Anal Glands - Help and Advice Needed Please

[mel1961red]

Hi I have an 18 month Old working cocker called Bailey, the day I collected hem he was scooting so on the vet check his glands were
emptied and ever since even though I have tried diff foods and the Bran etc etc I am taking him to the vets and or groomers every
6-8 weeks for them to be emptied, my question is if this has to be done for the rest of his life does it cause any long term damage?
Does it hurt him to have it done? and how easy is it to do it yourself? Also should there be any length of time between each
emptying or could it be done say once a month to save him getting uncomfortable. Any help and advice gratefully received as this
is the first cocker Ive had so still finding things out all the time

Thank You

 

[amanda9586]

No answers for you I'm afraid but my cocker is in the same position - she is 3 1/2 and we get hers done about once every 8 weeks at the moment.  I've changed her food to Burns and that seems to have helped (firmer poos!).  Vet has advised us not to give her anything with additives or artificial bits in it and we are doing that.

Also going to start giving more raw bones (chicken wings) in the next few weeks to see if this helps as well. 

Our Vet seems to think that as long as they are being emptied and they are not infected then its kind of just one of those things.  I know some dogs have had them removed but I think that is a last resort if they are not getting infected.

Our Vet was keen to show me how to do it but I'm happier to take her in to be honest 

[elaine.e]

William is another one who needs to have his emptied every 2 to 3 months. He's 6 years old now and it's always been a problem with him. My vet says that William's anal glands are in the wrong place   and describes them as floating. Another of the vets in the practice described them as being too high up to empty naturally. Either way, the reason in William's case is a bit of a design fault in him which means they will never empty of their own accord.

[saffysmum]

My springer empties her own on a regular basis but we don't know she's done it till we smell her
When emptying the anal glands, you need to watch out for rupture but a professional knows how to avoid this.  You can get an op to get the anal glands removed which I would probably consider if mine were needing assistance as often.  You might find it would be more cost effective too.  Quite a few dogs are getting this op now.

[lindseyp]

Awww - Bailey has a little sad face in your profile pic - but I lurve him very much 

Purdey (Elaine.e's Williams' sister ...does that make sense  ) also has anal gland problems    & used to have them emptied regularly like Bailey. I prefered to take her to the vets as there is a technique to it (he did offer to teach me  ) & sometimes she does squeal a little, so I guess if they are sore or very full, yes it could hurt   
I changed Purdey over to a full BARF diet at the end of last year & I have to say that her glands are so much better & instead of needing emptying every 6-8 weeks, it's now only a couple of times a year. It may just be coincidence but for us it has made a noticable difference. We weren't able to vary Purdeys diet very much prior to this, as she has quite a few allergies & this was the main reason for changing to BARF - luckily it helped her glands in the process   
Hope you find something that helps your little man too 

[Emilyoliver]

Emily sometimes needs hers emptied - couple of times a year.  And I do it (not a pleasant job, but can be done - your vet or groomer would probably show you how).  Ollie had not had any problems until last year, when they became infected.  He was put on anti-biotics, and they cleared up (luckily), and have been fine since.  I asked my vet whether I should empty them more regularly to prevent infections in the future and he said to rather leave him (unless he was specifically uncomfortable), they should empty on their own.  Too much 'interference' may actually create a problem. He was also not keen on the removal op (unless as last resort) as it can occasionally lead to incontinence.

[Gayle and Bailey]

Hi there, my GR had problems with his anal glands pretty much from word go.  His anal gland were infected when he was just 6 months old, antibiotics cleared this up.  He also had skin problems.  For these two reasons I decided to change him to a raw diet.  Within 6 weeks his skin was completely clear.  He has been on a raw diet since March and has not needed his glands emptying since :-))

HTH