Anal gland issues can be a smelly and unpleasant situation for everyone. In fact 12% of dogs will experience anal gland issues.
If your dog's anal glands aren't working correctly, they can cause discomfort, pain and even infection.
Dogs have 2 anal glands (sacs). Both are near their anal openings (four o'clock and eight o'clock positions). The fluid stored in these sacs acts like the dog's "calling card". The smell is unique to that dog and is released when your dog poops or when they are stressed. This is one of the reasons why when you are out walking your pooch they want to smell other dog’s butts or poop! This fluid aroma tells your dog a lot about that other dog.
When the fluid is not expressed naturally through passing a stool it can build up in the anal sac. Eventually the anal sacs can get full. This can be very uncomfortable for your dog and over time it can become infected.
Some of the more common signs of anal gland issues are:
- Licking and biting at their rear end
- Scooting
- Chasing his tail
- Persistent anal gland smell (smells fishy)
- Struggling to defecate / painful defecation
- Red/swollen anal area
- Discharge from anal area (brownish and smelly)
- Abscess near the rectum
- Signs of pain such as increased aggressiveness or difficulty settling down.
What we feed our dogs plays a huge part in anal gland problems.
A good diet that contains fibre helps express the anal glands when they poop. If there is not enough fibre in their diet then the poop is not hard enough to push the anal glands and express the fluid.
Although diet is one of the main causes of anal gland issues the below can also contribute to this problem
- Episodes of diarrhea / loose stools
- Allergies/skin condition
- Obesity
- Trauma/Inflammation of the anal glands (this can happen when the anal glands are expressed manually)
- Tumor
- Poor muscle tone (in older dogs for example)
Homeopathy can be a great support to those dogs who suffer from anal gland issues. There are several remedies that can help expel the fluid naturally and easily without causing any additional stress.
I have found that by addressing diet inadequacies along with support from the correct homeopathic remedy anal gland issues can be resolved naturally.
If your pooch is experiencing anal gland issues and you would like to naturally keep your dog’s glands healthy then contact me to book a consult.
