# Preventing that fishy smell from anal glands



## goleafsgo22

Hi everyone!

I have a 1.5 year old male V and ever since he was a puppy he's had on and off issues with his anal glands wreaking of that stinky, fishy smell after they expel themselves. 

His glands haven't stunk for a few months until the last few weeks. The vet showed me how to expel them when he was younger and I've done it but they always seem to fill back up again and express themselves ... At the worst times lol. He is always licking near his behind too. 

Anyone know what I can give him to prevent this horrible smell? I've tried tablespoons of pumpkin but it doesn't work for him!


----------



## dextersmom

Let me know if you find a fix, ha! Our weim has had issues since she was a pup, too. She seems to be growing out of it a bit (she's now 1.5 years old) but she still does it in the car when she's sleeping (never when she's actually startled). I think she's just prone to leaking when she's relaxed. 

The only thing I've found to help (like you said, only temporarily) is expressing them yourself. I also kept a mental note of when it happened and realized she's on a cycle of "leaking" every two weeks. We don't express her that often, but if we did I'm sure the leaking would probably be prevented.

I tried pumpkin, metamucil, probiotics... nothing seemed to have any affect. She has always had very firm stool though, so I know that isn't the problem. If your V tends to have loose stool those remedies might work. Her littermate has the same problem, so I don't think her diet, etc. has much to do with it.

Our vet also told us about a simple procedure they can do where they fill the glands with iodine. Apparently it's caustic and somehow damages the glands so they can't produce as much oil or something? They do have to put them under general anesthesia though and it was only recommended to us if her glands were having to be expressed so often that she ended up getting infections. We've thought about having it done if she ever needs to go under for something else, but she does seem to be doing it less frequently as she gets older.

The glands can also be removed entirely through surgery - but it can cause incontinence, so personally I'd never choose to go that route.

Our best solution is to over the couch with Mambe waterproof blankets and have blankets in the car that we can throw in the wash should she "stink bomb" us


----------



## gingerling

There are 2 things I'd add:

Does he have an infection?

And, consider changing his food to one with more fiber.


----------



## goleafsgo22

dextersmom said:


> Let me know if you find a fix, ha! Our weim has had issues since she was a pup, too. She seems to be growing out of it a bit (she's now 1.5 years old) but she still does it in the car when she's sleeping (never when she's actually startled). I think she's just prone to leaking when she's relaxed.
> 
> The only thing I've found to help (like you said, only temporarily) is expressing them yourself. I also kept a mental note of when it happened and realized she's on a cycle of "leaking" every two weeks. We don't express her that often, but if we did I'm sure the leaking would probably be prevented.
> 
> I tried pumpkin, metamucil, probiotics... nothing seemed to have any affect. She has always had very firm stool though, so I know that isn't the problem. If your V tends to have loose stool those remedies might work. Her littermate has the same problem, so I don't think her diet, etc. has much to do with it.
> 
> Our vet also told us about a simple procedure they can do where they fill the glands with iodine. Apparently it's caustic and somehow damages the glands so they can't produce as much oil or something? They do have to put them under general anesthesia though and it was only recommended to us if her glands were having to be expressed so often that she ended up getting infections. We've thought about having it done if she ever needs to go under for something else, but she does seem to be doing it less frequently as she gets older.
> 
> The glands can also be removed entirely through surgery - but it can cause incontinence, so personally I'd never choose to go that route.
> 
> Our best solution is to over the couch with Mambe waterproof blankets and have blankets in the car that we can throw in the wash should she "stink bomb" us


Thanks for your reply. Yes, I definitely don't want to go the surgery route with him. And yes, his stool is soft so I think this is the problem. His is bad when it happens but it isn't happening every single week or anything so I will just have to put up with it since I just love the breed haha. 



Gingerling said:


> There are 2 things I'd add:
> 
> Does he have an infection?
> 
> And, consider changing his food to one with more fiber.


Hi, no infection and that is probably a good idea! Will harden his stools up a bit.


