What are Anal Glands?
Anal glands, or anal sacs, are a pair of small scent glands located on each side of the anus, slightly below the anal opening, at about the 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions. They open to the outside by tiny ducts. The sacs contain a powerful, foul-smelling substance that contains pheromones. In dogs, this substance is used primarily to mark territory, as a form of communication to other dogs, or to express extreme fear. The anal gland also helps the body eliminate toxins and substances that are not needed.
Normally, the dog anal glands are emptied out (“expressed”) during defecation, when the pressure of the stool presses on the glands so that some of the secretion is deposited on the stool. If your dog is healthy, well-exercised, and on a natural well-balanced diet, he most likely does not have any problems in expressing his anal glands voluntarily.
Some dogs are unable to empty their glands on their own at all. This leads to build up and thickening of the secretion and clogging of the duct. The anal sacs become impacted and this condition is very uncomfortable for the dogs, a condition called “anal gland impaction” results.
Signs of Impacted Dog Anal Glands
• Dog constantly scooting along the floor in an attempt to empty the sacs, sometimes leaving behind unsightly brownish “skid marks”
• Dog constantly licking the anal area
• Some dogs may chase their tails
• Strong, foul-smell from the gland area
There are several kinds of anal gland issues that dogs suffer from
1. Anal gland inflammation
2. Anal gland dysfunction – not emptying on their own
3. Anal gland abscess – rupture of the anal gland due to obstruction of the opening (duct)
4. Anal gland tumor
Here are the main factors that cause anal gland issues:
Some common reasons include:
• Eating highly processed diet, artificially flavoured and preserved food such as kibble and canned foods.
• Constipation or infrequent bowel movement.
• Stool too soft.
• Inadequate exercise.
• Frustration in the dog from, for example, having to share small space with other dogs and therefore not having enough space to exercise.
• Body toxin build up in general
• Obesity due to carbohydrate based diet, overfeeding or lack of exercise
• Liver imbalance which is also related to general toxicity overload
• Lumbo-sacral spine and muscle injury that leads to decreased energy flow to the anal glands and lack of tone.
Anal gland issues may also be a sign of toxic overload in the body and sometimes ear and itchy skin and allergies are all part of the same problem.
Anal Gland Abscesses
If an impacted anal sac is not expressed, it may become infected and an abscess can form within the gland and rupture out through the skin. Sometimes, an infection can be caused by bacteria that have made their way into the glands, probably through the ducts.
When the abscessed material overflows the sacs, the skin over the sacs breaks open and the pus drains onto the skin. This is a very painful condition for dogs.
Signs of An Anal Gland Abscess
• Swelling on either side of the anus
• Anal area becomes red (purple at a later stage)
• Pain, sometimes severe, near the tail or anus
• Dog constantly licking the anal area
• Dog may whimper with pain and discomfort
• Dog may develop constipation as the pain in his rear end deters him from relieving himself
HOW TO RECOGNIZE NORMAL ANAL GLANDS FROM A PROBLEM?
Anal glands are to dogs what skin glands are to people. If you smell the pungent anal gland smell once in a while, your dog is happy, not licking and has no other symptoms, it is likely just a sign normal anal gland function. There is no need to rush to the vet or a groomer to have them squeezed. The fishy smell once in a while is a part of the normal cleansing process.
However, if your dog is not comfortable, if her or she is licking and there is obvious inflammation and redness around the anus, your dog may have a problem.
Conventional Treatment Approach
Conventional treatment often focuses mainly on the issue locally – expressing the content, possibly a flush, antibiotics or surgery. However, this approach doesn’t address the cause of the problem, and the issue usually reoccurs.
SURGERY TO REMOVE ANAL GLANDS
With the exception of tumors and anal gland abscesses, in most cases there is no need to reach for such drastic measures and cause your dog pain. Anal gland amputation also severely affects their body’s detox cycle and affects the who body. Never let anyone convince you that your dog’s health problems will get better by removing anal glands because they will likely get worse. Removing them surgically is like removing all trash bins from your home. It would not be long before the home would become a mess.
Expressing Anal Glands Regularly
Don’t routinely have your dog’s anal glands emptied, unless your dog is experiencing symptoms of full anal glands. Even then, routine anal gland emptying by groomers and Vets creates anal gland problems in dogs because the dogs will lose their natural ability to empty to glands themselves. The more you squeeze the more they fill up. It is much better to allow anal glands to empty naturally.
Holistic Approach to Anal Gland Problems in Dogs
Like most diseases, prevention is better than cure. But even for the badly affected dogs out there, there are a few simple tricks that can help enormously.
