sheena Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) My BC girl for the last couple of weeks has slightly smelled of poo. It's not that she has any poo attached to her fur. She has been bathed & swims every day. Even after five days at the beach she still had the "poo" smell. Her coat is lovely & healthy & her poos havn't changed...they are still nice & firm & only a couple a day. She is bum scooting a bit, but has been wormed. I was wondering if it may be her anal glands, though I thought if it was, then she would smell really rotten. Nothing has changed in her diet & she doesn't fart or anything like that....just a slightly smelly bum. Edited September 3, 2012 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavsRcute Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 I would consider anal glands. They don't always smell really rotten My girl gets very restless when they need expressing. If they are infected or leaking then they smell revolting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share Posted September 1, 2012 I would consider anal glands. They don't always smell really rotten My girl gets very restless when they need expressing. If they are infected or leaking then they smell revolting Thanks CavsRcute...there is nothing leaking & her bum appears quite clean, though I have noticed it a bit red once after she had been scooting, but only once. I have noticed that smell in friends dogs, both Golden Retrievers, & I have often thought it was because they live in small backyards, are fed rubbish food & their poop isn't always picked up. But that isn't the case with my girl, so I think I will pop her in to the vet. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodle friend Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 Sounds like a trip to the vet is a good idea. I've only had trouble with anal glands once, a German Coolie i had. His were infected and smelled like rotten fish. Absolutely dreadful. He wasn't scooting, poos and everything else good. Needed a course of anti-biotics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 I'm voting anal glands also! Kenzie often has full anal glands (I just don't know what else to do about this!!) and I know when she does because there is some scooting and she has a sort of coppery smell at her rear end, she'll also be wandering anround and then just suddenly sit down but in a way so her bottom is well and truely on the ground! I've now learnt how to very basically express them which I do every couple of weeks as a preventative, but she did have to visit the vets a couple of times to have them dealt with (they were not pleasant those times!!!). Oh and she usually has really nice poos but if they are very full it doesn't matter what I feed her but she gets sloppy poos so if I see this happening I definitely know it is time that they be emptied! Such a lovely topic to discuss!!! (unfortunately my work mates have to put up with the same discussion every so often as she comes to work - lucky they are all doggy people!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share Posted September 1, 2012 I'm voting anal glands also! Kenzie often has full anal glands (I just don't know what else to do about this!!) and I know when she does because there is some scooting and she has a sort of coppery smell at her rear end, she'll also be wandering anround and then just suddenly sit down but in a way so her bottom is well and truely on the ground! I've now learnt how to very basically express them which I do every couple of weeks as a preventative, but she did have to visit the vets a couple of times to have them dealt with (they were not pleasant those times!!!). Oh and she usually has really nice poos but if they are very full it doesn't matter what I feed her but she gets sloppy poos so if I see this happening I definitely know it is time that they be emptied! Such a lovely topic to discuss!!! (unfortunately my work mates have to put up with the same discussion every so often as she comes to work - lucky they are all doggy people!!!) YUK...not looking forward to doing it myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 YUK...not looking forward to doing it myself Once you get the technique down... it takes about 30 seconds all up ..and if you use gloves & a wad of good paper towel .. there is no mess whatsoever . Over the years, hamlet has had his done a few times ... he sees me with a wad of paper towel ..and just stands really still until I'm finished ..then a quick wipe to clean him a bit .. and that's that :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 Just a little hint. Empty them in the bath. That way you can wash the secretions down the drain as soon as you've done what you need to do and can then wash your hands at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share Posted September 1, 2012 Thanks everyone. I googled it & came up with a couple of Youtubes on "how to". So it's off to the vet on Monday. My poor girl...I am so used to her either smelling like roses or dead goanna, depending on what she has been rolling in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Took her to the vet today & Yes, she had blocked anal glands. Vet only charged my $26, so for that, I don't think I would bother doing it myself. How often does it need to be done...I forgot to ask the vet. I guess it depends on the dog, & every case is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 probably depends a bit on the dog. I've read some theories that doing it for the dog - increases the need for the dog to have it done, ie the more you (or the vet) do it, the more you need to do it. I don't know whether changing the diet makes a difference or not. And it may just be that some dogs need help always. My mum's last dog - when it got to the point she was getting done at the vet every month - Mum asked for what else could be done, and their choice was to have the glands removed. The dog was already about 12 years old - and lasted a few more years after that. So far - touch wood - my dog hasn't needed any help. Something to ask the vet for sure. Would love to know the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Generally if you feed a good fibre, rich food with lots of roughage to stimulate the anal glands, they don't need manual emptying at all. I am sorry, I don't know what you feed, but I do have to say that dogs which are fed mostly dry food diets are the worst for anal gland issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Ours have never needed to have them done, they get some dry food, but mostly raw meaty bones. Our old chi had to have hers done a couple of times, not very often though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Ours have never needed to have them done, they get some dry food, but mostly raw meaty bones. Our old chi had to have hers done a couple of times, not very often though. And the harder stool from the bones would certainly help to evacuate the glands. As an example. I owned an American Cocker for a few years. He was fed mostly a raw diet with only a few handfuls of dry food here and there. Like all my dogs, anal glands weren't an issue. Until I gave him to my parents and he was put on the crap food they used to feed....cheaper dry food, canned food and table scraps. From then on, like clockwork every few months he was at the vet having his anal glands done. When he came back to me for the brief time after my parents both passed, he was back on "my" diet and had no further issues with his bum. Thought it was quite interesting and said a few "told you so's" to my parents..... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ESCS Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 One of our tibbies needed her anal glands expressed monthly. I read an article on the VAN website about anal glands and decided to change our tibbie's diet based on some of the information in the article. She is now on raw food (BARF and chicken wings/frames)) mixed with grated carrot and a tablespoon of whole oats (husk and all). She was also on VAN complete mix for awhile. Psyllium husk didn't make any difference for her as it may have been too finely processed. The combination of raw, bones and additional fibre from the oats has helped quite a lot. She has to work harder to relieve herself which perhaps is helping express those glands. We have been able to stretch out our visits to the vet. She's also not itchy anymore which is a big bonus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 dry food diets I thought kibble was mostly fibre, dog food equivalent to sawdust. My dog's stools are much firmer on kibble (and a couple of sardines) than the casserole and kibble combo. She doesn't get bones much - cos they cause other problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Took her to the vet today & Yes, she had blocked anal glands. Vet only charged my $26, so for that, I don't think I would bother doing it myself. How often does it need to be done...I forgot to ask the vet. I guess it depends on the dog, & every case is different. One of my girls when she was younger had a problem and needed them expressed a few times, the vet charged $18 so i just took her in if she needed it, after some investigating I added physillium (sp) husks to her diet and she never had to have hers expressed again. Eventually he didn't need the husks anymore and now hasn't had a problem for years. Generally if you feed a good fibre, rich food with lots of roughage to stimulate the anal glands, they don't need manual emptying at all. I am sorry, I don't know what you feed, but I do have to say that dogs which are fed mostly dry food diets are the worst for anal gland issues. I found with my girl once she was changed to a mostly dry diet (initially Eagle pack, then nutro now black hawk) there was no more problems. It could depend on which dry I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) She only gets about 50% dry black hawk, which she has been on for two years. The rest she gets is turkey neck daily, homemade, healthy training treats, & often fish, meat or eggs. The first time in 5 years so that's not too bad. Her stools are lovely & firm & she has to work to get them out...never runny & only a couple of times a day. I did read somewhere, or maybe it was the vet that told me (can't remember) that it was a genetic thing. Edited September 5, 2012 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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