Anal glands

Both our pups - Madison (15 months, female) and Calvin (4 months, male) have problems with getting "full" anal glands. We have to take them to the vet regularly to get their glands "released." Madison once had it so bad that they were infected! As you can imagine, we felt just awful!!

We asked the vets how to prevent this from happening and they didn't have much good advice (just "feed them good food"). At the advice of our breeder, we feed them both Royal Canin + NuVet Supplement + FastTrack Supplement. Our breeder says she's "never heard of Cavaliers having such a problem with their anal glands, esp. so young." Our breeder advised us getting a 2nd opinion from another vet; we've done this -- the new vet found the same thing.

Does anyone have any advice for this condition? If there is something we're doing which increases the chances for them getting full glands, I'd like to fix it. Or, is there anything we could do to prevent it?

THank you!

I'm really not sure about any advice I can give. But I empty my dogs' anal glands whenever I notice that they are scooting about more than usual.... I can tell when they need done.

Its a very sensitive area so you have to be sure you are doing it correctly. My vet showed me, and so i do it for Holly. Its less stressful than going to the vets. It means I can keep an eye out for infections etc..

Although (bit off topic here)...
Make sure you tie your hair back when youre doing it. I was leaning over the top of Holly when she was in the bath to do and my hair was hanging down.... Well, you can imagine the rest!

4 months is quite young but i guess it happens add a little natural bran to the food this will harden the stools to help realise the gland ..one of mine had her anal glands removed this year and its not a nice operation at all so prevention is way better than removal

I'm not sure if this is right or not but my vet told me that they needed their glands expressed every week. I don't take mine that often to get it done, maybe once every 2-3 weeks when i notice them scooting around a little more than normal. I'm a little nervous to do it my self and since the vet will do it for free I don't mind taking them in and I usually just get them to trim their nails then too.

Raw carrots as treats, any raw veg and fruit actually adds roughage and helps.

The problem for small breed dogs is that the openings to the anal glands can be also very small, making them easier to block. I know some feel that if you start squeezing them then they always need to be squeezed but I cant see how this would be the case -- I'd think either they empty, or they do not. Leo got an infection as well and a burst gland a while ago and the vet remarked how small the openings were and how small the glands too, meaning they fill quickly.

My own feeling is the breed does have some problems with anal glands generally (maybe because they are especially small or the opening especially small) and this is probably why so many of them scoot. I have never seen another small breed (much less large) scoot as much as cavaliers do -- talk to anyone who boards small dogs including cavaliers, and they will probably agree. While it can sometimes be exacerbated with problems like SM, my Jaspar who was MRId without malformation or syrinxes has scooted regularly since he was a puppy. On the other hand I've had dogs have their glands emptied and start scooting again a week or two later. Most other breeds or mixes, if they scoot have a specific problem -- full glands, infections, worms etc. But seems not so with cavaliers?

I may just bite the bullet, plug the nose and learn to empty them myself every two months or so and see if that makes a difference. Every week seems like a lot unless the dog has problems but I don;t really know how often this is generally done. Most people I guess have groomers do it so that would be every 6-10 weeks or so?

Leo is the only one who has actually had a problem though -- and he is nearly 5 now and it was only once. All of mine get a lot of roughage -- along with their dry food they get dried tripe and other treats of that sort, homecooked stews with veg and rice or oats, and regular fresh or frozen fruit and veg as well as some raw bones like chicken necks now and then. I do think the roughage really helps and dry food doesn't give enough.

Luke and Jolly have the same problem. Jolly has had an absessed anal gland once. Both need to regularly get their anal glands expressed. I am going twice per year to the vet for this.

My vet said to increase their fiber. If they have firmer stools, that will naturally push on the walls of their anal glands to secrete the gland.

To add more fiber I use: Mini Shredded Wheat in their dog food and I give them pure packed pumpkin (1 tablespoon) with their dinner. I also give them carrots as snacks. One of their treats is Sam's Yams - that is dried sliced yam. They love it.

