Are Your Dog’s Anal Glands Causing a Stink?

It’s a delicate matter but something all dogs share. If you’re lucky you may never have to worry about them, but if you’re not so fortunate you may become more acquainted with your dog’s anal glands than you ever dreamed.

Just saying hello

All dogs have a small gland located on each side of their rectal opening. Under ordinary circumstances these little sacs never give any problems. Actually, your dog uses them all the time. Every time he potties or meets another dog and raises his tail in greeting the pressure releases a little of his own personal scent from the glands. That’s why dogs are always so interested in sniffing another dog’s tail area. And why dogs seem obsessed with smelling where another dog has used the bathroom. These little anal gland excretions are full of important information about the other dog.

This exchange of information goes on all the time, right under your nose, so to speak, and most of the time you never have a clue that your dog is surfing the doggy super highway of information. Us humans can’t smell any of these scents (thank goodness).

Some dog’s have to have their anal glands "expressed" every month, and other dog’s may never have it happen. What did dog’s ever do in the wild?

The butt-scootin’ boogie!

There are times when the anal glands become a problem. They can become impacted, abscessed or infected. When this happens that’s when you’ll see your dog doing the classic “butt scoot.” You know the move. Your dog sits in the floor, usually on your clean carpet, and scoots along dragging his butt. You may think he’s trying to clean something off that was left behind when he was pottying but he’s actually feeling a problem with his anal glands. He may have impacted anal glands — they may be too full and they are not properly “expressing” when he goes to the bathroom.

There are other signs that your dog may have a problem with his anal glands:

• Your dog does the butt scoot
• Your dog may lick or chew around his rectal area
• Your dog may have soft stools
• The rectal area is red and swollen
• Your dog may have a bad odor coming from his rear

When you notice some of these signs it’s time to take your dog to the vet. Believe me, you do not want the job of expressing your dog’s anal glands yourself. There are few things that smell as bad as the fluid from your dog’s anal glands. What’s more, it’s not very pleasant to poke around in your dog’s rectal area! If you do try to express the glands yourself there is always the chance that you could injure your dog or make an infection worse.

Once your vet has expressed the glands you can use a good waterless shampoo like Dry Dog Instant Clean to help your dog keep the area clean. Dry Dog Instant Clean is also good for getting rid of unpleasant odors which can be a problem if your dog has recurrent troubles with impacted anal glands. It can also help sanitize your dog’s anal gland area — and your hands when you are cleaning the area.

Meat’s for dinner

The best way to keep the anal glands working properly is to make sure you’re feeding your dog the right food. If you are feeding your dog a food that has a high vegetable or cereal content, such as corn, wheat, oats or rice, then you should look for a food that has more meats. The best way for dogs to express their own anal glands is by producing firm stools. It’s believed that foods with higher vegetable and cereal content cause dogs to produce softer stools. When stools are too soft your dog isn’t able to express his anal glands when he potties so the sacs can become impacted and even infected.

Whether you feed kibble, canned or even homemade food, looking for foods with more meat content should help your dog produce firmer stools so he can express his anal glands himself when he potties. That’s good for everybody! The less you see of the butt-scootin’ boogie in your house, the better!

Does bad breath prevent you from enjoying your canine companion’s company? Do you dread doggy kisses because your pal’s breath will knock you out? You’re not alone – I and many other dog owners have dealt with breath so bad it could kill flowers and send people running from the room. What causes bad breath, and what should you do about it?

What causes bad breath in dogs?

Dogs aren’t the most discerning diners. Your dog’s bad breath can be as simple as having eaten something that you’d never consider edible, or it can be a result of dental hygiene issues or even more severe medical problems.

Occasional bad breath probably isn’t an issue – it’s just a case of your dog dining at a buffet you’d probably avoid, like the local garbage can or other unsavory goodies. If your dog has recurring bad breath, though, you should consider veterinary care to identify a potential underlying medical problem.

How to deal with dental hygiene issues causing bad breath.

You’ve got several options if your dog’s bad breath is caused by dental hygiene issues:

1. Brush your dog’s teeth.

Sound like fun? It probably won’t be fun for you or your dog, unless you learn how to make your dog love it. To ensure good dental hygiene, make it part of your routine to brush your dog’s teeth and learn how to make it fun for both of you!

2. Encourage your dog to chew!

No, you don’t want your dog shredding newspapers or eating your favorite slippers, but chewing helps to promote good dental hygiene. Give your dog dental chew treats, rawhide or other hard chew toys regularly to help keep his teeth strong and clean!

