Anal gland removal?
1) We can have surgery to have the glands removed. That will cost around $900. Has anybody done this? Anything I should be concerned about or effects like incontinence from the surgery? 2) Live with it if he doesn't worry it too much and just come in every so many weeks to have the glands expressed. If he worries it too much then you have to do the surgery as infection and all that can set in. 
The vet said that in his opinion his tail was docked to close. It was docked so close that he has an inverted spot back there. And that this could be helping his problem as the muscles and what not back there aren't there to help him naturally express himself. He has a shaved butt right now and looks like a baboon. Poor Edgar. Anyways, does anyone have any insight or suggestions on this? |
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| we had a cocker years ago with an anal gland issue. it was my younger sisters, unfortunately I don't remember what was done for him - althoughtoward the end of his life it seemed over sized.
one thing to think about is that a raw diet is suppossed to help express the anal glands as the poop is harder and drier etc. it might be worth trying. |
| One of my basset friends was having severe anal gland problems with her Abby (the basset).
They did seriously consider the surgery, but in the end they decided not to. There is a high risk of damaging the nerves and muscles that control the anal sphincter. I think they eneded up mostly managing by diet. I don't remember meds being mentioned. |
| we had one patient at the last vet hospital i worked at that had anal gland cancer and so the doctor removed the glands. The dog did really well although post operatively wanted to scratch the stitches out a lot so he had to wear pants for a while. other than that he hasnt had any problems. the did chemo and he is doing great. so for him the surgery went well. If you are worried about possible nerve damage then I would get a specialist to do it for you. |
| I think you need to talk with your vet further. If there is damage from the docking, what effect will the scar tissue from another surgery have? But before you consider such a radical "cure" maybe consider the simpler options. I had a male OES who had what the vet said was an "architectural" problem with the shape of the passage that was the exit for anal gland fluid to be discharged normally. In effect it had a kink in it. She showed me how to glove up, get a little lubricant on the glove, insert a finger and feel for the two anal glands just inside and press the fluid out. After I learned where the spot was, I did this for many years every couple of weeks or whenever he got itchy.
You might think this is not something you would ever care to do, but it really wasn't such a big deal. My dog, Freddie, even grew to like it after a fashion, standing still for me. I think the relief of pressure must have felt good to him. If he would look like he was getting uncomfortable, I would ask him if he needed a "butt check" and he would go to the door and wait for me to get the gloves so we could go out onto the patio by the hose. It all sounds silly and disgusting now maybe, but it is just one of those things you do for your dog, no different than picking up poop after him. And it costs nothing to learn how to do it yourself. By the way, that fluid is really nasty stuff, almost caustic, and can drip on the ground. Not a job for indoors. |
Quote: I think you need to talk with your vet further. If there is damage from the docking, what effect will the scar tissue from another surgery have? But before you consider such a radical "cure" maybe consider the simpler options. I had a male OES who had what the vet said was an "architectural" problem with the shape of the passage that was the exit for anal gland fluid to be discharged normally. In effect it had a kink in it. She showed me how to glove up, get a little lubricant on the glove, insert a finger and feel for the two anal glands just inside and press the fluid out. After I learned where the spot was, I did this for many years every couple of weeks or whenever he got itchy.
Panda had to be expressed every 2 weeks for a while so I asked a vet tech to show me how to do it. 
I had a problem with the gland slipping around when I applied pressure. I figured out that if you use your thumb and middle finger on the outside to hold the gland in place, it's easier to express them (index finger internally). Yeah, it's gross but really not a big deal once you've done it a few time. Much cheaper to do it yourself too... just some KY Jelly, a vinyl glove and a handfull of treats. Licking, nipping at the fanny and also scooting are signs that the dog's glands may need to be emptied. |
| I've never heard of a close tail docking being the culprit. My dogs are all docked extremely close & I've never had that problem. |
ChSheepdogs wrote: I've never heard of a close tail docking being the culprit. My dogs are all docked extremely close & I've never had that problem.
Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Anal gland problems are in any event pretty rare in OES as far as I know. A friend's small mixed breed is an avid butt scooter. She just has them expressed regularly. My first approach would be to consider a change in diet and perhaps up exercise levels. The surgery is supposedly rather risky and recovery is quite painful. Definitely a last resort. What meds is he on for his butt and what was the original complaint that you took him to the vet for? Allergies? Kristine |
| Sigh, my writing back got interrupted by massive diarrhea and throw-ups. Hopefully I will have a few minutes before poor Edgar needs to go out again.
Thanks all for the write backs. I had never heard of exercising but I can make Edgar's couch potato butt get some. I asked about diet change if that could be part of it. The vet said that it wasn't likely as he wasn't all out itching every where. We have his allergy's mostly under control with Natural Balance. We have tried raw before. Took him off because of on and off diarrhea. I suppose that we could try that again. The original complaint (which has been going on for the last year or so) has been major fish butting anal gland stuff. It's been getting a lot worse in the smell wise and Edgar constantly worrying at it. I've been told by this vet that when it is expressed it is thick and pasty. I'm not sure that the close tail docking was being blamed all the way. Just part way contributing to the problem. The vet seemed to think that the OES are more prone to anal gland issues. (?????) The medicine that Edgar is on is Cylcosporine. Though I am going to be calling up the vet tomorrow to see whether to continue with it. Throwing up and EXTREME diarrhea does not seem to be a good match with the medicine. I was warned that he may have diarrhea. Edgar was out there moaning trying to go when nothing would come out. This is his first day on it and there are 4 more days worth to go. Sticking my finger up his butt sounds so gross. I hope we can get this straightened out because I really, REALLY don't want to do that. Things we considering doing for our dogs.
