Dog Training & Health

[Guest]

Anyone who lives a dog or cat for any extended period of time knows the peculiar, sometimes foul odor of anal glands. Its pungent fragrance can be left on your pants after your animal friend has visited your lap or during stressful situations such as veterinary visits. Anal glands are located under the tail just inside the anal opening at the level of 5:00 and 7:00.
Being part of the digestive tract, anal glands are supposed to drain regularly when bowel movements pass through. If the stool is too thin or the wrong consistency, the may not open and drain. An impaction develops, and your animals scoot on their butts, along the rug or grass, frantically trying to open the duct.
If there is constant inflammation in this area, the anal glands may stay open too long, and the animal will “leak” pungent fluid, making the under-tair area moist, stained, or smelly.

Impaction: If you look under the tail, you might see swelling at the anal gland areas of 5:00 and 7:00, or you might just see the crazy scooting.
- Herbs and compress: Make a tea infusion of ½ teaspoon Nettles and ¼ teaspoon each of Oregon grape root and Chamomile flowers, in I cup of boiled water. Steep for 20 minutes, strain and cool, using this mixture as a warm compress over the anal opening. From the outside of the anus, gently squeeze both sides at the level of 5:00 and 7:00 to open the glands.
- Diet: Because healthy digestion encourages healthy anal glands, add fiber, such as well-cooked brown rice or Psyllium husks, to the diet. Acidophilus combinations, at ½-1/3 the human recommended dosage, also promote healthy gut flora.

[Lindsay]

We recommend that you seek your veterinarian's instruction on how to properly express the anal glands.

[99Balloons]

More helpful information:<br />
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http://www.seefido.com/html/cleaning_an ... a_dog_.htm<br />
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http://www.seefido.com/html/what_are_th ... lands_.htm<br />
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A diagram of the anal glands:<br />
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<img width="165" height="143" src="/UserFiles/anal_glands(1).gif" alt="" />

[Debby]

or you might just see the crazy scooting.

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<font size="3"><br />
Wow...that's new to me... I always thought the scooting was because of worms !&nbsp; <br />
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My mother's shitzu Buddy does this and he has been to the vet &amp; been wormed.... I'll have to pass this info along to her.<br />
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<font size="2">Edit:&nbsp; after reading the links.... when I had him in my home &amp; was the one doing the bathing, I always "massaged" him head to butt and he never had trouble dragging his butt much.... like he does now.</font></font>