Scooting in grass

[DiegosMom]

@LiveWWSD:

Have you tried (Or are you willing to) expressing her anal glands. I do this about once a month with Charlie while he is in the bath (otherwise he has issues with them), Zaire strains a bit more when she poos so I am not worried about her at this time. If you don't feel comfortable with this then definatly take her to your vet to have them do it.
Hope that helps

I have never done it before but am willing to do it.. but i'm not really sure how.. i've read instructions online.. when you do it, do you do it internally or externally??

[tanza]

Most Vet or Vet techs will show someone how to do it…. IMO, not a good idea to try yourself if you don't know how or have never done it.

[LiveWWSD]

I agree with Pat.
If you haven't done it before I would take her in. The Vet techs can teach you how to do it if you want to know for the future rather than having to take her back in.

[DiegosMom]

Thanks for the advice.. I will take her to the vet and ask them to teach me how to do it!

[tanza]

@DiegosMom:

Thanks for the advice.. I will take her to the vet and ask them to teach me how to do it!

AND… it is NOT pleasant!!!! :o

[TuckerVA]

Tucker dragged his fanny for several days and since I was supposed to go to Europe in a few days post the dragging, I didn't want to leave him in the kennel 'dragging ass'. So I took him in. They said it was nothing, probably just an irritation from passing something he ate, but they also squished his glands just to be sure. Apparently that's the cure all for anal issues…but the gland expressing yielded nothing out of the ord.

I'm no vet, but you have two choices... Have the vet express the glands (many dogs NEVER need this done if their innards are all working properly) or you can give it a few days and see if it goes away (in the case of a minor irritation). Doctors are expensive and I certainly don't go running to see him when mine gets itchy.

[renaultf1]

@TuckerVA:

and I certainly don't go running to see him when mine gets itchy.

TMI, TMI, TMI!!!!

[JazzysMom]

Oh ew.

I hope hope hope hope that I continue to have dogs that never need to have that done.

[LiveWWSD]

@JazzysMom:

Oh ew.

I hope hope hope hope that I continue to have dogs that never need to have that done.

Be glad you do have dogs that don't have to have it done.

Charlie is SOOOOO much better now (only have to worry about it every other month or so) When he was younger, and before I switched him to a raw diet he constantly was getting impacted. I have never had another dog who needed assistance with their anal glands as much as he does (Poor guy)

[DiegosMom]

On Tuesday I told the vet tech girl Meeka had been scooting and made an apt to get her gland expressed (tomorrow afternoon).. Meeka hasnt scooted since Monday- so should I still take her in to have them expressed tomorrow, or did she naturally correct the problem??

[sharronhurlbut]

If you want to avoid the vet, add canned or fresh pumpkin to the dogs food.
I do and it helps my 2 b's express the glans themselfs.
Its better than doing it yourself. IMO. Laugh

[wizard]

I can't always find pumpkin so I use sweet potatoes – that works too.

[DiegosMom]

wizard- do you cook the sweet potatoes or feed them raw??

[MaxBooBooBear]

It's always a good idea to be proactive with anal glands. If they get impacted and infected, they can rupture–then you'll really have a big vet bill--not to mention a lot of discomfort for the dog.

[DiegosMom]

@MaxBooBooBear:

It's always a good idea to be proactive with anal glands. If they get impacted and infected, they can rupture–then you'll really have a big vet bill--not to mention a lot of discomfort for the dog.

I'm slightly confused? Do you think she should go to the vet to get them expressed or were referring to feeding things like pumpkin/sweet potatoes? She scooted about 3-4 times in a 7 day period.. but hasnt done it since monday night.. so i figured she may have expressed them herself, I called the vet and they said to cancel the apt. and reschedule if she starts doing it again.. so i'm not sure if I should just get them expressed, or try to change her diet to help express them herself..

[sharronhurlbut]

I would take the dog to the vet and have the dog checked and glands expressed. BUT in the meantime…
I would start adding a large tablespoon of pumpkin canned not pie makings into the food at every meal, this will keep the glands from becoming an issue in the future.
at least that has worked for my dogs.

[DiegosMom]

Thanks sharron- I was just confused if I needed to take her even though she stopped scooting.. i will reschedule her for next week and get some pumpkin in the meantime.. now do you do the pumpkin in the food all the time, or just when they have problems with the glands?

[sharronhurlbut]

I give it to my dogs all the time.
My boy has never had issues, but my girl has anal fissures ouch and the pumpkin keeps her from screaming when she poops.
It also keeps the anal glands open.
So, its a cheap fix make sure its the raw pumpkin and not the pie filling and give it to them each meal.
It sure won't hurt them and it should help…let me know how it goes.

[MaxBooBooBear]

@sharronhurlbut:

I would take the dog to the vet and have the dog checked and glands expressed. BUT in the meantime…
I would start adding a large tablespoon of pumpkin canned not pie makings into the food at every meal, this will keep the glands from becoming an issue in the future.
at least that has worked for my dogs.

What I meant by being "proactive" was to take the dog to the vet (like Sharron recommended)–but also just to keep an eye out for any problems (like you've been doing) and take action. I happened to have a B who needed to be manually expressed every couple of weeks for about the last 6 yrs of his life--his glands were situated abnormally--and I didn't want to put him through surgery. But I have heard that adding pumpkin to the food can really help.