[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Has anyone ever heard of anal glands rupturing? My neighbor said that her mother's dog was bleeding from the butt and when they took it to the vet he said the anal gland had either torn or ruptured.

 

[Caesar's Mommie]

Geez, I haven't heard about it but it sounds terrible and painful! Poor puppy.

 

[TikisMom]

Yes, I have heard of this...

This is from a vet site on dog care:

Infection of the anal glands is not uncommon especially with chronic impaction. When one or both of the glands become(s) infected they often will rupture to the outside and drain, similar to any other abcess. This can be quite painful when it occurs, but fortunately most patient's anal glands will heal in a short time (several days).

In uncomplicated cases this is treated by cleaning out (flushing) the ruptured anal gland with antiseptic solution and placing the patient on antibiotics when indicated. After the ruptured gland has healed over we express it periodically to try to insure that it's not becoming impacted again.

The main factors which predispose patients to have problems are (1) small body size and (2) obesity. Dogs under 20 lbs. have a higher incidence of anal gland impaction and other anal gland problems than larger dogs. The smaller the dog is, the more chance of anal gland problems. Tea cup poodles, Chihuahuas, and Pomeranians have an unusually high incidence of impaction. As with all generalities, of course, we will see exceptions with many small dogs never having any anal gland problems and some large dogs occasionally having severe problems. Overweight dogs also occasionally have a mechanical problem with getting the glands to express well.

There is some evidence indicating that a diet higher in fat will cause more anal gland secretion and thicker secretion and therefore more potential problems but this is not certain. Also, some have advocated a high fiber diet to increase the frequency and the bulk of the stools, thereby stimulating the glands to express more often. Here again, no studies as of yet have conclusively proven this to be of benefit, so dietary approaches are strictly on a "trial basis".

You should have your dog's anal glands expressed (or express them yourself) as often as needed. Some dogs never need the anal glands expressed while some need them expressed as frequently as every couple of weeks. On the average, dogs under 15 lbs need the anal glands expressed about every couple of months. It's a good idea to have your groomer express the anal glands along with routine grooming (or have us do it).[/B]

Hope this helps!

Judi

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Thanks! The treatment sounds like what their vet did. I think they have had problems in the past with her anal glands.

 

[snax]

yes!! my dog had this!!! it was AWFUL ..but the vet told my mom that it is very common in maltese. he had a cyst on his gland or something and it ruptured and it was not fun. i felt so bad for him but he is better now. i am unsure as to what caused this to happen, or if it is just something that comes on its own? we used to feed him dog food that was more water based and not dry until the vet told us that it wasnt good for dogs b/c its mostly flavoring. i dont know if that had something to do with it, but now with our new puppy we never give him water based food.

 

[doctorcathy]

i went to a new vet on saturday. she seemed pretty nice. she said to add a tablespoon of pumpkin in their meals. that it might be that sprite needs more fiber. so i bought a can of pumpkin. i gave sprite some yams yesterday (my mom had already made it) and i'll tell you how sprite goes with her anal glands. she usually gets problems every 4-6 weeks. so 2-4 more weeks and i'll post back!!

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

I had to do the pumpkin with Lexi when she had a hard time pooping after she got spayed. It seemed to help soften it.