Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this question, but here goes.... is there a correlation between type/brand of dog food and anal gland problems? Willow has been having problems with very full anal glands for the last few months. They do express easily (at the vet) and have not been infected. I have done some research and found two very opposite opinions for the problem. One is higher protein to firm up the stool, the other is higher fiber to bulk up the stool. The vet wants me to start giving Willow Eukanuba Low Residue food, but I looked at the ingredients and it looks like a horrible food to me. I haven't changed her diet at all in the last year, other than to start adding some vegetables to her current food, but her anal gland problems started before this. Any advice or opinions? Has anyone been able to fix this problem with a change in diet?
Thank you,
Carol
I was just talking about this with my sister. My vet said there's no correlation between the anal gland issues and diet. One of our chocolate labs, Sammie, has to go to the vet every couple of months to have them drained. I would be interested in other opinions about diet though.
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Since the anal glands are supposed to release a bit of fluid with every bowel movement, firmer stools should in theory squeeze out the fluid more effectively. In theory. In reality, some dogs just don't express it enough regardless of stool consistency. My parents' dog is like this.
If firming up the stool doesn't work, just ask your vet to teach you how to express them.
But which really firms up the stool, higher protein or higher fiber? That's what is confusing me. Also, Willow is a senior (about 12), so would a high protein diet be a bad idea for her because can be harder on kidneys (she also takes Rimadyl, which so far has caused no problems)?
My parent's groomer is convinced food plays a role in anal glads. To help Gypsy (Jackson's cousin) with her's, she's now fed Taste of the Wild (a no grain, higher protein food). I honestly don't know if food type (no grain vs high protein vs high fiber vs fresh, raw, vs etc) make a difference or if it's more about the quality of the food. My recommendation is to just try new foods and see what happens. Go slowly, though, as I know a rapid shift to higher-protein foods for Jackson caused looser poo before they firmed up. I know it's a maddening process....but take maybe 3-4 weeks to try out each food type. Maybe some dogs just have more anal problems than others? Or maybe those dogs are fed food improper for them? What a topic! Good one. Let us know what you decide to try and how it goes.
~ Katy
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
dharma said
just ask your vet to teach you how to express them.
Um...no. lol. I have to draw the line somewhere!
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
In my experience diet doesn't make a difference if there is a chronic anal gland issue. Quad pug Tani has been on different diets for different reasons, and it has not mattered at, ummm, that end. I have been helping Tani express herself for most of her life- she is getting close to 13. It is pretty yucky, but since it needs to be done relatively frequently I learned how to do it to save a few $ and trips to the vet. She does go to a groomer now every couple of months and they do it for me.
Willow has never had trouble before, right? And you said there is no infection or problem. Maybe it is just an older dog thing. You could try adding something to her diet to make her stool firmer- but you want to not go too far and cause another problem. I believe you want to add more fiber to get firmer stools. If that doesn't work then you may have to have her glands expressed periodically.
Karen
I can personally attest, after Kermit's two-day um... RECOVERY from a pumpkin-cookie induced fiber overload that an abundance of fiber will not make the stool firmer! It'll vastly increase quantity & motility, but firmness? No. Unfortunately! 
I cannot comment on the diet's effect on the anal glands, but it does make a difference with the cancer. Do your research and choose a diet that is either home cooked, raw, or a quality grain free kibble.
All vets are not well versed in food and nutrition, and particularly not when it comes to a cancer diet.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
I don't know about all dogs, or all issues with anal glands, however -
Our beagle (now 8) needed to be taken in quite frequently (4-5 times a year, maybe?) to have her glands done by the vet, and she was always quite full. She was on a less than stellar food...after a couple of years, and the big pet food scare/education of pet food, we switched to Orijen, which is a higher protien, grain free food...and we haven't had to take her to have them expressed once since then. Her stools firmed up, and became much smaller...and she's good to go! So for us more protein and firmer stools helped. Her stools were never loose before, but they were bulky.
In Maggie's case she's always had anal gland issues and she's been on Taste of the Wild for awhile. I express them once a week, there's an easy way, you just squeeze the outside (your vet can show you) or you can be thorough and put on the gloves. She's really uncomfortable when they get full and it's really fast to do. We have a spa day and they get ears cleaned, nails trimmed and teeth cleaned.
Well, I'll jump in here with my own two cents, take it for what it's worth especially since I'm not a professional. But I do believe that diet has a lot to do with it.
Take for instance human beings and their bodily functions. When people have 'roids, a lack of fiber in the diet is generally considered to be the culprit. Well, wouldn't it be a safe bet to assume that dogs intestines operate in the same manner?
Now, in my opinion even the best quality commercial kibble can't take the place of honest to goodness whole real human meats & veggies as well as raw meaty bones to add additional intestine-cleaning power. Perhaps dogs who have anal gland problems never see these kinds of foods in their diet? Who knows.
Neither me nor Wyatt Ray has ever had impacted anal glands and my people are greatful for that. We'll never say never, and we can't say for sure if our diet is why they've never happened, but that's the thinking in our pack.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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Thank you all for the advice and suggestions. In my quest to find a higher quality grain free kibble with a higher protein content and hopefully a slightly higher fiber content than average, I went to a small local pet store. I was given a sample of a brand called Zignature. Has anyone heard of and/or tried this brand? Dog Food Advisor reviews it with a rating of 4, but says the fat content may be too much for some dogs. The fat content shown on Dog Food Advisor is much higher than what is on the label of Zignature so once again I am confused. If this would be better in a post under Healthy Eating, let me know and I'll repost. Also, if anyone has kibble recommendations please speak up! I don't mind adding some veggies to Willow's meals, but I'd rather not home cook or give that really good smelling people protein that will make her beg like crazy. Please don't think I'm a bad mom!!!
Thank you,
Carol
I was advised by several vets to use EVO dog food as the best cancer-care kibble.
Also, as an aside I don't know how it works in dogs but in horses we feed slightly higher protein feeds to our geriatric crowd because they have a harder time maintaining muscle mass. So perhaps higher protein isn't a problem regarding age? Just spitballing here...
I believe that food does have something to do with the anal gland issue, but it is not the end all-be all,. Some dogs just have an issue with not expressing their anal glands regularly with each bowel movement regardless of what food they are on. Now, I am a veterinary technician and personally I would not switch to the low-res food and disrupt your dog's system. Our first suggestion for a dog that has started having a problem expressing their anal glands is to add Metamucil (fiber) to the diet. Human Metamucil is what we recommend. I would call your vet and let them know that you might like to try this before switching the food. Also ask the vet to make sure they wouldn't have any objections to this based on your dog's health and ask them to recommend a dosage based on your dog's weight, there is a balance that you have to reach between too much and too little. As with everything in the vet industry there are varying opinions about adding Metamucil, but it is just one more suggestion for you to look into. Every dog is different which is why it takes trial and error to find what works for you. Good luck! And also expressing anal glands is gross, intrusive, and stinky but not hard. If this is something that Willow continues to have problems with, you should ask your vet to teach you how to do it, it will save you a lot of money!
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