Two Questions Pls

[Brian M]

Hi

Daisy-A week last Sat took Pops ,Daisy and Rosie to have their anal glands checked and emptied as Daisy in particular was scooting a bit ,all went fine and also the groomers also check them as well and no comment from there on Sat gone .But I have noticed that Daisy is still occasionally scooting so fearing a possible abscess took her to the Vets this morning and after another inspection she is fine and her glands are empty and no sign of any other problems ,but the vet suggested if she is scooting a lot which she isnt really she could have her glands surgically removed which I refused ,but what are other peoples thoughts on this as I am highly reluctant to even consider this as an option at this stage.

Poppy-Whilst at the Vets I mentioned Pops lack of weight loss and told her that food wise she is on only Royal Canin Obese 20 grams in the morning and the same in the evening topped up with veg and one small treat at bedtime .The Vet suggested after a few more questions regarding Poppys activity levels and lack of weight loss that it could be an under active thyroid gland and a simple blood test could cofirm either way ,and if it is a course of tablets for life would increase her metabolism and thereby help her wieght reduction . Any thoughts here pls.

[sins]

Absolutely not to the anal gland removal.....
Definitely try the blood test for thyroid gland activity but you need to be sure that she's not just sneaking in a few extra calories that you don't know about.
Sins

[Kiddo]

The vet we used years ago, he has since retired, would express our cocker spaniel's anal glands at our regular visits. The groomer we used did it also. At one point, the vet told us that if they're manually expressed too much, they stop expressing naturally with their movements. Almost like they get dependent on the maunal expression. He advised us to add in some bulking fiber to get them back to the point where they could express naturally with her BM's. We added in small amounts of pumpkin (HIGH in fiber) and raw vegetables. Sure enough, we only had to have her anal glands expressed just a couple more times and then they were back on a natural schedule.

Just a thought. I am not sure I would have them surgically removed, that seems drastic to me, but....I guess every dog is different. Try the pumpkin and the raw veggies, or even add in some bran fiber to their food (not a lot, don't want to upset the tummies, but just enough to bulk things up and help the AG's express naturally as they have a BM).

~Dawn

[Brian M]

Hi kiddo

Thanks for your reply ,all four have green beans ,carrots ,broocolli ,a teaspoon of natuarl bran from H & B and one small sqr of shredded wheat with both of their daily meals .Like you I would also think that regular manual expressing would over time weaken their muscles making their natural bodily function even less efficient,and I have no intention of even considering gland removal unless any members know otherwise.

[Tania]

Maybe commercial food of any kind just does not suit Poppy, I had this with Molly. The moment we give her any kind of biscuits (even diet) she starts piling on the weight. It would be a good idea to get her thyroid checked but if that is clear I would seriously consider a natural diet which will give her a lot more to eat and make her feel happy at the same time.
Anal Glands are a big worry, I constantly have them checked but despite this they both still scoot, so I wonder if it is habit, mild allergy or just an itchy bottom I wouldn't consider having the glands removed, I think it is something else we have to learn to live with and accept.

[Kiddo]

Brian, they certainly do have a healthy diet! I should eat so good, LOL

I hope you (they) find some relief soon, scooting can be very annoying, not only to us, but to them too.

~~Dawn

[MARK MARSHALL]

Brian,

Whereas we ''worm" our dogs at various intervals, worms can be a cause of such behaviour and also......

The same mites that get in their ears can affect their bottoms.

I also place some powder underneath their tails for about one inch (1") adjacent to the anus.

Similarly place powder in between their eyes at the base of their forehead.

Another area that mites enjoy living.

Regards Mark.

[Brian M]

Mark,

Thank you ,for general worming I alternate between Dronatal
and Plerion 10 ,but i never considered mite bites down that area ,though I have recently used Thornit on Rosie for her foot chewing habit ,so would Thornit be OK to dust around Daisys bum incase she does have any mites down there.
Though Daisy does look a sweet little thing her proper name is Dangerous Daisy the only Cavalier S.A.S. member on the Wirral so she would not take kindly to me lifting up her tail to inspect her bum ,I would be risking my life.

[team bella]

Brian you do make me laugh with your descriptions of Daisy, love the SAS Cav on the Wirral !!! I know Bella is a bit precious with her bottom and doesn't like anyone lifting her tail.

Back to the serious matter of anal Glands!! The vet did discuss the removal of Bella's after the terrible time she had with the rupture this summer. She ended up on a drip for pain relief and was so ill. I think if the vet had suggested removal at that moment in time then I probably would have agreed to it.
The vet said that it was something that had to be considered very carefully and that initially the dog is incontenant. I wonder how many dogs do have the op. Bella scoots if her glands are empty or not so I will look at using the powder.

[Margaret C]

Monty had his anal glands removed because he developed an infection that did not clear.
They had to make an unusually deep incision and I was warned at that point that he may be incontinent of feces. Fortunately that did not happen, he was such a good dog indoors that he would have been so upset by the loss of control.

Removal is not something to be undertaken lightly and I am surprised that it was suggested for a dog that was not having real problems with impacted glands.

Scooting when the gland is empty may well be due to slight soreness. Wipe the offending backside clean with baby wipe & smear on a little vaseline for a few days.