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Nothing 'butt' the truth: understanding anal glands

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Once again, my dog Chloe, who has a knack for getting sick with the most random things, has provided me with inspiration for this week's article. This past month, Chloe suffered from an anal gland abscess. Although it's not a pleasant topic, it's important to understand how your dog's anal glands work and what problems can arise when they're not working properly. Anal gland problems are very common, so the more you know, the faster you can get your dog the help he needs.

The Basics

We've all seen dogs sniff each other's butts to say "hello". What dogs are really sniffing, though, are the anal glands. The anal glands are located around your dog's anus and produce a fluid that provides basic information, like age and sex, to other dogs. Normally, your dog's anal glands will empty themselves when your dog has bowel movements.

The Problem Begins

Anal glands can become impacted, or blocked, for several reasons. Some dogs are more likely to have blocked animal glands for hereditary reasons while others have blocked glands after a series of loose stools. For Chloe, who has never had an anal gland issue in the more than 8 years I've had her, the block came about after several days of watery diarrhea. While Chloe's problem came about as a result of being ill, a dog with a poor diet will likely develop anal gland issues, as well, since the glands need the pressure of firm bowel movements to keep them emptied.

Symptoms

While the symptoms of anal gland impaction and abscesses are obvious, they're also easy to ignore as being temporary problems that will work themselves out on their own. One sign that your dog's anal glands are blocked is if he is scooting his butt along the ground or excessively licking the area. Another symptom is your dog having difficult or painful bowel movements. My own dog acted frantic to go outside but, once outdoors, could do nothing more than strain to have a bowl movement. If your dog's anal glands become impacted, he may start to bite at the area to relieve his discomfort, which can lead to damage and infection. The faster you can get your dog to the vet to take care of the problem, the better.

Care

Your vet will need to manually express the anal glands to unblock them. From there, the vet will likely prescribe an antibiotic and you may need to use a warm compress on your dog's bottom several times a day to draw out bacteria and promote healing. Your vet will likely want to check your dog's anal glands frequently over the following months to ensure they are emptying on their own without any complications. While clearing up an anal gland impaction or even an abscess is not difficult, there can be secondary complications in the future.

The Future

If your pet's anal gland has abscessed, the healing process can cause a build-up of scar tissue, making the healed anal gland thicker than normal. This can lead to future cases of impacted glands or, in some cases, fecal incontinence. For most dogs with scar tissue build up, future problems can be avoided simply by having the glands manually expressed as frequently as your vet deems necessary. While it is possible to learn the process yourself, many people prefer to have their vet express the anal glands as it is a messy - and smelly - task. If anal gland issues become chronic, your vet may suggest a high fiber diet to produce bulkier stools or possibly even a surgery to remove the anal glands altogether to prevent further problems from happening.

Anal gland impaction, abscesses, and infections can happen to dogs (and cats!) of any age and breed. Pay attention to signs your dog may be experiencing discomfort when having a bowel movement and be sure to get him the vet attention he needs as soon as possible to prevent further infection or complications.

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, a cockatoo, a cat, a bearded dragon, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org. To learn more about Cocheco Valley Humane Society, go to www.cvhsonline.org or call 603-749-5322.

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