My dog has to go to the vet monthly to have his compacted anal glands done. Each month they are very compacted and according to the vet, that worse he has seen. What are some ways to help avoid this problem? Special foods? My vet wants him on Iams Lamb & Rice, claims it is the best I can give him but I know there are better foods out there. Is there something else I could switch him to that could help if at all? Higher Protein, Fiber?
Sometimes adding fiber will help, yes, and you can do that pretty easily by adding plain, canned pumpkin to the dog’s food.
If he’s having this much trouble though, he may need to have the glands removed.
Adding fiber didn’t help my dog. We’re still at the vet every 4-8 weeks getting her glands expressed.
Give him the lamb & rice foods, its very good for dogs. Also, maybe get his butt squeezed more often. Maybe it’s a medical condition?
Your dog does not have the muscle structure to keep them emptied by himself. The anal glands coat the poop as it is coming out to give the dog his individual scent.
Learn how to empty them yourself & do it every two weeks instead of once a month.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=learn%20how%20to%20empty%20anal%20glands%20in%20dogs
You can also get them emptied by a dog groomer. They empty the anals on all the dogs they do. & they can just do the anals if you don’t want a full groom. You can also just get nails cut. You do not have to have the full groom. This will be cheaper than going to a Vet to have them emptied. Don’t leave them so long between emptying.
Well if your dog’s stool isn’t firm enough that can lead to anal gland problems. My dog always has had a loose stool problem. I figured out she wasn’t doing so well because of the grains in most dog foods. As soon as I switched to a grain free food, her poops were perfect. So maybe try that. Also I agree canned pumpkin will help with that too. I would avoid the rice as it is a grain and not very healthy. Here is a video from a vet all about anal gland problems.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=MercolaHealthyPets#p/search/0/Qffm9Vg-oY8
I wish there was, you can try a high fiber diet but nothing works 100%. I switched my dogs food also but nothing really improved.I also tried these treats but, here is a link, http://www.miraclecorp.com/stewartpet/fiber.htm
Once a month is a pain but not that bad. Are female dog had to go every 2 weeks, in till i started doing it myself every weekend. wear rubber gloves, and use a baby wipe or paper towel to catch the mess. Apply pressure underneath the dogs anus (push hard not hurting him, just uncomfortable) while pulling up on the base of the tail. the anal fluids should start coming out. its gross but cheaper and less time consuming then the vet trip.
My dogs loved as treats, raw carrots,keep whole just wash, they also loved corn on the cob, watermelon and they ran around and exercised alot in a fenced yard, all lived a long life. We did feed Iams. I also made them stew.
have his anal glands removed…. benefits you and him.