Anal Glands

Hey Guy's,

I know this is not a nice subject to talk about

How often do you all get your dog's Anal Glands checked ?

I had Colonel at the vet's today getting his done for the
1st time and he was not very impressed

They were quiet bad and the vet reckoned i should bring him back Fri or Sat to get them done again in case they fill up quickly!

I know they have been bothering Colonel for the past couple of weeks but i wasn't 100% sure if thats what it was but hopefully they won't get so bad again.

Just wondering if they should be done often, let's say every six weeks???

I don't do my dogs at all! The anal glands should empty everytime you dog goes to the loo if the stools are hard enough. I was told that doing anal glands regularly actually causes the glands to become damaged and not work properly.
Becky

I agree with Becky but sometimes you do find a dog who needs to have them emptied for one reason or another. In those cases I do them myself in the bath

Debs

That is true that they should empty themselve's, but Colonel's were really bad and they where causing dicomfort so i'm just concerned about him now as i don't like to see him unhappy, so should i leave it til he get's bad again or get him checked out before they get so bad

As far as i know some Danes are likely to have problems with them maybe it's the Breed

I don't think i could do them myself, it was bad enough watching the vet do them and the smell nearlly knocked me out:smt078

Personally, if my dog had a problem then I would do them weekly to start off with, if they seem OK then go to every two weeks. Better to get them emptied before a problem occurs than when they start to cause discomfort.
However, it's marigolds, old clothes and pinny when you do them!
Becky

chinas started filling up quick and the vet had to empty them... but we found that a tablespoon of bran mixed into her food sorted it out sharpish... not had any probs since...

Alex
xx

Thanks for that, i will try it with Colonel

One of my dogs had constant problems with his anal glands and had to have them regularly emptied by the vet. There is no evidence to suggest that doing so causes any additional problems.

If your dog is prone to them, then I would suggest you get your vet to check them as often as you think is necessary. You will soon notice if he is in any discomfort.

Blocked anal glands causes the dog great discomfort and if not attended to they can become infected, requiring anti-biotics and even wash-outs. In extreme cases the anal glands can be surgically removed, and fortunately, modern techniques have made the problems previously associated with this operation, less likely.

The glands should empty each time the dog deficates, and I also found that bran added to his food was helpful .

thought this thread might help as well as about the same thing.

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=62067