What you should do if your dog has gland problems

Dogs are an essential part of many people’s lives. For some people, their dogs are as important as their human family. A dog owner must feed their dog healthy and nutritious food, make sure they get plenty of exercise every week, and watch them for health problems since they cannot tell us if they are in pain. In this article, we will inform you of the symptoms that are associated with gland problems in dogs and familiarize you of the correct way to treat it.

First, what are the symptoms you should watch out for?

The most often occurring symptom of gland problems is when your dog regularly drags their butt across the floor or carpet. If your dog only does this occasionally, it is not a big deal. It is just another way they scratch their butts. However, if your dog drags their behind on the floor every day, then it is a vital sign, something is wrong with the glands around their anus.

Another symptom dogs exhibit when they have gland problems is that they will continuously lick their behind. Dogs use their tongues to lick their wounds, so when they lick their glands, they are trying to clean and heal them. Also, in some cases, there will be a horrible smell coming from between the dog’s legs. Dog glands are scent sacs that help dogs mark their territory. When the glands are impacted, they will stink. It will be an unmistakable smell, and you will have to wash your dog’s bed and clothes several times to remove the overpowering scent.

Take your dog to their vet and explain their behavior to their vet. The vet can test their glands to see if there is swelling or an infection in the anal area.

How to treat your dog’s gland issues

First, the most important thing you should do when your dog has gland issues is to listen to the vet’s instructions. There could be many reasons for the glands of your dog to become compromised. One reason could be a low fiber diet turning their healthy stool into the watery or liquid stool. Other reasons could be a tumor impacting the area, or a swallowed coin that cannot pass through their intestinal system. Only blood tests or x-rays can discover the reason for gland pain.

Second, while you are at the veterinarian’s office, the doctor will squeeze the dog’s anal glands and drain them of fluid. This procedure may be painful, depending on how severely your dog’s health has deteriorated. Afterward, your dog will feel better as there will no longer be intense pressure around their anus. If there is an infection, then the pain will not go away so quickly.

Third, if the veterinarian informs you that your dog has an infection of the glands, you need to purchase antibiotics. Antibiotics will stop the disease from growing and spreading to other parts of your dog’s body. There are several antibiotics available for purchase, but the vet must have the liquid from the anal glands analyzed to understand what bacteria caused the infection. If a medicine is too expensive, you can ask for a generic brand of that medicine which should be lower in price.

Note: Only a trained veterinarian should be allowed to express a dog’s anal glands. Although it is not surgery, anal gland expression is a very delicate procedure. Performing it incorrectly will be agonizing to your dog. You can perform anal expressions on your dog if the vet teaches you. Do not look at YouTube videos or watch an untrained person do it.

Fourth, when the vet tells you the reason for your dog’s gland problems, you must find a long-term solution to prevent it from happening again. If the reason for the gland problems is because there is not enough fiber in your dog’s food, you must buy higher quality food or mix a dog-approved fiber substance into their current diet. Learn more about high-fiber dog food here: https://petsolino.com/best-high-fiber-dog-food-for-anal-gland-problems/

Also, you must squeeze and drain the anal glands until their stool can do it for them. This part of your dog’s care is tough for dog owners to complete, as it is a disgusting task. If you have the time, you can take your dog back to the vet where they will express the anal glands for you. Most people choose this option. It may be more expensive and time-consuming, but many people consider going the extra mile well worth it.

What to take away from this article

Caring for your dog is a vital task that protects your furry friend from getting too sick. Dogs that have their glands untreated when they are enlarged and infected can develop serious diseases and obstruction in their lower body. They may even die. So, it is up to a dog’s owners to keep them healthy and happy. We owe it to man’s (and woman’s) best friend to treat them right and provide them with a life of love.