Anal Glands Randomly Expressing

[minimax]

One of my pugs has anal gland issues, they are "deep set" apparently, which contributes to them not expressing properly when pooping. I've had her at the vet a few times to have them expressed, but since the last time about 2.5 weeks ago her anal glands have been randomly "leaking" when she's relaxed.

I know it's her anal glands because the smell is quite distinct - anyone who's ever smelt anal gland juice probably knows what I'm talking about

I don't think it's normal to randomly express or leak, but at the same time as least they aren't full and causing her to be uncomfortable (just causing me to gag and leave the room often).

She's on a raw diet of chicken carcass at night, brekkie is a raw mix I make up of beef, some veggies and yoghurt with chicken necks.

Any ideas on what I can do to help her? Or at least to stop them randomly leaking and stinking out the house?

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

My Pug's anal glands have always done this (when he's relaxed)...

My vet checked them out for me and she said there's nothing wrong with him. He sometimes even rubs his bum on the floor and she still said there's nothing wrong. Maybe I should get a second opinion.

Edited April 29, 2013 by Maeby Fünke

[minimax]

My Pug's anal glands have always done this (when he's relaxed)...

My vet checked them out for me and she said there's nothing wrong with him. He sometimes even rubs his bum on the floor and she still said there's nothing wrong. Maybe I should get a second opinion.

I've asked a bunch of other pug people and they've never heard of it (most of them have never even needed to get their anal glands expressed, let alone have them randomly express themselves!) so I don't know if it's normal. I'm hoping not, as the smell seriously makes me feel like I'm going to puke

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

My Pug's anal glands have always done this (when he's relaxed)...

My vet checked them out for me and she said there's nothing wrong with him. He sometimes even rubs his bum on the floor and she still said there's nothing wrong. Maybe I should get a second opinion.

I've asked a bunch of other pug people and they've never heard of it (most of them have never even needed to get their anal glands expressed, let alone have them randomly express themselves!) so I don't know if it's normal. I'm hoping not, as the smell seriously makes me feel like I'm going to puke

I'm used to it now :laugh:

[~Anne~]

Most dogs don't need them expressed. The more you express them, the more they need to be expressed.

The glands are there for a purpose and are best left alone. It is 100% normal for anal glands to leak fluid some times. It's when they don't that they become a problem and become impacted but for some bizarre reason dog owners have switched this around and they now routinely express them because they express easily by themselves

We tend to notice the anal glands of little dogs more because they're often on our laps or sitting beside us on furniture.

Do yourself and your dogs a favour and ,are sure they have nice healthy poos that will keep the glands expressed well enough and accept they will also spontaneously express through fear, excitement, marking and just because.

On another note, they're not actually glands. They're sac like.

Edited April 29, 2013 by ~Anne~

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

It is 100% normal for anal glands to leak fluid some times. It's when they don't that they become a problem and become impacted

That's what my vet said, but I wasn't sure because so many people seem to have them expressed.

Edited April 29, 2013 by Maeby Fünke

[~Anne~]

It's another reason why my pugs were retrained not to go on furniture. I have a very regular spontaneous expressor! :laugh:

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

It's another reason why my pugs were retrained not to go on furniture. I have a very regular spontaneous expressor! :laugh:

Oh, yuck! :laugh:

Edited April 29, 2013 by Maeby Fünke

[~Anne~]

What makes it worse is that I know when it has happened even though he will be on his mat at my feet or in his bed because he suddenly turns around and starts intently licking the mat or bed.

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

Sorry, double post... That was weird.

Edited April 29, 2013 by Maeby Fünke

[~Anne~]

But still i loved Monte and he had disgusting eating habits..........

Boofy is pretty easy in comparison!

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

Sorry, my computer keeps disconnecting!

Oscar is obsessed... The minute he leaks he has to sniff my lap/the couch/his bed for about 30 minutes. But I love everything about him, even his stinky bum juice.

[Daisys Mum]

I had to get Lacey's done because it turned into an abscess it was a right old mess but she took it like a trooper and they have been good ever since :)

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

My mum's old dog - had to go to the vet every month to get the anal sacs emptied.

At that point Mum asked - what else could she do?

And vet said they can be removed.

Which worked. I don't know what the long term effect is on a dog, but this particular dog was fairly old then anyway and lived quite a few more years after with no further problems at that end.

