Blocked anal gland?

Question

Hi, my puppy sometimes rubs his bottom on the floor and sometimes yelps. I called the vet who says that it's probably a blocked anal gland, I have an appointment to see the vet tomorrow. I'm just a bit worried, has anyone come across this before, is it serious? also, are rawhide chews safe to give to a 4 month old pup?

Answer 1

Hello :) its very common and its great you care :)))
Watch the vet do his routine and next time you can do it yourself :)))
As for rawhide, give him a nice raw soup bone :)))

Answer 2

You're on the right track taking your dog to the vet if pain is involved. My dog developed an abscess from a blocked anal gland and needed a course of antibiotics. A breeder friend of mine now visits a couple of times a year and squeezes my dogs (anal) glands to clear them. There's a bit of a technique to it but it's not hard. Warning though...You may need a peg on your nose while doing it...not the most pleasant grooming task in the world!
Can't tell you about the rawhide chews though. Good luck with it and it is very common, by the way. Cheers.

Answer 3

blocked anal glands are extremely common. Usually, the dog will empty them themselves when the are cleaning - if you ever smell a strong smell of fish - that is the gland emptying!. Have you wormed him - rubbing their bottoms along the floor is a sign that they need worming - make sure you ask the vet about this and get some proper worming tablets. Puppys are really vulnerable to worms. By the way, blocked anal glands are not serious - it takes a second for the vet to empty them.

Regarding the rawhide chews - yes, it is safe to give these to your dog and it will help him with his teething etc. However, personally, I would not leave him alone with a rawhide bone - as if they bite of a big piece it can get stuck.

Answer 4

I don't know about the chews, but blocked or full anal glands are fairly common in house dogs these days. The vet or some groomers can empty them for you, its not elegant by any means, but it gets the job done. I read recently that some dogs can do this because of food intolerance. About 2 months ago we changed our dog's food to a brand called Burns Pet Nutrition, after advice, because our dog had anal gland problems, itchy paws and ears, and watery eyes. She is now like a different dog! Within a week her fur was shiny, she smelt better and stopped "scooting" (rubbing her bum on the ground) maybe something like that is worth a try for your Pup.

If you're interested:

http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/

(I am not associated with this company in any way, just highly impressed at the difference their food has made to my old, fat mutt!)

Answer 5

rawhide bones are safe but only to chew they can not digest them, any piece of the chew that you see the pup could easily chew off, cut it off & give the dog the bone back.
The vet is right, I would call the vet back & tell them that you want in today as the dog is in discomfort with it, they should be able to see you.
These glands are located under the skin next to the anus. In larger dogs these glands are usually expressed by the dog, however in smaller dogs these glands need to be expressed by hand. If these glands are not expressed frequently then the dogs anal glands can become impacted and cause infection.

Should your dogs anal glands become impacted and infected please get them to the vet immediately so that they can be taken care off.

Answer 6

blocked anal glands can become serious if not treated. They can burst and cause serious infection. If you want to know how to take care of it yourself, ask the vet to show you how to do it, but be warned, it is not pleasant.

I do not recommend rawhide period. If the dog swallows a large enough peice, it can cause a blockage. If you want to give your puppy something to chew, get a Kong and fill it with peanut butter, or the spray stuff they make to go in it.

Answer 7

it is smelly and unpleasant but not life threatening if treated by your vet.
It is something you must keep an eye on as they can get infected easily. If you have to keep getting them regularly done then removal may be an option your vet reccomends.
Only give your pup rawhide supervised and make sure it is a large item so that it can not get stuck in their throat

Answer 8

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Answer 9

this is a common problem in dogs nothing to worry about as for rawhide not sure we always give marrow bones from local butcher

Answer 10

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