# Scratching and anal gland problems



## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Just wondered if anyone else had a dog with this?

Maisie's glands are back to needing "done" every 5-6 weeks 

When we were there yesterday, the vet asked if she was an itchy dog ..... she has been itching a fair bit for the past couple of months

He said it could be she's mildly allergic to something outside just now and that could cause the anal gland problems

It does make sense in a way as she was absolutely fine (and didn't need them emptied) from late September to March .....

He suggested surgery if things don't improve - which I'm really not keen on as I know that it _can_ cause fecal incontinence ... and seems a drastic option and TBH I think I'd rather go with having them emptied on a regular basis

It will be interesting to see if she has the same period of not needing them done this year .... but just wondered if anyone else had come across something similar?


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## cristina1944 (Apr 11, 2013)

I just saw your post I took my dog to have her anal glands done and my vet told me that dogs come to rely on vets emtyimg the anal glands and my vet suggested fibre. I used to feed my dog twice a day on Wainwrights complete but I dont give her the Wainwrights in the morning I have swapped this and replaced it with 1 Weetabix and a little warm skimmed milk on top of the Weetabix and I have found her anal glands does not need emptying as much.
As for the scratching this could be due to the anal glands especially if your dog bites near her rear-end but like your vet said it could be an allery has your vet suggested Antihistamine or have you changed your dogs food
Hope I have helped a little


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## Miryam (Sep 17, 2012)

Rather than weetabix go to a health food site and buy fibre flakes to sprinkle on your dogs food. Try not to feed a complete dry food. Add cooked meat and veg to your pets diet as this will pass through his system far easier and vegetables are roughage. Your vet is right in the fact that once you start manually squeezing dogs anal glands you always have to do it. Plenty of exercise, fibre added to their diet and natural roughage such as veg should solve this issue.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Thanks both - she already gets protein pro fibre added to her am meal & some bran added toher pm meal.

Her poops are mostle really solid (unless she's been eating something she shouldn't!a) she just doesn't seem to empty them herself


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

My Bichon has had anal gland trouble all his life (he's 9 now) we were always at the vets every few weeks getting them emptied although lately he doesn't seem as bad. Had them checked last week when he was innoculated and the vet said they were okay. I've started trying to do them myself though now as opposed to paying the vet £23 a time. Our vet has never suggested removing them though and I've never asked as I've heard it's a bit risky.

He was a very itchy dog when he was a pup but it turned out he had sarcoptic mange. After being treated with Stronghold for 6 weeks he was fine.


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## Hardwick Hounds (May 30, 2012)

Jazzy said:


> My Bichon has had anal gland trouble all his life (he's 9 now) we were always at the vets every few weeks getting them emptied although lately he doesn't seem as bad. Had them checked last week when he was innoculated and the vet said they were okay. I've started trying to do them myself though now as opposed to paying the vet £23 a time. Our vet has never suggested removing them though and I've never asked as I've heard it's a bit risky.
> 
> He was a very itchy dog when he was a pup but it turned out he had sarcoptic mange. After being treated with Stronghold for 6 weeks he was fine.


 £23 a go! I charge £25 for a full groom on a bichon, which includes anal gland emptying at no extra charge if the owner requests it. I would have a groom when his anals need emptying instead of going to the vets, much much better value!


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## SacredWolf (Aug 2, 2013)

Hardwick Hounds said:


> £23 a go! I charge £25 for a full groom on a bichon, which includes anal gland emptying at no extra charge if the owner requests it. I would have a groom when his anals need emptying instead of going to the vets, much much better value!


Ideally you should be a qualified vet before administering this treatment, if not done properly you can cause long term damage. Some groomers are horrified to be asked to do this, but if you're comfortable and confident in doing then I'm sure you're doing an excellent job


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## wee man (Apr 8, 2012)

Dogs fed on raw meat and bones tend to have very firm/hard poos. If you have a nice short haired dog and watch closely when they are pooing you will sometimes notice a little squirt from the anal glands. 
I could not imagine that soft fluffy poos could help the anal gland empty, but I am sure that many do!
I think that I would go for the firmer poo rather than a soft fluffy/bulky one and keep the poos as firm as possible!
Oh my, such a delightfull subject !!


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## catseyes (Sep 10, 2010)

Sometimes dogs just cant do them themselves. zelda east naturediet and her poops are like mini solid bullets couldnt be any better but she has never been able to empty them herself, once we get a whiff we know she needs emptying, she doesnt ever scoot just tends to bite that area.. sometimes its every 2-3 weeks sometimes 6-8 weeks, her passage just doesnt seem to push enough on the gland sacs to empty them.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

wee man said:


> Dogs fed on raw meat and bones tend to have very firm/hard poos.


In theory yup ....



catseyes said:


> Sometimes dogs just cant do them themselves. zelda east naturediet and her poops are like mini solid bullets couldnt be any better but she has never been able to empty them herself


Maisie's are now really firm (we did have problems when I first got her) - and when she's had a bone they're just about white rocks that come out ..... and she still doesn't manage!


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## maxandskye (Jan 31, 2009)

My boy has to have his anal sacs emptied every 12 weeks. Ive tried adding fibre to his diet & it still needs to be done.

I put it down to just one of those things that they either do or they don't need to be done, their all different.


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