Inca, so if her poo's hard, the glands emties itself naturally?
Bran would harden her poo?
I'll try bran right away.
gotta run to the supermarket [/quote]

yeap it would

Hi he he he thats what I meant by saying add some roughage to her diet sorry if it wasn't clear.Bran is good or a wheatabix will work aswell.

so how much bran do you give them?

Before I started to feed Rosie on a natural cooked diet we had no probs with the anal regions but since cooking for her, Ive had to take her to the vets - remembered years ago a vet telling me to add bran to the diet. Im trying 2 heaped teaspoons over her food to begin with and see how it goes. Rosie is a Boxer. Im going to ask the vet to show me how to empty them myself - even if it is vile the stuff that comes out of them!!!!
:smt040

I am so sorry I am in a rush, I have not read everybody elses replies yet, so if i duplicate....please forgive.

My staffy crosses both had the most awful stinky arses!!!! anal glands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I COULD LIE AND TELL YOU THAT I LEARNED TO LOVE THE SMELL.......BUT THAT WOULD BE A LIE LIE LIE!!

I put bran flakes in thier food every morning, it is delicious with loads of added vitamins and stuff as well as being full of fibre (the key to stopping your dogs bum being so whiffy!

My dogs (and all the dogs that stay with me) love bran flakes and I have never had a whiffy bum/mouth probem since.

I hope that helps.

Emptying the anal glands is really easy, first get somone to hold the dogs head, next lift the dogs tail and hold it high above the dogs back, now (breathing through your mouth not your nose to avoid the smell) take a tissue and gently squeeze the left and right sides of the anus at the same time between your thumb and forefinger and the fluid will come out. Now wash the area and dry.
SMELLY BREATH, this can somtimes be caused by the fissures at the side of the mouth becoming infected, if you look at the side of your dogs mouth on the lower jaw where the upper canine meets the lower jaw you will see a fold of skin or 'fissure'. If this becomes infected it smells fishy. If it smells fishy wash frequently with a saline solution, it may require vet. treatment if really bad. Dogs with beards and lots of skin folds seem more prone to this, I guess because the air does not reach the fissures so well on these dogs.