[tlc]

Psylliam husk added to food helps bulk up the stool to express them. From the diet I'd say too much bone with carcass at night and necks in the morning.

Pumpkin is good to bulk up stools as well, the bulkier the stool the better to express. To be leaking they must be reasonably full and not expressing as they should be.

One of my girls had a problem and on vets advice as above problem solved. (Although the vet advised Metamucil, but I went to health food shop and got the psyllium husks on their own, it did the trick.)

[minimax]

Most dogs don't need them expressed. The more you express them, the more they need to be expressed.

The glands are there for a purpose and are best left alone. It is 100% normal for anal glands to leak fluid some times. It's when they don't that they become a problem and become impacted but for some bizarre reason dog owners have switched this around and they now routinely express them because they express easily by themselves

We tend to notice the anal glands of little dogs more because they're often on our laps or sitting beside us on furniture.

Do yourself and your dogs a favour and ,are sure they have nice healthy poos that will keep the glands expressed well enough and accept they will also spontaneously express through fear, excitement, marking and just because.

On another note, they're not actually glands. They're sac like.

How often is normal though? She does it several times a night while she's chilling out on the lounge.

We had to get them expressed the first time because she was scooting constantly, same for the second time and that's when the vet said they were unusually "deep set" and that's possibly why they weren't being cleared out properly when she poops.

Wouldn't pumpkin or psyllium just make her poops softer and bulkier, but not firmer to actually help the anal glands?

[~Anne~]

Boof does it very regularly. I'd say almost on a daily basis and just like your girl, sometimes several times in one day. Mind you, he's not on my lap so it could happen a billion times a day and I wouldn't know.

I have a bitch that scoots but hers is the nether region she is trying to scratch. Might be something to consider?

She may also need to have them regularly expressed. Some do. But they should only be expressed when they are compacted. If she is leaking she isn't compacted because the release of the fluid means there isn't a blockage. They do leak more when infected though. My cat, Molly, had infected sacs once and that was how I discovered it, the constant leaking.

Not sure about the pumpkin etc. I've read your posts and I think they're on a good diet. If they have solid faeces then they're fine. Pumpkin etc would only help if they had sensitive stomach or bowel and had very soft or watery poo.

Edited April 30, 2013 by ~Anne~

[minimax]

Boof does it very regularly. I'd say almost on a daily basis and just like your girl, sometimes several times in one day. Mind you, he's not on my lap so it could happen a billion times a day and I wouldn't know.

I have a bitch that scoots but hers is the nether region she is trying to scratch. Might be something to consider?

She may also need to have them regularly expressed. Some do. But they should only be expressed when they are compacted. If she is leaking she isn't compacted because the release of the fluid means there isn't a blockage. They do leak more when infected though. My cat, Molly, had infected sacs once and that was how I discovered it, the constant leaking.

Not sure about the pumpkin etc. I've read your posts and I think they're on a good diet. If they have solid faeces then they're fine. Pumpkin etc would only help if they had sensitive stomach or bowel and had very soft or watery poo.

How would you know they are infected? I was thinking a chiro visit just to see if that helped, but they have only been leaking since they were expressed last time so I'm wondering if something else is going on in there. I had to leave the room when they were done, so I left OH in there alone with her (the smell makes me puke, I have a really twitchy gag reflex :laugh: ) but she didn't say anything unusual.

Max has two scoots, one when she's scratching her fanny, and one when she's butt scratching. I can tell them apart because she air licks when she butt scratches (and also does when you give her butt or tail scratches, it's like her tongue and butt are connected lol)

[~Anne~]

Molly's leaked continually when hers were infected and the smell was more like infection rather than silvery fish. Don't ask me what silvery fish is but that's the way I perceive the normal smell! :laugh:

When I say continually, I mean leaking little bits all the time, not just expressing them a couple of times a day. She also licked the area constantly. But then, she was a cat and they tend to be more focused on grooming than dogs.

Edited April 30, 2013 by ~Anne~

[PuddleDuck]

I don't know how, but bear got overexcited when I pulled out the leads yesterday and managed to let an anal gland go....oh the instant flashback to vet nursing days

I used to work for a vet who would do anal glands every time, no matter what you came in for. The man went through a box of gloves a day it was amazing. The conversations went

Vet: what are you in for

Owner: I think his eye is infected

Vet: *reaches for gloves* righto, lets just do his anal glands

Owner: I said his EYE!

Vet: I know but let's look here first

Nutbag!