dogs anal glands?

Question

is there something my dog can eat to make her poop harder to maybe help her express the anal glands so we dont have to keep on going to the vet every month?

Answer 1

Having them expressed is just the facts of life. You can do it yourself to save money and time: http://www.dr-dan.com/analsac.htm

Answer 2

We have expressed a dog's gland before, it no fun. I would rather take the dog to a Vet. But, if you have a strong stomach, it not hard. Below tell how and the link I got it. Also, it may tell a little about Diet.

Many breeders and owners feel capable of expressing their dog's anal glands themselves. However, one should be prepared for the anal gland secretions to appear and smell quite disgusting. If you feel this is a task you are willing to perform, here are some basic directions. Please be advised, that you should only perform this procedure on your own dogs and never someone else's.

1. Prepare a warm moist washcloth.
2. Locate your dog's anal glands by raising his tail and using your other hand to feel for two lumps at approximately five and seven o'clock on either side of his anal opening.
3. Holding the cloth over his anal opening to prevent an unpleasant squirt, begin applying firm but gentle pressure to the sacs. This should cause some of the fluid to be expelled through the rectal opening, thereby emptying the glands. Wipe your dog's behind clean, and the job should be finished.

If you notice blood or pus in your dog's anal gland secretions, it is likely a sign of infection, and you should contact your vet for an appointment and treatment.
http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Dog_Anal_Glands

Answer 3

most vets will be glad to show you how to do it at home. Trust me...they don't much like doing it either.

If you have to have the glands expressed monthly it's a pretty safe bet that just changing the diet isn't going to fix it. Some dogs just have issues with anal glands. You can try adding fiber to the doet and see if it helps, but keep expressing the glands until you KNOW it does.

Answer 4

Sometimes unfortunately not. We had tried everything from adding powdered fiber to his food and then changing to an all raw diet but we still needed to go to that monthly vet appointment or he would be skidding across the floor in pain. Our dog was a cocker spaniel and we had to do this consistently for 8 years. I will say that once we did switch to an all raw fish diet, his allergies cleared up and the anal expressions were further apart than usual.

Good Luck!!

Answer 5

My little toy collie mix had this problem. I started giving her Metamucil, one capsule, a day and it fixed her problem. She hasn't needed to have them expressed in over a yr now.