3. Consider changing your dog’s diet.

Diet can be another factor in canine bad breath, so try to keep an eye on what your dog eats. I know this can be easier said than done – turn your back for a minute and your dog is likely to help himself to the an old sock or even worse, poop ! Still, if canine bad breath is persistent, changing your dog’s diet may help to address the issue. Look at one of the all-natural diets from The Honest Kitchen

4. Try a breath-freshening product or digestive aid.

You’re not alone in dealing with canine bad breath – dog owners everywhere fear that stinky breath. Luckily, products like Dog Smog Remedy exist to help minimize the effect of canine bad breath. Unlike other breath-fresheners, Dog Smog Remedy actually addresses the digestive issues – minimizing bad smells from both ends of your doggy pal!

Hate the bad breath, but love your dog!

Canine bad breath is treatable! Use good dental hygiene, dog chews, dietary fixes and a digestive aid supplement like Dog Smog Remedy to get rid of the bad dog breath and keep your dog close! Don’t wake up in the morning to a strong whiff of your dog pal’s latest unsavory food choice – keep your Dog Smog Remedy handy to save your olfactory senses. Finally, consider veterinary care if your dog’s bad breath persists.

My Dog Eats Poop!

by Lorna Paxton

A couple of years ago I rescued a little Westie mix named Brie. She plays well with my other dog RiQui and is such a sweetie…but, sadly she’s poo eater.

The very first night we got her my husband told me he saw some poop on the floor. I went to the kitchen to get a paper towel to pick it up and by the time I got back it had disappeared. I thought my husband was paranoid and didn’t think anything of it.

But the missing poop episodes continued and I finally came to terms with the fact that I have a poo eater. There’s even a medical term for eating poop –coprophagy. Medical or not, it’s very disgusting, I mean, who wants a dog who has just eaten their own feces (or someone elses) to come give them a big wet kiss on the face? GROSS!

What’s worse than the gross factor is that it can be dangerous. The main concern is that parasites, including giardia, coccidia, roundworms and whipworms, can be transmitted through dog and cat feces.

Anyway, I will share with you what I learned about Poop Eaters—Why they do it, and how to get them to stop

Why dogs eat poop

There are various theories and speculation on this topic which I’ll now reveal, but the most important thing is how to get them to stop (that’ll come in a minute)

• Some say that some dogs eat poop in order to ‘hide the evidence’ . That might happen with dogs who have been punished for going to the bathroom where they shouldn’t.
• Others say that it’s a habit passed down to dogs from their ancestors . Coyotes and wolves have been known to eat poop during food shortages.
• Monkey see monkey do. Eating poop can be a learned behavior . If one dog sees another one doing it, they’ll copy. It’s the old “If Fido jumps off a 50 foot building are you going to?”
• It’s also normal for females to eat the poop of their pups. Some think say this is to keep the den clean while others think it’s a instinctual response to hide their litter from predators.
• And then again, maybe they do it because it tastes good . Remember, a dog’s taste buds are simpler than ours. They’re into smell and texture so poop is quite a delicacy.
• Many puppies eat their stool because they become confused about where to go so they figure it’s easier to just eat it!
• Other puppies find nutrient value in their feces if their digestion isn’t complete. They’re attracted to undigested rice, corn or peanuts and other lovely nuggets found in poop!

Managing the Problem & Solutions

• Maximizing digestion can help solve this problem. You can add enzyme supplements like papain (a natural enzyme from papaya) to their food, or foods high in enzymes, like pineapple or pumpkin. Stir the enzyme rich food into your dog’s food and let it sit for 15 minutes before feeding. This should make the poop less appealing unless of course you feed your dog those yummy nuggets that come out the other end like peanuts or corn.

• If your dog does happen to eat poop, you will want to try to remove all evidence of the poopy mouth. Spray some Dog Smog Remedy into their mouth. This is a breath freshener and Digestive solution for dogs. Peppermint, spearmint and fennel will remove the bad breath while Digestive enzymes of papain and bromelain will help with digestion.

• Be sure that you’re feeding your pooch a high quality diet which digests easier. Check out the nutritious diet from the Honest Kitchen . Also be sure you’re not over feeding your dog which could result in weight gain and more poop!
  

• Coat the stools with hot sauce or vinegar , thereby making the experience of eating it unpleasant. Some report injecting the poop with hot sauce so the dog gets a hot mouth of poop. This, for a couple of week is usually enough to deter the dog back to his dog bowl. But the idea of injecting poop with anything sounds mighty unappealing for the human.

• There are a few products you can buy to discourage poop eating including .

o meat tenderizer . Just put a small amount on the dog’s food

o Solid Gold’s S.E.P (stop eating poop) This all-natural product contains glutamic acid. When mixed with stomach acids it makes the stool taste very bitter and nasty.

• The most logical solution is to obviously limit access to the poop.

· Pick up your yard daily

· If you have a cat, make sure the litterbox is in a place the dog can’t get to.

· Walk your dog on a leash.

Hopefully this tricks and tips will help you break your dog of this nastiest of habits. Good luck!