Sophie Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 4 weeks ago Sky went for his annual checkup at the vet, and I asked them to check his anal glands as he'd been smelling a bit, and licking at his bum a lot.  The vet emptied them and said they were full to bursting, and the fullest anal glands he'd ever seen  Sky was given a weeks worth of antibiotics and that was that.  He finished the course of antibiotics and he was still licking at his bum a lot and a bit smelly, so I took him back in.  His anal glands were once again full to bursting.  And they were still infected  We were given more antibiotics, metacam, and I was told to add bran to his food, which I have been doing since.  We went back a week later, and once again the glands were full.  Same story - we went back today, and his glands were once again full The vet is now running through the options, and I need to decide what to do: Continue with the weekly emptying of the glands, and hope it clears up. Take him in for an op to flush the glands and then have them packed with antibiotics. Take him in for an op to remove the anal glands completely. The vet recommends option 2 to start with, as the removal op is not a nice one, and can cause incontinence.  The problem is that Sky has a 'stonking' (grade 3-4) heart murmur, which means any anaesthetic has increased risk.  And option 2 doesn't necessarily fix the problem, in which case we'd have to go to option 3, and he'd have to have a second anaesthetic.  Option 1 is the lowest risk, but doesn't really fix the problem, and it isn't very pleasant for Sky - he's already starting to hate going into the vets, where before he was eager to be there I really am not sure what to do - for now we have another course of antibiotics (different type this time), and go back in a weeks time. Does any one have any experience of anal gland problems, and can tell me what option they went for and whether it worked or not? Also if anyone has any experience of anaesthetic in dogs with heart problems, I'd be grateful to hear of any experience I could use to help me make the decision of what course of action to take. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Yes, my bridge baby Dougal had two ops with a grade 4 heart murmer: once to have his teeth scraped and then a little while later to have his ear drained. A different anaesthetic is used from the norm and the veterinary staff pay far more attention to breathing and recovery than they would with any other dog. Neither time did we have any problems and Dougal recovered with no ill effects at all. Oooh and I should add that when he was younger (aged 8) he was neutered - he had a grade 2 murmer at that time and again, no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Grose Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Hi, I have had two dogs who suffered anal glands problems - one I fixed by changing the diet to raw food and that would be my first suggestion if the dog isn't already raw fed as it certainly fied Stitch's anal gland problem. Hard poohs empty the anal glands. The second dog was already raw fed but had a back problem and suffered horribly because she couldn't lick her bottom. She had the operation to flush them 3 times and then finally the one to remove them. It was horrible, 3 enormous wounds on her backside that needed loads of stitches and about 4-6 weeks recuperation. but..... it was a complete success, I had been warned about the incontinence problem but it didn't happen - she was fine and never suffered again but it wasn't a nice operation and one you really don't want to go into unless you have tried all the other avenues. I know I am considered a bit of a nutty person because I prefer natural methods but I for one would certainly go for raw before I went for any kind of surgery. JMHO Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owl Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 One of my pulis, Amy, developed very nasty persistent anal gland problems of the type you describe. No sooner were they emptied than they refilled and were gunkier than ever. She was having them done every week. With the approval and co-operation of my vet, I took her to a homeopathic vet and she had a series of remedies which got the problem well under control. Then I got her a magnetic collar, on the principle that these are said to aid arthritis by improving circulation and the elimination of toxins so might help gland clearance, and the problem went away altogether. I would recommend finding a homeopathic vet as the next step. Does Sky by any chance have a tendency to get gunky ears as well? The 2 conditions often go together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I was going to mention diet too. Mine have Naturediet - and some Arden Grange - and their poohs are generally nice and firm, but I've also heard that a raw diet can sort anal gland problems out. I know I am considered a bit of a nutty person because I prefer natural methods but I for one would certainly go for raw before I went for any kind of surgery. JMHO I don't think you're nutty because of preferring natural methods (just nutty ) and I agree, I'd rather try a change in diet before trying surgery. Hope you can find something to help the lovely Sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Thank you Good to know that an anaesthetic isn't a definite no. As for diet - he is currently fed on lamb naturediet, and his poos are really firm - which is why him having anal gland problems is so strange.  I'm wondering if its to do with size of poo - when he came to me he was on tesco dry food with tesco mixer and his poo was enormous - now on naturediet they're very small but firm.  Maybe its possible his poo is so small its passing the anal glands without exerting any pressure on them to empty?  Not really sure. I've tried to introduce him to raw twice in the last year, and both times he really hasn't done well - explosive diahorrea all through the night, etc - so I don't think thats an option Will have a chat to the vet about seeing a homeopathic vet - the vet we've been seeing is qualified in accupuncture and generally open minded about alternative approaches, so will see what he thinks.  He hasn't had any problems with his ears so far, but I'll keep an eye on them now I know ear problems can go along with anal gland problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) Lily had her anal glands removed when she was about 18 months old, which was about 10 years ago. The op was very straight forward and she's had no problems since. I do remember being told to give her bran before the op, which made the situation worse! I think some dogs find it more of an irritant than a help. Rosie has had the odd session of problems and we seem to have solved her problem by adding raw veg to her diet - carrots, peas, courgette, fruit etc. Would Sky eat some veg do you think? Edited March 4, 2009 by Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 As for diet - he is currently fed on lamb naturediet, and his poos are really firm - which is why him having anal gland problems is so strange. I'm wondering if its to do with size of poo - when he came to me he was on tesco dry food with tesco mixer and his poo was enormous - now on naturediet they're very small but firm. Maybe its possible his poo is so small its passing the anal glands without exerting any pressure on them to empty? I know what you mean about small poohs, Sno my collie, has always done little poohs compared to the others. This is not a vet suggestion at all, but I noticed when he had a bad tummy last year and was having probiotic treatments, that his poohs got bigger (still the same Naturediet firmness but they were in a bigger form!). I've recently started giving the dogs a probiotic powder (just something I decided to do) and thinking about it, his poohs are bigger than they were. I wonder if it's worth trying something like that? Disclaimer, I'm not a vet, this is just an observation from my own dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Quick update after yesterdays vet visit. For the last week he's been on a different type of antibiotic. I also cut down the amount of bran I was giving Sky, and added raw carrot instead. And...... the infection appears to have cleared up Anal glands were slightly fuller than normal, but what was there was clear, and was easy for the vet to empty. So we managed to leave the vet without making an appointment for a return visit For now, I keep up with the carrot and bran, and keep a close eye out for the infection coming back. Huge thanks for all the advice and fingers crossed this is now sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owl Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Whew! Thank goodness. So pleased to hear that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Grose Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 I am so pleased to hear your good news. I shall keep my fingers crossed that it lasts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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