Pebbles Embarrassing (anal gland) Issue
Poor little Pebble will be so embarrassed if she knew that I was telling you this, so let’s keep it to ourselves, shall we? Yeah, I know that Anal Glands are not a pleasant subject, however, I decided to write about it because, we, that is Pebbles and I had a little medical issue a few years ago so because it’s what I do, I decided to write about it.
Pebbles Anal Glands are mal-positioned and that is what causes her recurring issues (see video below). The last time it happened was on a Friday. A couple of days before that Friday, I noticed that Pebbles was doing a lot of licking and biting her bottom end. Because she has a history of her anal glands becoming abscessed, I knew that it was happening again.
This time, however, was different than times past, though. In the past, I would take her to my veterinarian and they would drain it and she would be good to go. She didn’t seem to have any discomfort afterward at all. However, this time it was very different. They had to put her under anesthesia and when she came home she had a pretty good-sized wound (more like a hole) in her left anal gland. It was red and oozing and you could tell she was apparently in a lot of pain.
For that reason, recovery this time has been very slow. She had to take pain medication of course and was on antibiotics. Because of the pain and discomfort, she had to wear an Elizabethan collar (or cone) to keep her from licking, biting, and making it worse. She, like all dogs, hates to wear it and I hate to see her uncomfortable!
As I already mentioned, she has always had problems with her anal glands. When your dog scoots on the carpet, he or she is not doing it to embarrass you in front of company, they scoot because they have some kind of discomfort or irritation going on back there. That’s when you take them to the vet to find out what the problem is. (Pebbles is wearing the KONG EZ Soft E-Collar for and small Dogs). However, since this photo, I have gotten her a cushioned collar that she tolerates much better.
My little Pebbles, however, is such a lady she apparently feels that it is unladylike to scoot on her butt. So, she shows no signs of discomfort or irritation until it is already abscessed.
When anal glands are working normally they will empty themselves when a little pressure is applied. Normally anal glands are something you never have to think about unless they don’t empty themselves. Having your Chihuahua’s anal glands manually expressed unnecessarily can cause a lifetime of problems with the glands (see video below).
Most dogs go through life never having to have their anal glands expressed. Although it may seem disgusting to us, the truth of the matter is that dogs communicate with their rear ends. Specifically with the smelly substance that comes from the anal sacs. Anal sacs can sometimes become abscessed, blocked, or inflamed. According to PetMD that is the case especially with small breed dogs.
Caution: Don’t try to express your dog’s anal glands unless you are a professional. Here’s why from Dr. Karen Becker, DVM
So, there you have it, the whole truth about Anal Glands. So, next time your dog scoots on the carpet, don’t yell or punish him, take him to the vet! Frankly, he doesn’t care about your just-cleaned carpet, he just wants the itch and discomfort to go away.
If you are looking for an Elizabethan collar for small dogs, here are my picks:
Alfie Pet Zumi Soft Edge Velcro Recovery Collar
$11.99 You save $1.00 (8%)
KONG Cushion Recovery Collar
$15.99
