Botty trouble worse.... Previously: "Feeling like a very bad mummy :("

[Spaniel Girl]

As my cocker boy sometimes scoots across the floor I'm interested in giving him bran or weetabix, how much should I put in his food?  He is fed twice a day on Hill's and a little meat.

[Pammy]

I've been having this prob again with Jasper for the past two weeks. He's been having them emptied and antibiotics etc but it only lasts two to three days poor fella. So he went in yesterday and had them flushed out  . If he's no better in the next week he'll be going back in to have them removed. But it flares up so quickly. It is very uncomfortable for them though 

Jasper's stools are firm and bulky though so we don't know why it's happening.

Finger's crossed it's all sorted. We'll know this time next week.

Oh such deep joy - anal glands

[shonajoy]

I've been having this prob again with Jasper for the past two weeks. He's been having them emptied and antibiotics etc but it only lasts two to three days poor fella. So he went in yesterday and had them flushed out  . If he's no better in the next week he'll be going back in to have them removed. But it flares up so quickly. It is very uncomfortable for them though 

Jasper's stools are firm and bulky though so we don't know why it's happening.

Finger's crossed it's all sorted. We'll know this time next week.

Oh such deep joy - anal glands

Pammy have they tried packing them with antibiotic gel?  Quite a few dogs at work recently hav had that done to help with persistent infections, poor Jaspr.

[Pammy]

I've been having this prob again with Jasper for the past two weeks. He's been having them emptied and antibiotics etc but it only lasts two to three days poor fella. So he went in yesterday and had them flushed out  . If he's no better in the next week he'll be going back in to have them removed. But it flares up so quickly. It is very uncomfortable for them though 

Jasper's stools are firm and bulky though so we don't know why it's happening.

Finger's crossed it's all sorted. We'll know this time next week.

Oh such deep joy - anal glands

Pammy have they tried packing them with antibiotic gel?  Quite a few dogs at work recently hav had that done to help with persistent infections, poor Jaspr.

No - not heard of that one. I'll mention it if there's no improvement next week.

Thanks

[Rachel B]

I've been having this prob again with Jasper for the past two weeks. He's been having them emptied and antibiotics etc but it only lasts two to three days poor fella. So he went in yesterday and had them flushed out  . If he's no better in the next week he'll be going back in to have them removed. But it flares up so quickly. It is very uncomfortable for them though 

Jasper's stools are firm and bulky though so we don't know why it's happening.

Finger's crossed it's all sorted. We'll know this time next week.

Oh such deep joy - anal glands

Pammy have they tried packing them with antibiotic gel?  Quite a few dogs at work recently hav had that done to help with persistent infections, poor Jaspr.

I was just curious as to how they can have them removed???  Do they not really have a purpose? I do hope poor Japser gets things sorted soon - Barney sympathises greatly with him and cannot imagine it being a recurrent thing!

I am glad to report barney is back on to being normal Such a relief as he has been made a bit sick by the antibiotics this week.  Fingers crossed that the vet gives him the all clear on Friday

[*Jay*]

Hope flushing them out helps Jasper, Pammy.  Since Vegas had it done about 5-6 weeks ago (they were packed with antibiotics at the same time) he hasn't had a problem since, and his were recurring every week or so.

[Rachel B]

Well, yesterdays vet appointment wasn't what the outcome we were hoping for.  His glands are still badly infected - in fact the antibiotic doesn't seem to have made any difference at all (she showed us the granuls of puss still in the secretions). 

He has now been put on antibiotics for another 7 days but if they don't do the trick he'll have to be sedated and have them flushed out.   

What does the process of flushing involve? She said that the glands would be emptied and filled with ear preparation (what is this?? i might well have misheard as it doesn't sound likely!!!)

I feel very sad as i can't help but thinking the reason the infection has got so bad is because i didn't go with my gut instinct.   

[Helen]

Well, yesterdays vet appointment wasn't what the outcome we were hoping for.  His glands are still badly infected - in fact the antibiotic doesn't seem to have made any difference at all (she showed us the granuls of puss still in the secretions). 

He has now been put on antibiotics for another 7 days but if they don't do the trick he'll have to be sedated and have them flushed out.   

What does the process of flushing involve? She said that the glands would be emptied and filled with ear preparation (what is this?? i might well have misheard as it doesn't sound likely!!!)

