# Anal Glands a popping



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Ok please don't yell at me. Due to financial constraints, I had to put my dogs back on kibble. I was just starting raw and doing ok but now circumstances have made me have to revert back to kibble. FOR NOW. I fully intend to go back to raw as soon as I get myself financially stable again. And I do know raw can be equivalent to kibble as far as cost but I do not have good resources, or gas money for that matter, to do this successfully. 

In fact, I am stockpiling raw foods for my dogs in the freezer once we get going again. I have half a deer, a snowshoe hare, a cottontail rabbit, and a squirrel in the deep freeze. 

Anyways, my mastiff has been expelling the wonderful liquids from his anal glands. This started a couple of months ago. He would just let loose. The smell is awful. If you have never smelled it consider yourself lucky. Anyways, I can't figure out WHY it keeps happening. I looked online and everything I read was about impaction or infection. Well, everything looks ok down there and its not impacted as it is coming out just fine. Ugh.

I do seem to notice that while he was fed raw, I didn't notice any glanding. But today, he ate some kibble. He also has wonderful gas, poor guy. And he glanded again. I don't KNOW if this is diet related although I do know that the poo releases the glands so healthy poo should mean healthy gland releases. He sometimes barks so hard that he glands. He is usually barking because Sargeant stole something of his. We have this whole melodramatic 'thing' in this house where the little dog steals the big dog's stuff and won't give it back and then the big dog barks his head off and then runs to mommy...me...in a futile attempt to make me right this terrible injustice.

So anyone know why a dog releases gland juice frequently? By frequently I would say maybe once a week or two. Also, I can't be certain raw was helping the matter as we were not on it for a long enough time to know for sure. I do not plan to put them back on raw until I have a concrete plan. I know going back and forth is not good. I am pretty up to speed with raw. 

Thanks


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

lol.. gland juice

ok, back to the topic.. when you feed kibble, how is the poop? is it firm? usually hard compact stool will naturally express anal glands. Also if you're switching from raw to kibble, that can cause some adjustment issues in that department. Which brand are you feeding now? You can try adding some digestive enzymes so the nutrients absorb better and hopefully help with this issue. You can also add some canned pumpkin, but thats more of covering up the problem then really solving the underlying issue.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

Could you do half raw bone-in chicken and half kibble? Maybe the bones would firm up the stools enough to easily express the anal glands? Just an idea since chicken is so cheap .

Is the kibble he's eating now the brand he used to get? If things don't get better, I'd try switching brands/varieties.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Well this has been happening since before the switch to raw. Back then he was eating Innova and Holistic Selects. Now he is eating taste of the Wild bison/venison. 

I am hesitant to do part time raw again.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Make sure youre not overfeeding Totw, which can lead to loose stool. Before my parents adopted their dachshund, he was my roommates foster dog. He just couldnt tolerate totw and I had to express his glands on weekly basis. I put him on canidae hoping that grain would bulk up his poo by making it larger and it did, but it also gave him a dull coat and itchies. Right now he's eating NV instinct and even though its high protein/calorie, he's doing really well on it and no more gland issues. 
I would say try a different food, maybe something with more fiber and dont overfeed if its high protein.


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

My previous dog was notorious for expressing "gland juice" and I so agree...the smell is UGH. I expressed his glands myself at least twice a week. I was told by the vet that some breeds/ some dogs are just more prone to this problem but no worries. I did feed kibble mixed with a premade raw. I haven't had this problem with Yogi...what a relief, lol.


ETA: Also, my "gland juice" dog always had normal poops. Honestly, three different vets told me this was not abnormal...you just had to make sure to keep their anal glands expressed or they could/would rupture.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I worked as a groomer assistant for a short amount of time. Expressing glands on a twenty pound dog? No problem. Expressing the glands on a TWO HUNDRED pound dog? Uhmmm....no?

I am going to try Chicken Soup dog food as my little picky guy liked a sample I brought home. Hopefully it will help?


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

Omgosh that made me laugh, unfortunately, couldn't help but picture it. I guess your right...I wouldn't want to do it either. My dog was 20lbs.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

My Annie girl has get anal impactions almost monthly and recently had one burst. Her glands have to be expressed from the inside. I feed her pumpkin when i knowtice they are getting swollen and/or she is licking alot. It seems to firm up her stool enough to get it out. But i cant give it to her all the time or she gets the runs. I dont know if this would help because her problem is they wont release. Your problem sounds more like they release too easily ie; barking and they release. 

I would reccomend a food switch or maybe some veggies/squash to give him more fiber?

I found this site- it explains what happens and ways to help the issue. hope this helps!
Natural Pet Healthcare: Impacted Anal Glands (Sacs) - Natural Treatments


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

My dog, Buddy, is going on 6 yrs. old, and he's had anal gland issues since I adopted him when he was one. I put the dogs on raw a year ago, and things have really improved. We tried many different dry foods, and some made all of my dogs start getting the anal gland smell. I talked to the vet about this quite a while ago, and she said it is usually allergy-related. She wanted me to just give him allergy pills. Well, I did that for a little while, but realized something else must be going on. Started reading all I could....

I started out w/PMR and recently experimented with veggies and fruits for a short time. If you want to know the truth, that is when Buddy started having more anal gland incidents. I went back to PMR.

He has always has formed poops--even back on kibble/canned. On raw, they are smaller and more firm. I was very surprised to recently see him release his glands when he made a bowel movement when I took him for a walk---cuz I really don't think I've ever seen him release his glands like that. 

With Buddy, I get "signals" that the glands are full. On occasion, he will try to drag his butt. If you see him continue to keep trying to "go" after a bowel movement, I usually know he needs his glands expressed. If he "leaks" a little and you can smell it---he needs them expressed. So...I learned how to do it, and express them at least 1 or 2 times per month. If I don't, you can count on them just expressing on their own while he's sleeping/relaxed, and then I have to tear all the bedding/throws off the beds or furniture and get them in the wash.  

Anyhow, I really do believe diet has a lot to do with it, and things got much better once we switched the dogs to raw. Fortunately, he's only about 30 pounds and very easy-going. Not sure that I could handle expressing my other dogs' glands, and they are nowhere near as big as your dog. Those 2 have no problems releasing their glands when they make a bowel movement though.

By the way, Chicken Soup was one of the dog foods I used in the past w/my dogs before raw, and it didn't help Buddy's anal gland issues at all. Hopefully you'll have better luck with it until you get your dogs back on raw.


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