Anal Glands
Submitted by stardalo on October 10, 2010 - 10:43pmMy Rocco's anal glands seem to fill up constantly, He poops super solid so I am not sure what this is happening. Any idea why they can be filling so fast?
My Rocco's anal glands seem to fill up constantly, He poops super solid so I am not sure what this is happening. Any idea why they can be filling so fast?
hmmm...
I am not sure if this helps or not but I was wondering why you think his anal glands are full? Are you having them expressed or does he smell?
I've heard that having a dog's anal glands expressed (by a groomer maybe) if they don't need to be can cause them to have a chronic need to have them done. I am not sure how this works but maybe it damages something in there and makes it impossible for them to do on their own.
If your dog has firm bowl movements then they should express on their own and there should be no smell involved.
If you are smelling something it is likely because he's either scooted his butt on the carpet and expressed them on it... or they are leaking. They could be leaking because of an infection or some dogs also have chronic anal gland leakage. We had fostered a dog a couple years back that had a constant smell. We had to follow her around with babywipes because she leaked all of the time. There was something wrong with her glands and eventually her new owners had to have them surgically removed.
Ozzy
Has had really firm poops, but he was doing his circle dance. I thought his tail pocket needed cleaning, but that only made it worse. I thought maybe he had an infection in the pocket so I called his vet. When I got there, there was no infection but she did drain the glands (Ozzy is 2.5 and this is the first time it was done). I asked the vet if this would continue to happen and she said not necessarily. So we will wait and see, but firm poops do not mean that the glands are draining themselves.
Sometimes I have to take one of mine in to get them expressed.
It isn't a problem, and you have had him 2.5 years with no problem before, don't worry about him now. He is fine. Just at times they fill up and need to be manually expressed. Don't worry, he is totally normal!
Could it possibly be a flea? Sophia does her twirly, itchy bottom routine if she even THINKS there is a flea in the vicinity. Every time:-) I have to be quite diligent in my flea control methods or she thinks she has a bibbit on her.
Amy and Sophia
Sorry, I misread this post.
I thought I was answering the person who initially posted!! Never mind!
Amy and Sophia