Anal Glands

Question
Hi I have a 4 year old Pug and he has been on NUTRO ULTRA since he was born.
My problem is he has problems with this anal glands.
Is there anything I could give him to help with this problem?

I hate taking him to the vet all the time for this and I can't seem to do it... and it's not fair to him....

Thank You
Cindy

Answer

Hi Cindy,

What isn't fair to your dog is not providing medical treatment when it's needed. If your dog is having an anal gland problem, you should express his anal glands. If you can't do this, your vet or dog groomer could do it for you. It's also possible that your dog requires medication is his current anal gland problem, which should not be ignored. Assuming there isn't an impaction or infection, you can read about expressing (emptying) your dog's anal glands here:

http://www.ehow.com/video_2275318_express-dog_s-anal-gland.html

http://dogcarebasics.com/dog_grooming_anal_glands.shtml

The Pug breed is prone to develop anal gland problems, and can have recurrent episodes throughout their lives.

Once your dog's anal glands have been expressed, you can try adding additional fiber to his diet to help prevent future problems. Adding fiber to your dog's diet can help him to produce a normal stool volume that will help express the scent glands on a daily basis. Along with the extra fiber, your dog requires more exercise. A good walk around the block twice a day will help the glands from getting impacted.

Good sources of fiber include: raw sesame seeds, ground flax seed, Metamucil, buckwheat, whole oats, brown rice, and wheat bran. Adding 1/2-teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of bran to your dog's diet daily. Be sure to hydrate the dry fiber thoroughly before incorporating it into his food, so it does not cause intestinal impaction or choke. Ordinary whole grain cereals, such as bran flakes and the like are fine, so long as your dog does not have a food intolerance (allergy) to wheat or other cereal grains.

Best of luck,
Patti