Expressing Anal Glands

[lizbud]

I am pretty new to the anal gland problem because my RB Buddy
had his glands taken out as a pup & I never had to deal with them.
Smokey had his done once a few years ago & while he was a little
uncomfortable, he didn't seem in pain like Maggie did.

They didn't say anything about infection or any other problems but
they did prescribe a sedative for her to take before she ever has to
have this done again. ( I should have asked them for a pill for myself)

I never want to experience that scene again.

[Glacier]

Not an unusual reaction at all!

Tehya has chronic anal gland issues. She has to be sedated to have hers done. She doesn't get knocked right out most times, but gets put into her "happy place" as my vet calls it! The only times Tehya has ever shown she might even be thinking about biting have always involved having her butt/tail examined! She hates having her tail touched for any reason!

It ends up costing much more than if she was a cooperative patient, but it's less stressful for her, me and her vet!

[Freedom]

Things you can do to prevent them needing manual expression: bulk up the stool. A firm (not hard) stool will express them naturally, as is "supposed" to happen.

Bulk up the stool with
- 3 table spoons canned pumpkin -- do NOT get pumpkin pie filling, that includes spices which you don't want. Add to food daily for a week, then cut back to 3 times a week.
- green beans
- apple


Tasha is prone to this problem. As long as I remember her pumpkin 3 times weekly, she will be fine. Lucky she loves it! Green beans she spits out on the floor next to her bowl. Apple she will eat if it is skinned, and only 2 small bits, too little to help.

Good luck!

[lizbud]

The only times Tehya has ever shown she might even be thinking about biting have always involved having her butt/tail examined! She hates having her tail touched for any reason!

That's Maggie to a tee. She won't even allow me to brush the longish
hair on her back legs, she will just sit down and not move. She's
always been this way.

I don't know for sure but think maybe her sore left back leg might bother
her when she squats down to poop, so she's not expressing normally.She
always has nice firm stools so the glands should work normally shouldn't
they? Geeze.

[Freedom]

She always has nice firm stools so the glands should work normally shouldn't they? Geeze.

Firm and bulky are 2 different things. One is texture, the other is size.

Poor analogy but I can't think of another way to explain it off hand: if something the size of a tootsie roll moves through a canal the size of a salami, it it not pressing on all the sides. That is why you want to bulk up her stools.

Hope this helps.