Scooting and Anal Glands Advice please.

Our Rosie is two years old and is constantly scooting, we believe because of her anal glands. To try and combat this we are currently adding bran to her food. We are monitoring the emptying of her glands monthly to see if this will ease the problem. Our Vet has suggested as a last resort, if nothing else works, the removal of her anal glands which do not do anything in any case. However, whilst we don't like to see her discomfort with the full/blocked anal glands we're loath to put her through the trauma of the operation to have them removed, particularly as there is always the risk (albeit very slight) of faecal incontinence afterwards. I appreciate that it is a common problem with Cavaliers and am wondering if anyone else has had the problem and any advice/recommendations as to what we could do would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Charles and Lyn, my Ellie now almost nine had a lot of problems with her glands when she was younger, they used to smell badly and she had to have them emptied frequently......She has continued to scoot a lot especially when she gets excited, and we now no that this is connected with her SM.........I hope this isn't the case with Rosie, but worth mentioning to your vet.....

Some cavaliers do have anal gland problems (so do many small breeds as the opening is so small). Many people find feeding a raw diet (eg commercial raw) also helps as this tends to create firm stools that help clear the glands; that might also be something to try even if just a few days a week? Some end up needing the surgery but yes, I'd try to find other solutions and syringomyelia is worth considering. Many dogs scoot a lot but aren't really having problems per se with their glands, nothing an occasional emptying doesn't resolve. Scooting is just really common with small breeds too. I'd only be concerned if your vet is finding the glands are close to being impacted and very blocked when they are expressed as this can then be a risk for ruptures. That said: many dogs will have an occasional rupture/infection and I wouldn't do this surgery on the basis of that, either. Only if there are concerns about serious recurring problems with rupture and pain.