I feel very sad as i can't help but thinking the reason the infection has got so bad is because i didn't go with my gut instinct.   

don't feel bad rachel, you're not a vet, and (as i know - last visit to the vet for kennel cough which was not kennel cough anyway...)  I  too walk the line between worrying TOOOOO much and not worrying enough which i put down to first dog ownership.  i thought that if barney was in pain when pooing that it could still be infection there, but it was more a guess than anything.  I really hope this lot of anti-b's sorts it out

removing the anal glands is seen as a last resort as surgery can be quite traumatic so i'm sure they'll try all the other methods that others have gone through first. 

...and this week you're allowed to be an over-protective mum and take him back if he so much as whimpers

gentle squidges and a big get well soon barney from me and jarv xxx

[*Jay*]

She said that the glands would be emptied and filled with ear preparation (what is this?? i might well have misheard as it doesn't sound likely!!!)

 

As bizarre as it sounds, its true  Vegas had his packed with Panalog but i know of some dogs who had theirs packed with Canaural - both used to treat ear infections. Like I said in an earlier post, having them flushed out has done the trick for Vegas who was getting infections every other week despite a/b treatment so hopefully it will be the same for Barney

[Pammy]

Jasper had to go back to the vets to get his left one emptied yet again last night. He went in and had them flushed only on Tuesday - it was full within two 1/2 days The flushing does not seem to have worked. He seems a bit calmer with it today - back again on Tuesday to see how it's doing. If he's no better then they want to castrate him as he has what they call a donut bum which might be contributing. They want to do removal as a total last resort as it can cause feacal incontinenece.

Before castrating though they suggested a sedated proceedure where it's almost like a flush - they want to empty, stuff with antiseptic and stuff. Then if no improvement it will be removal of the dangly bits then removal of the glands. What a nightmare!!

Rachel - please stop beating yourself up about this - there is nothing you could have done that would make any difference whatsoever. It seems that some just seem prone to this and the normal treatment just doesn't have any effect either. Nothing you could do would change that.

I have an opinion that part of Jasper's trouble now is a vicious circle in that the constant emptying and messing is contributing to the problem - but stop and he suffers - continue and it recurrs. I just don't know what to do for the best either - but do know it's not my fault. We can only do so much for our animals.

I'll let you know how he goes on over the next few days and how Tuesday goes - providing we don;t need to go before then

[Toohey]

I have learnt to express the anal glands myself on my dogs. It is way easier than I thought it would be.
The first time I did it, I put on a rubber glove and had a feel.. thumb and index finger (short fingernails please) on either side of the anus. If you press in gently you can feel two pea sized lumps.
Hold the tail with your other hand and press upwards quite firmly. I did it on the grooming table the first time and the windows got a lovely coating... it squirted that far!
Now I do it in the bath or out on the lawn. Not very often, just when I think of it or someone is a bit smelly. I think i's best to feed lots of bones and keep the poo nice and firm, and encourage the glands to empty themselves. Far more natural and I think it can lead to the glands becoming inefficient if they are expressed too often manually.
Hope your dogs' botty improves soon.

[Rachel B]

Pammy - I really hope things get sorted for Jasper.

[Pammy]

Pammy - I really hope things get sorted for Jasper.

I'm quietly hopeful today. He seems much more settled and no signs of him looking in any discomfort at all

How's Barney?

[Rachel B]

Pammy - I really hope things get sorted for Jasper.

I'm quietly hopeful today. He seems much more settled and no signs of him looking in any discomfort at all

How's Barney?

Absolutely fine - has enjoyed a good run on the beach and his poos seem reasonable, without too much discomfort - unfortunately he was like this towarsd the end of the week as well, but the infection still seemed to persist. Just keeping fingers crossed really

[rainey f]

I have learnt to express the anal glands myself on my dogs. It is way easier than I thought it would be.
The first time I did it, I put on a rubber glove and had a feel.. thumb and index finger (short fingernails please) on either side of the anus. If you press in gently you can feel two pea sized lumps.
Hold the tail with your other hand and press upwards quite firmly. I did it on the grooming table the first time and the windows got a lovely coating... it squirted that far!
Now I do it in the bath or out on the lawn. Not very often, just when I think of it or someone is a bit smelly. I think i's best to feed lots of bones and keep the poo nice and firm, and encourage the glands to empty themselves. Far more natural and I think it can lead to the glands becoming inefficient if they are expressed too often manually.
Hope your dogs' botty improves soon.


i was just eating my toast!!! somehow it doesnt taste the same!!

my jo jo,s got the squits . . . . . can natures menu (satchets) be the cause . . what i mean is .. . i,m hoping it isnt "anal glands"