----------



## dextersmom

goleafsgo22 said:


> And yes, his stool is soft so I think this is the problem.


If you think the cause is soft stools, I'd ask your vet about trying the Metamucil. Pumpkin doesn't always harden our dogs' stools, but the Metamucil really did.


----------



## gingerling

Huh? I'm confuzzled...

Anal gland probs often are caused by stools that are too hard. If his stools are too soft, then there's some issue there that could conceivably also be causing the gland issue. So, either his tummy is upset by the food, be it an allergy or just a sensitivity..what are you feeding him?...or he has some bacterial infection or even a parasite.

I'd start with a new food. Don't add pumpkin or Metamucil, so you can tell if the food was the cause.


----------



## gingerling

Gingerling said:


> Huh? I'm confuzzled...
> 
> Anal gland probs often are caused by stools that are too hard. If his stools are too soft, then there's some issue there that could conceivably also be causing the gland issue. Also, Metamucil is non soluble fiber, which will make the stools even looser. So, either his tummy is upset by the food, be it an allergy or just a sensitivity..what are you feeding him?...or he has some bacterial infection or even a parasite. But no Metamucil, that will make matters worse.
> 
> I'd start with a new food. Don't add pumpkin or Metamucil, so you can tell if the food was the cause.


----------



## dextersmom

Gingerling said:


> Huh? I'm confuzzled...
> 
> Anal gland probs often are caused by stools that are too hard.


I've always been told the opposite. I did some quick Googling and it sounds like an extreme either way (too soft or too hard) can cause anal gland issues, but it is more commonly due to soft stool. Firm stool should be emptying out the anal glands because of the friction/pressure applied on them. (Ew.....)

http://www.petco.com/Content/Articl...al-Glands-in-Dogs-Symptoms-and-Solutions.aspx

http://www.2ndchance.info/analsac.htm


----------



## einspänner

I read this article awhile back, but haven't seen anything discussed here about why you shouldn't express the anal glands. Just throwing out an alternate viewpoint. 

"How Injuries Can Occur to Your Pet's Anal Glands

Many injuries to an animal’s anal sacs are caused by well-meaning but misguided groomers, veterinarians, and pet owners.

Many groomers are in the habit of expressing the anal glands of every dog they groom, as a part of “included services,” along with cleaning ears and trimming nails. Routine expression of healthy anal glands is simply unnecessary, so if you take your pet to a groomer, make sure he or she isn’t performing this “service” on your dog, which will weaken well-functioning, self sufficient gland musculature over time.

Many veterinarians, unfortunately, immediately express an animal’s anal glands if the owner mentions the dog “scoots” occasionally. This approach doesn’t identify or resolve the cause of the problem, only the symptom.

And believe it or not, many dog guardians decide it’s in their pet’s best interest to express their anal sacs on a regular basis. Again, just as manually draining other glands in your pet’s body is unnecessary, expressing healthy anal glands can stir up problems. If a dog is having recurrent or chronic anal sac issues, it’s important to identify the root cause.

The anal sacs are delicate little organs that can be easily injured with unnecessary squeezing and pinching. Trauma to the glands causes inflammation, which in turn causes swelling. Swollen glands can obstruct the exit duct through which the fluid is expressed. If blocked secretions build up and thicken in the glands, it can lead to impaction.

Routine manual expression will reduce the ability of the anal glands to work on their own. The condition of the glands becomes compromised, and ultimately they become completely ineffective."

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/05/16/dog-anal-glands.aspx


----------



## dextersmom

einspänner said:


> I read this article awhile back, but haven't seen anything discussed here about why you shouldn't express the anal glands.


Totally agree! We only express Birch's glands if she's scooting or seems uncomfortable... which is why we deal with the lovely leaking every couple weeks


----------



## goleafsgo22

His anal glands have been acting up again. I have tried the pumpkin being added to his food twice daily but had no luck in doing so. 

Does anyone have any other suggestions?


----------