Food As Medicine
Feed Natural diet such as BARF
BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw food diet. BARF diet is all about feeding dogs properly and returning them to their evolutionary diet the way our dogs and cats have eaten for millions of years. Diesel’s BARF dog food consists of raw whole foods similar to those eaten by the dogs’ wild ancestors. The food is 100% raw and contains such things as muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meats, whole eggs, natural yoghurt, pulped vegetable and fruit and herbs just as Mother Nature intended.The diet contains no grains, cereals, starch, pasta, rice and cooked food as contained in commercial pet foods. A diet high in grains can cause inflammations of the gastrointestinal tract because dogs cannot digest grains. Grains can also often cause allergies and obesity in dogs. Allergies and inflammation of the GI tract can cause anal gland problems as well. Diesels BARF dog food provides a high fibre diet together with quality proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, trace-minerals and amino acids to keep your dog in the best of health.
Toxins from kibble, treats and cheap supplements overloads the liver
Processed pet food should be avoided. Such food taxes the liver and but also increases general toxic levels. The anal glands play an important role in the detox process of the body and when toxic burden is high, they often become inflamed.
The role of obesity in anal gland problems
Processed dog food related obesity makes anal glands ‘sink’ in the fat tissue and the emptying processed can be diminished. No matter which way you take it, processed food is simply not for your much loved member of the family.
Soft stool caused by commercial pet foods such as kibble and canned foods is not good
In general good anal gland function requires harder stool. A BARF diet for dogs containing bones, fruit and vegetables which makes stools harder. If the stool is firm, every time a dog has bowel movement, the anal glands get massaged and emptied which is as it should be. Kibble and canned foods on the other hand make the stool runny and soft due to the lack of raw bones and essential fibre.
Add Raw Bones to the Diet daily
The key to correcting anal gland dysfunction is to understand what is going wrong. The principle cause of dysfunction is improper emptying of the glands. It is a lack of stimulation to the glands, to fully empty. This, quite simply, is caused by a lack of faecal bulk. Without correct faecal bulk, the anal sphincter muscle is not stretched, and the glands are not forced to empty.
So the simplest answer to correcting anal gland dysfunction is to replace faecal bulk. Raw bones provide an excellent natural source of faecal bulking. The digestion of raw bones produces those characteristic hard “white” dog motions you often see. If you feed bones daily, your dogs are extremely unlikely to get anal gland problems.
People are sometimes concerned about ‘too hard stool’ but it is quite normal in most dogs fed raw bones. Raw bones are fully digestible. Bones should also be fed accordingly to the size of the dog. A small dog could easily chew chicken carcass, necks and wings but may find large old beef bones too tough to tackle and can cause tooth factures. Soft bones from young animals are recommended.
Never feed cooked bones as they are NOT digestible.
Maintaining Healthy Immune System
Maintaining immune health is the next best thing you can do your dog especially to get rid of anal gland issues forever. Following are some general ways and herbs and supplements to help balance the immune system of your dog:
Adequate Physical Exercise
Exercise is another easy-to-implement activity that has proven direct benefits for the immune system. In addition, the muscle activity helps cleanse the body of toxins and helps to move important components of immunity from one part of the body to another.
Regular exercise will also help the anal glands to empty naturally. If possible, take your dog out to exercise at least 15-20 minutes twice a day. Regular exercise also allows for frequent bowel movements.
Massage and exercise. The easiest and most enjoyable way to enhance your dog’s immune system is to put your hands to fur. Massage has been proven to increase lymphocyte numbers and to enhance lymphocyte function. The relaxation that comes with a good massage is good for emotional health, which has also been proven to be good for the immune system. The best part of massage is that it benefits the giver as well as the receiver; you enhance your own immune system as you help your best buddy enhance his or hers.
You don’t have to be over structured about massage or exercise. Simply rub your best buddy in a way you’d like to be rubbed, and take a daily walk or romp in the park.
Many high performance dogs and also dogs with lumbo-sacral injuries suffer from anal gland problems. The lumbo-sacral area supplies the nerve and energy flow to the anus and anal glands. The muscles become tight, the nerve flow decreases and the anal gland tone is diminished. That is why some seemingly healthy but very active dogs on raw diet continue having anal gland issues.
Doing less sprinting, Frisbee and ball retrieving and engaging in more varied exercise often fixes the problem. Some routine physio or chiropractic visits to address potential injuries before they become chronic is also recommended.