I am not gung ho on the surgery. Obviously if we can get by with out doing it is what we would like. |
Quote: Sticking my finger up his butt sounds so gross. I hope we can get this straightened out because I really, REALLY don't want to do that. Things we considering doing for our dogs.
You can also express them EXTERNALLY 
You're going to LOVE this website... you can "do it" online. 
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_anal_sacs.html |
6Girls wrote: Quote: Sticking my finger up his butt sounds so gross. I hope we can get this straightened out because I really, REALLY don't want to do that. Things we considering doing for our dogs. You can also express them EXTERNALLY You're going to LOVE this website... you can "do it" online. http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_anal_sacs.html Some times it really frightens me what you know
I'm not going to look, I'm just going to cross my fingers that I never need to know about this.... 
Growing up my poodle's groomer used to routinely express her glands when she groomed her and all I remember is the smell, not the actual dynamics. 
Kristine |
crustybirds wrote: I asked about diet change if that could be part of it. The vet said that it wasn't likely as he wasn't all out itching every where. We have his allergy's mostly under control with Natural Balance. We have tried raw before. Took him off because of on and off diarrhea. I suppose that we could try that again..
Natural Balance is good food, so if he tolerates it well otherwise and raw not so much, there's really no overwhelming reason to mess with a good thing. But perhaps consider adding some fiber to his diet once his poor stomach is back to normal. Since normal gland expression is aided by normal poop expulsion, shall we say, and exercise helps move things along, gradually upping his exercise when he feels better may also help. They've never been able to positively link diet with anal gland issues. Apparently there's one school of thought that diets high in fat tend to produce thicker mucus, or whatever you call it, that is harder to secrete, but no scientific studies to back this up. It's just one of those things where, well, if adding a little canned pumpkin or something like that might help, why not try it? I'm so sorry about it coming out both ends.  I hope his system settles down soon.
Kristine |
6Girls wrote: Quote: Sticking my finger up his butt sounds so gross. I hope we can get this straightened out because I really, REALLY don't want to do that. Things we considering doing for our dogs. You can also express them EXTERNALLY You're going to LOVE this website... you can "do it" online. http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_anal_sacs.html That external way never worked for me. I just ended up squeezing his behind and he got frustrated with me. You don't really stick your finger up his butt anyway. The glands are just inside and when full, feel like two tiny grapes under the skin. It's the only time I really appreciated the fact that sheepdogs have no tails. |
Quote: That external way never worked for me. Me either... I had to go back twice to be taught how to do it internally, then figured out on my own that the two fingers on the outside prevented the gland for slipping around so it could be expressed. Quote: It's the only time I really appreciated the fact that sheepdogs have no tails.
Panda has a stump that has to be lifted first :lol Yeah, gross stuff but we do what we do because we love them and want them to be healthy/comfortable. |
6Girls wrote: we do what we do because we love them
Yes we do. I almost (but not quite) miss having a dog with "butt-check" in his vocabulary. Sometimes when I was watching a game or something, my wife would notice Freddie looking uncomfortable and yell "BUTT CHECK?". Freddie would jump up and run to me and do that little sheepdog bouncing thing until I dropped whatever I was doing and took him outside to do our thing. I'm not sure she didn't set me up deliberately even when he felt fine, but at least she didn't get him going when we had company over. |
| This has been so frustrating. The medicine that Edgar was put on is giving him fits. I called the vet the next day after Edgar was throwing up and spurting out the other end. I was advised to give him 24 hours off the meds and then start up again with half the dose. I followed that and now after two days back on the meds I have a dog who tremors.
All last night poor Edgar lay on the bed trembling like there was no end in sight. I thought he was going to die. Now he is just slightly trembling. He has a vet appointment today and needless to say he has not been given the meds today either. Along with that Edgar got shaved all the way so he wouldn't just have a baboon butt. He got razor burn on the inside of one leg and by his penis that he has worried non stop. So I am going to have the vet look at that too. This is so frustrating! 
-crustybirds |
| Awww sorry to hear hope edgar is going to settle down, poor baby. You know occassionally with drugs supplied by vets some can cause an adverse reaction, in other words they can't tolerate it and it causes more problems.
My peppa had a drug given to her and I was at a 24 hour vet in the middle of the night as she had a bad reaction to it and at the time I thought I was going to loose her. Now with the Anal Gland, easy with a dog with a sensitive tummy, to his normal diet add Raw Grated carrot to mix through his dinner. It will help solidify the stool and make it harder to help express the build up in the Anal gland. Also exercise will help get all moving and working.
If grated carrot is not successfull then you can put in his food once a day 1 dessert spoon of plain Metamucil for that extra fibre & firm stools and hopefully then you won't have to seek an op and it might help with everytime he goes he is expressing the anal glands on his own rather then by manipulation.
I had brie done once as a puppy, happily paid for the vet to do it, I left her with him and took off out of that room as the smell EWWWWWWW could cause one to chuck  Added more fibre to her diet and no problems since, she is now 6 1/2 and never needed to express it since. YAY  |
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