Anal Gland Issues

[x0emiroxy0x]

We went camping about two weeks ago and Rocky snagged some chicken off my boyfriend's plate. If he eats even a bite of human food, he has diarrhea. This usually leads to a trip to the vet 2 or 3 days later to express his anal glands. Any time he has diarrhea, he has that issue.

Anyways, so we took him to the vet and they expressed his anal glands. Two days later, he was biting and licking his anal glands and scooting on the floor. I was boarding him that weekend, so I asked the vet to check them again (and charge me of course) and express them if they needed it.

When I picked him up, they said he was fine.

However, it has been three days now and he continues to scoot (only 1-2 times a day) and has "fish-butt" smell (which lead me to believe he needed to be expressed), and keeps biting at his anal glands like they itch.

I honestly feel stupid taking him back a 3rd time, but I don't want him to be in pain. Any ideas as to what this could be?

More Info:
--Stools are solid
--Every other day there will be the tiniest drop of blood on the outside of the stool from where he was straining to push it out (possibly a tear?) The vet advised me that he could have a tear from when he had diarrhea

I have more than enough money to take him to the vet, and if that is what you advise, please reply soon since the vet is closed tomorrow.

Any other advice would be appreciated too.

THanks

[GatorDog]

I'd have the glands checked again. That fishy smell is a tell-tale sign. They can get infected too, so I'd bring him in just to be safe.

Hopefully they just need to be expressed!

[JakodaCD OA]

I agree with having them checked again, you don't want the anal gland issue to result in perianal fistula's been there done that twice.

I don't know what your feeding him, but may be time for a food switch, and/or start adding canned pumpkin to his daily feedings.

the majority of dogs never have to have glands expressed their entire life, once they start, it can become something that has to be done alot, it can end up with infected glands/ruptured glands/ and as mentioned before PF's..

Honestly, if they continue to need expressing, I'd ask about having them removed

[Stosh]

I had a beagle once that with anal glands so bad that they were finally removed. She did very well and it was such a relief.

[Blanketback]

My puppy has an infected anal gland, and it was the tiny droplets of bloodyish substance that I first noticed, with firm stools. Then the yucky smell and some staining around his anus appeared. Are the drops you're seeing blood? The drops I saw weren't actually blood, but closer to a maroon/dark brown, opaque liquid.

[wildwolf60]

I would take him in again, especially since you have a scent. I have some issues too, which I am trying to research on anal gland problems. Have started feeding some canned pumpkin with his food now, we'll see if it helps. Vet seems to think there is no feed 'fix', for this, but I'd like to try first other than having to take him in weekly or few times a month for them to be expressed. Weird thing is, ours never had a problem the 1st year and 1/2 we had him and food didn't change, so don't know why ours started having issues. Good luck with yours!

[tsfarling]

My puppy, 15 weeks now, was laying on the floor taking and a nap and I smelled the fishy anal gland smell. I looked behind her and she had shot out some liquid behind her on the floor about 8 inches of spray. Once we got it cleaned up we put her in her crate for a bit. She has been cleaning for a couple of minutes now and licking the floor of the crate. She just had her last puppy boosters on Saturday but they haven't expressed her glands before. It does smell terrible. She did it in her sleep so maybe they need expressed soon. I guess I'll call my vet tomorrow to find out what we need to do. I can let you know if I find out anything that could help you out.