wings several times a week as well as a good dry food. I have also learned to express her glands manually and usually do this when I give her a bath (not all that often!). Maybe try changing your little pugs diet as suggested? BTW, Jedda is MUCH bigger than your pug at 19kg so expressing is not such a delicate job! Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 (edited) Ricey: a box of disposable latex gloves Ricey, never picked you for a wuss! I do it straight into my hand under a running tap and bath straight away. I gave a lengthy description of expressing glands in the 'poodle grooming' thread a couple of months ago. You might like to see if we follow similar methodology. Edited February 9, 2005 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Ricey:a box of disposable latex gloves Ricey, never picked you for a wuss! :D I do it straight into my hand under a running tap and bath straight away. Wuss? Me? Never!!! :D ;) I was just following the directions :D :D Peter D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 (edited) My girl gets compacted anal glads all the time.. May I have the instructions send to me ? Also, what can I give her to make her poo's harder .. they are pretty firm now but not hard. Edited February 9, 2005 by Maverick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 I gave a lengthy description of expressing glands in the 'poodle grooming' thread a couple of months ago. You might like to see if we follow similar methodology. Hi Poodlefan No, I don't use your method, hence the need for latex gloves and KY jelly. I use the 'index finger inserted in the bum, with thumb on outside at 4 o'clock & 8 o'clock technique' . I find that I can empty the sacs more completely that way ;) I read that thread you mentioned; there were quite a few squeamish people posting there :D Peter D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jintanut Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 (edited) yeah mums dog gets this too, shes little chi x.... I have been minding her when her sacks filled up and needed emptying..... its happened to me minding her a few times now. So id reccomend reading up a bit, getting those latex gloves and a large box of tissues.... Its not that hard to empty just a bit icky. Id be trying a new improved fibre rich diet to try to fix it before surgury.. mums dog is fine for a feww weeks, and then they flare up, and strangley enough mums "operation happy" vet hasnt reccomened any surgury as far as I know. goodluck . Edited February 9, 2005 by Jintanut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 My girl gets compacted anal glads all the time.. May I have the instructions send to me ? Also, what can I give her to make her poo's harder .. they are pretty firm now but not hard. Hi Maverick you will need to PM me and give me your e-mail address, as the document is 83Kb in size. Both the 'internal' method (the one I use) and the 'external' method (the one poodlefan uses) are described quite well. As for firming up the stools, bones help cheers Peter D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANNODAM Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 (edited) . Edited May 17, 2008 by ANNODAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 One of my oldies has had anal problems all her life. About once a mth they would express themselves and the smell was truly terrible. I was expressing them on a regular basis but still having problems so my vet injected antibiotics into the gland openings themselves and I have had no problems since. At the time I questioned why if they were not infected but he said looked and me and said it seems to work and he is right. It has been 6mths and I haven't had to express them since and no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aatainc Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 only ever had one dog with problems with the anal glands. A course of antibiotics cleared it up - even though they didn't seem to be infected. the firmer the poos the better - within reason. Definitely lots of bones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted February 9, 2005 Author Share Posted February 9, 2005 Phew...i'm certainly glad to see i'm not alone! I've had dogs all my life, usually jack russells and have never had this problem before. She's only a petitle little pug at 5kg so i was worried about hurting her when i express them. She doesn't seem uncomfortable when the vet does it though so i guess practice makes perfect! Thank you everyone for the information, Peter I will PM you my email details now. Thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Yay - another Pug person on the forum! I also own Pugs.... gorgeous little creatures they are... and I also have one with anal leakage. His are not compacted and I do not feel the need to express the glands for him. He has no discomfort (he seems to think the smell is fine.... but he always acts fascinated an surprised by it when it happens ) I would say he was leaking at least once daily. Apart from the awful smell, the secretion can also stain as you have probably noticed. As someone else recommended, I'd be getting a second opinion about surgery. To me, when I weighed up the risks, I didn't think the operation was neccessary. As awful that it is, a quick clean with a cloth and soap is all that it takes to fix. Unless he is having problems i.e. they are continually becoming compacted and or infected I'd be inclined to let it be and just learn how to squeeze them your self if required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteLight Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 (edited) If any one has instructions for a tiny dog 2.3 kilos please send to me. I was going to ask Ricey but as poor Lillie's bottom is about this size and she has ruptured anal pinchers (maybe because of someone self administration) the vet only expresses them from the outside. I know she needs to be done again as Godzilla is very interested in her at present and also there is a sickly sweet smell present again. Edited to say Ricey it seems you have both methods so will email you. Edited February 10, 2005 by L.B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 Hi LB, This site shows you a demo of expressing the glands as well as text... you need shockwave to see the demo. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.p...A&S=0&C=0&A=625 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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