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Just curious how many folks out there with rear-leggers are finding that they need anal glands expressed more often than before losing a limb? Or if you adopted a rear legger, do they need their glands done more often than your quadpawds?
Feel free to chime in with your experience.
In our own experience, Wyatt Ray never needed his done, and he was missing a rear leg. But I've heard of other back leg amputee dogs who did need their glands done quite a bit.
Well, since you ask...
I think an important point is if they lost their entire femur or if they had a mid femoral amp. If I remember correctly Wyatt still had part of his femur.
Maggie the TriPug lost her back leg to cancer but it was a mid-femoral amp. I don't remember her having anal gland problems after her amp.
Elly lost her back leg to a car accident and they took her entire femur. She didn't have anal gland issues until after she hurt her remaining hip but ever since she has had to go to the vet once a month to have them drained. The right gland is always completely full- that is the missing leg side. The left one is usually only partially full.
We have also tried a variety of supplements that are supposed to help with anal gland issues but none of them have helped.
The theory from one of Elly's vets is that since she is missing her entire femur the muscles that used to attach to the femur are not attached to anything and so she can't press or push adequately to drain the glands. It makes sense in some respects but I'm not sure why she hasn't had issues all along. She never completely regained her strength after the injury but she is also now 9.5 years old and has been on three for 9 years.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls and Boy
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Maggie's Story Amputation and Chemo
Find me now on Tripawds Circle
Juno too has needed her anal glands expressed more often after the amp. It really took us a while to catch onto this as we hadn’t heard anything about this or expected it in any way. As with Karen’s theory above, Juno had her femur entirely removed due to cancer so she has little bone or musculature on that side.
We haven’t yet rounded on how often we need to express it, but it’s looking like Karen’s monthly plan may be what we come down to as well. I may even *gasp* learn to do it myself for convenience. (I have rubber gloves and doggo-safe wipes on the next shopping list. eeek.) Anyone else with any experience of doing this themselves? I’ve seen a few Youtube video demos, and also plan to ask the vet for a demo.
Natalie & Juno (aka June)
Hi Natalie,
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I used to express the glands of my second Pug Tani but I was able to do it from the outside.
Elly's have to be done from the inside now and I'm alone, it's definitely a two person job! At my vet it's a Tech appointment (no Dr.) and I am usually the one who holds her. Sometimes we have to use a hot compress for a few minutes to get things to move.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls and Boy
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Maggie's Story Amputation and Chemo
Find me now on Tripawds Circle
Natalie it's good to hear from you! Hope Juno is doing great!
So for Nellie B., who is not a rear legger, she actually needs hers expressed occasionally. My neighbor in Alaska is a vet tech, and she showed me how to do the job correctly. She was there to guide me as far as what to feel for, and where the glands were located. It's not easy without a pro to help instruct, and definitely easier when two people are available. I would have your vet team show you how to do it before trying it on your own.
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