I wanted to say anal glands but I am having a 'just got up is that how you spell anal moment'. Ha - anal moment, cracking jokes already - ha, cracking :. Sorry. My vet says dogs don't need them and càn be removed. Has anyone any experiences???
Re: Glands!! Sure, I guess they are not strictly necessary for a domestic dog, but really, I wouldn't be messing around with things like that unless absolutely medically necessary - goodness knows what side effects are risked by such an operation. The purpose is scent and territory marking etc.
Re: Glands!! In the ferret world, it's a matter of course that they're removed in the USA. In the UK, it's considered a cruel and unnecessary procedure. I'm inclined to feel the same about dogs. Unless there's an actual medical problem with them, leave them be.
Re: Glands!! And the care and trouble Charlie takes with his "poo placement" - it can take him 15 minutes to choose the best spot - I reckon smelly poo is very much part of dogs being dogs!
Re: Glands!! [quote author=Jane Martin link=topic=10078.msg147276#msg147276 date=1425451126] I wanted to say anal glands but I am having a 'just got up is that how you spell anal moment'. Ha - anal moment, cracking jokes already - ha, cracking :. Sorry. My vet says dogs don't need them and càn be removed. Has anyone any experiences??? [/quote] No idea, but you did make me chuckle ;D
Re: Glands!! Brought a smile to my face this morning haha. I have never heard of any dog having them removed... I don't think it's a necessary procedure unless there's a valid medical reason for it.
Re: Glands!! I am following this topic closely! Even I, as being Dutch,had to laugh about your remarks. I don't want to overtake the topic, but I have a problem with Finn. His glands were emptied in January for the first time. Now he is already having problems with them. Does it mean they have to be removed, or shall I go to the vet and learn how to empty his glands? Finn is our 3rd lab, the other 2 didn't or don't have that! (Euan of 9 is Finn's bigger brother) Annemarie
Re: Glands!! [quote author=Anne123 link=topic=10078.msg147298#msg147298 date=1425459097]Does it mean they have to be removed, or shall I go to the vet and learn how to empty his glands? [/quote] I would be going to the vet, but I would not be learning how to empty them myself. Ew, no thank you! That job can be left to the person with the degree in veterinary medicine, thankyouverymuch
Re: Glands!! Dogs generally don't need their anal glands emptied regularly unless there is a problem with them, so I would definitley go back to your vet. One thing that can cause problems resulting in needing to have them emptied is soft poo. As the dog produces a bowel movement the anal glands should express themselves naturally if the poo is solid enough. Recurrent diarrhoea or regularly soft poo can mean they are not emptying themselves as normal.
Re: Glands!! Thank you for this reply! I was looking for measurements of his eating habits. Since December he is getting one tbl spoon of salmon oil sprenckled over his knibble. And every day a whole apple. That is of course making his poo soft, softer as usual! Annemarie
Re: Glands!! Try adding some chicken wings to his diet, Anne, that is likely to firm them up a bit Just try giving him a couple for breakfast one day and see how he goes. Whereabouts in the Netherlands are you?
Re: Glands!! I know from experience that toy breeds can have trouble with them. Didn't know larger breeds had so much problem. We had a toy poodle that had to have his emptied regularly. Usually the groomers did that. That was in the states. The vet did say they could be removed quite easily but would only do it if they were a continual problem. As I didn't have to do anything with them it didn't bother me. The vet said some dogs can have a continual bad smell so I guess if it was really bad you may consider it.
Re: Glands!! Have you tried pro-fibre? I started using it years ago when my Callum had anal gland trouble. It sorted him out. I use it for all my dogs now as it keeps their poos firm. I put the recommended dose on their food for a week or two, then just a pinch on each meal keeps their poos firm
Re: Glands!! Chepi needs hers emptying often. The vet did them last Friday after removing her spay stitches but within 24 hours she was scooting. She had them emptied in the week leading up to her spay too.
Re: Glands!! I can really recommend a raw diet for good anal gland health, it is the bone content of a raw diet that makes the poo harder and therefore helps with anal glands. If you do not want to feed a raw diet, perhaps increase the amount of bone you give your dog, it will really help xx
Re: Glands!! Yes! bones make brilliant poos (and they go paler after a day or so and stand out on the lawn when you are clearing up - far less chance of missing one and stepping on it when you are pegging out washing I know some people don't advocate a mixed raw / kibble diet, but I find it works for us, at least 2 fresh bones a week, some chicken wings / drumsticks, occasional raw liver , the rest of the time kibble with a bit of carrot / apple if I'm chopping and grating already. And of course a little chunk of cheddar every time the cheese comes out of the fridge!
