Infected anal glands 🤦‍♀️

[Mouse19]

My spaniel had his anal glands expressed at the vets 6 months ago. They were full and on vet advice we upped his fibre intake as he does tend to start off with firm poo on a walk but they get progressively sloppier. Fibre has improved this.

He went to the groomers on Friday and I asked her to have a feel. She said they weren’t full but they are infected. She’s an ex vet nurse and said personally she wouldn’t worry about them and it’ll clear up on it’s own. However since she’s had a feel he’s been trying to bite his back end so it’s a trip to the vets this week methinks.

Has anyone dealt with this? Is it a case of antibiotics?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I have no idea about the infection side sorry but I was told carrots are helpful fit dogs who have anal gland issues

 

[Mouse19]

I have no idea about the infection side sorry but I was told carrots are helpful fit dogs who have anal gland issues

Thank you I will give this a try. He’s on a weeks worth of antibiotics and interestingly you can smell it now (nice I know) so he’s feeling v sorry for himself

 

[poiuytrewq]

Poor thing. Hopefully the antibiotics work

 

[FinnishLapphund]

One of our late cats had a habit of once every few years empty her anal glands when laying in my mum's knee in the evenings. Never did it anywhere else in the house, nor on anyone else.

I've had one bitch ages ago who we (I and the veterinarian) decided to remove the anal glands on after she, as I recall it, had her second bad infection in them, when she was only something like 2 or 4 years old or around that.
At some point I found a description in a dog book saying something along Imagine the anus being 12 o'clock, and then place one finger at around 9 o'clock, another finger at around 15 o'clock, and gently press the fingers a bit inwards + upwards to empty the anal glands. (It also recommended making sure to not keep your face in the firing direction in case it squirts out. Wearing a plastic glove, and have something to wipe clean the butt with afterwards was also mentioned.)

With my other bitches, I've just emptied them occasionally either just to see that it looks okay/normal, or because someone have scooted around a bit on their butt. Blomma have had a little problems with hers, and I think she could've had infections in hers as well, but if it has started to look a little bad, I've just helpt her empty them a few times, and then they've cleared up again.
They were clogged up once, and nothing came out when I tried, and she said it was painful, so I stopped, and instead called, and got an appointment at my veterinarian clinic some day later. Once we came there, it turned out my "massage" had helped, and she had later managed to empty them when I didn't notice it.

I never dared to try doing it on the cat which I mentioned at the start of my reply though. I presume she would've became 1 very uncooperative, wriggly cat had I tried, and God knows where anything would've landed had I been successful.

Hope the antibiotics helps your dog, and that he soon feels less sorry for himself.

 

[DabDab]

My old dog had infected glands around Autumn last year. Her symptoms were pretty minimal (bit under the weather, slight smell that isnt right for her and the odd carpet shuffle) and yet there was quite a lot of puss-y type liquid in there under quite a lot of pressure before the vet expressed it. And then general antibiotics which cleared the infection. I think occasionally the infection can be hard yo shift and they have to profile the expressed fluid to match a specific antibiotics to it, but the infection in my dog cleared very quickly with general antibiotics

 

[alibali]

My dog got repeated infections when he was younger. They cleared with antibiotics but kept returning within a few months. He ended up needing knocked out, had them flushed out and packed with some antibiotic ointment. If that hadn't worked he would have needed an operation to remove them but thankfully that seemed to sort it (touch wood!) and no issues for about 3 years now

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Ask the vet to show you how to express them. We had to do it for Zak and Bear because they used to leave drips. Thankfully they grew out of it, but I fear Mitch may be starting. I’m going to do a very gentle express at the weekend.

 

[Mouse19]

Thank you for the replies. He’s being reassessed on Tuesday.

He’s always been a bit weird with his pooing habits. He has always done several poos on a walk which always get progressively sloppier so I am not surprised he’s had trouble with his glands.