Full anal glands

Question
QUESTION: I have a 2 1/2 year old yellow lab who is not able to clear her anal glands herself.  I have to take her to the vet every 3 to 4 weeks to have her glands expressed. Is there anything I can do (change in diet, more exercise - we walk 3 miles a day) to help alleviate this problem? The vet said maybe surgery would help, but not for sure, so I am not willing to do that if its not going to work.  When her glands get full she starts scooting her bottom accross the floor.  I feel bad for her.  Thanks for any insight!!

ANSWER: Like some other problems, I don't know that there is a good answer.  Some people claim the expensive, premium chows will fix the problem.  Since I know a lot of the rest of their claims are false, I am skeptical about that too.  My 14 year old has had that problem on and off over the years.  I have though about going down scale on chow, replacing her Pro Plan with Purina.  That would produce larger, but softer stools.  The larger should help, but the softer might cancel its advantage.  Ihave seen other speculate on that, but no reports that somebody tried it.  If you do try it, please let me know one way or another.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We feed her adult Kirkland chicken and rice, what would be a good alternative? Her problems seemed to have started after we got her fixed, do you think the surgery could have had something to do with it? Thanks again.

Answer
This is an area I lack solid experience and training on.  I think I am much quicker to admit that than many. I see too many ''facts'' presented on the net with nothing to back them up.  Here is what seems logical to me:

The spaying had nothing to do with it.  I don't remember any of my 18 puppies having problems before they were a year old, nor do I remember any of the hundreds of other puppies I see every year having any  problems.  The anal glands may not even mature until puberty.  Usually questions about them are with older dogs.  I should point out that few of the puppies I see are spayed before they are a year old.  

If you want to try the higher bulk chow, I know Purina is a good product.  Other similar brands may be just as good, but I have no experience with them.  If you want to go upscale, there are plenty of brands to choose from, Flint River, Royal Canin, Diamond, Nature's Choice, Solid Gold, Canadae, etc.  I would stay away from Nutro.  I have just seen too many bad reports on it.  Of course anything negative you read may be from somebody selling something else.  Since you are feeding a chicken chow, I would stick to chicken.  The more different kinds of chow a dog eats when young, the harder to work around it if it develops food allergies later.