Alfs are checked every 3 months.

Ok so i am going to read this...im sure there is a thread here under the health about the anal glands.

karlin said in the last thread...i might just plug the nose and do it....Im guessing thats because something comes out of the gland when you pop it, or whatever it is that has to be done...Oh god i feel quite weak now just thinking about it....I'll go and see can i see what it is?????

I'm really glad someone posted about this as I didn't know anything about scooting. Lady has constantly rubbed her bottom along the floor since 8 weeks old (I'm assuming that this is what you mean by scooting). I assumed that she may have worms but have been concerned as we are worming her regularly and she is still doing it...constantly! I didn't know anything about having to empty anal glands. We have always had big dogs and this was never an issue. I will have to ask the vet now about getting them emptied. I may have to learn to do it myself though as we live rurally and going to the vet is quite an event in itself.

Definitely dont just go around pressing around, hoping to find them...
See your vet first and get them to show you how to do it.

It you hold up your dogs tail, and are looking at his/her bum hole (sorry! ) then the anal glands are positioned at 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock! You need to press them in and up towards the anus to squeeze out what can only be described... as anal juice! Its brown, terribly smelly and does go in a rather projectile manner... so beware!!!

Oh doG, what a disgusting post ive just typed there!

Ugggg, that is just so unpleasant but thanks for the tips...maybe our vet isn't too far away after all

I take our cavaliers to the vet every 8 wks or so to have their anal glands checked, as they seem to start scooting after 6-8 weeks from the last appointment. Also, I feed them foods that keep their stools firm.

I feel like my dogs have some pretty firm poops, lol, but they have anal gland problems. Both of them! Lucky started when I got her and she was like 4 months then. Both my Cavaliers go every 2 months to get them emptied... unfortunately I think it is about time I learn to do it myself

Here is a good video to explain the process http://www.expertvillage.com/video/8453_dog-grooming-basics-glands.htm

good tip to use the paper towel!

Yes - been there with a gloved hand - and never got anywhere.

NOW - we feed raw - never had to do it since.

If you've never had the pleasure of smelling anal gland discharge, let me tell you...it is a smell like no other! Casey gets hers expressed when she goes to the groomer for a bath, but she has leaked on the sofa a few times and it is disgusting!!!!! I cannot imagine getting that stuff in my hair! That's why I leave that job to the professionals.

Alfie is done by the vet every 8-10 weeks and they are usually very full. Within days he will be scooting again. Our vet always keeps her head well away as when they empty it looks and smells awful. It is expensive but I dont think I am brave enough to do it myself.

I'm too scared to try to do it myself, as others have said. I've watched that video, but there's no way I'd try it. When Daisy has had it done at the vets', she's cried out. I would be way too timid.

Occasionally (including tonight), I will smell that unmistakable smell and I assume she's just expressed a little bit of it on her own. I don't know why or how she does it, but I'll get a whiff. I'm always kind of icked out thinking "where did she just do that, and is it on my carpet?", but I'm also kind of relieved that she actually got some out that needed to be emptied.

I hate when they do it at the vet, and I only have them check her glands when we're there for another reason. I always think that if they keep pushing around on them, then she'll always need them done. Plus, I freak out when she cries! Does anyone else's dog cry when they are expressed?

Thanks for all the responses! Its good to know that my pups aren't alone in their gland problems. I asked our breeder and she said "I've never had dogs with that problem" which made me nervous that something was really wrong. Thanks again for commiserating me.

As for crying out loud when expressed, Calvin (the little one) does cry out. Madison doesn't, probably because she's used to it by now (having had it done 5+ times in her young life).

I feed them raw carrots & broccoli and cooked rice to try and firm up the stool so they "express" -- still no luck! Still, I'm unwilling to learn to "express" the glands myself - YUCK!

I am happy to discover that many of you go to the vet to have their anal checked ! I parfectly know the process, but I can't do it. I am afraid of hurting my dogs.