I have a 2yr old Shih Tzu and she has a problem with her anal (scent glands) On 3 occasions I have had the vet clear them out because they were impacted & didn’t seem to empty when doing her business ? Does anyone out there know what causes this? I had also read that a high fibre of dog food might help with this. Presently I have her on Blue Buffalo, Adult, small bites.
fibre will produce larger, softer stools which really don’t do much to help clear the sacs naturally.
The best thing to prevent the problem in the first place is to feed a diet of raw meat, meaty bones and organs. The smaller but firmer poop requires pushing so will clear the sacs every time the dog goes. Raw fed dogs very rarely have issues with their anal glands – I have asked this question several times on various raw feeding forums.
At the very least, replace at least 3 or 4 meals a week with a bone in chicken thigh or drumstick.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_anal_sacs.html
Here is some info on "impacted anal sacs". You will most likely have to take your dog to the vet or groomer every so often to get them drained manually for now on. You can also learn how to do it yourself. A non-invasive technique that helps some patients is a change to a high fiber diet. This will produce a bulkier stool that may be more effective in emptying the sac as it passes by. They say "some patients", so this may or may not work for your dog.
Most senior dog food formulas have higher fiber content. Blue Buffalo makes a senior formula.
http://doganalglands.com/.
This site has more in depth info , but it has to do with smaller dogs more susceptible . you can clean them yourselves.