Medications & Vaccinations
Vaccines can save lives – but they do not need to be given annually. Excessive vaccination can cause problems in the immune system. There is much evidence of the negative effects of over vaccination.
Other medications, such as antibiotics and steroids, are necessary and even life-saving in some situations, but their overuse can suppress the immune system. Holistic veterinarians that use an integrative approach to maintain canine health understand that when using these powerful medications there must be simultaneous support of the immune system to mitigate their potentially serious side effects.
Environmental Toxins
All of us, humans and dogs alike, are exposed every day to a massive number of toxins. Our animals are regularly exposed to pesticides, herbicides, flea and tick medications, and water and air pollution.
You may not be able to control what your dog encounters in public spaces, but whenever possible use only natural, non-toxic products on or near your house and pets. Fortunately, there are plenty of safe and effective options on the market.
Reduce Stress
Dogs are social and emotional creatures who need daily interaction, exercise, and play for good health and longevity. Being left alone for extended periods of time, illness, moving, divorce, new babies of the human or furry kind – all of these factors can have both physical and mental/emotional health impacts. Flower essences can work really well in these situations.
Immune Boosting Supplements
Colostrum
Transfer factors are tiny molecules found in colostrum (the mother’s first milk after giving birth) that provide “immune knowledge” from a mother’s immune system to her baby, used in recognizing and fighting outside threats. By transferring information from cell to cell, transfer factors serve as “teachers” to the new cells, ensuring a strong immune system capable of surviving, and even thriving, in its new environment. Transfer factors are not species-specific and can therefore be extracted from any mammal and given to another mammal with the same efficacy.
Deep Sea Omega 3 Fish Oil
When added to the daily diet, Omega 3 fatty acids help support the immune system, reduce inflammation support the digestive tract, heart, kidneys, and prevent tumour formation. Promotes muscular contraction of the bowels and keeps your dog regular. If your dog suffers from itchy red skin, fish oil will help repair and rejuvenate the skin and making the coat shiny and silky again.
Probiotics & Natural Yoghurt
All dogs, cats, humans, and other mammals need a healthy community of beneficial or “friendly” bacteria in the digestive system. These friendly bacteria provide many health benefits, and taking steps to ensure a strong population of these helpers in your pet’s digestive system should be part of normal care for your pet. You can help restore essential friendly bacteria to your pet’s body and give a real boost to health with a probiotic (“friendly bacteria”) diet supplement.
Some of the benefits probiotics provide include increased natural resistance to infectious disease in the gastrointestinal tract and a first line of defense against disease, prevention of dangerous fungal overgrowth, reduction or elimination of some allergic reactions, antibiotic action against certain pathogenic bacteria, enhanced resistance against viruses, allowing maximum absorption of nutritional benefit from food, improved resistance to toxic bowel problems, resistance to diarrhoea, stimulation of the immune system, improved resistance to food poisoning, improved lactose intolerance conditions, reduction of cholesterol levels, improved resistance to stress of all kinds and overall improved quality of life and longevity.
Giving your dog probiotics is useful also after a a course of antibiotics. Antibiotics wipe out all bacteria, good and bad. That’s why you’ll often see a yeast infection or diarrhoea during or just after a course of antibiotics. Some people add probiotics to their dogs diet through food, such as natural yogurt. This may be enough for some dogs, but other dogs may not tolerate dairy products well, or due to the use of antibiotics, may benefit from Probiotics and yoghurt.Probiotics can be given while on antibiotics, but it must be at least two hours apart. Some wait until the course of antibiotics is done to give the probiotics.
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes are what the body uses to break down food. Supplemental digestive enzymes may include enzymes from plant sources, such as bromelain from pineapples, or pancreatin from animal sources. Enzymes that help break down protein are protease, fats are lipase and carbohydrates are amylase. Adding a separate enzyme helps the body work more efficiently and supports the digestive process.
Vitamin C with Bioflavonoid
Healthy dog can make their own Vitamin C but in sick dogs this function is impaired. Studies have shown that Vitamin C can help balance the immune system reduce bacterial and viral load, improve and reduce infection and overall improve health and well-being. Gradually increase vitamin C, stop when the stool are almost soft. The best way is to sprinkle on food. Vitamin C should only be used in sick animals and not routinely as this stops your healthy dog producing Vitamin C on his own.
Immune Boosting & Liver Detoxing Herbs
Astragalus
Astralagus has been used for thousands of years in both Chinese and Ayurvedic
medicine. This herb greatly enhances your pet’s immune system, while punching cancer in the face at the same time! It also helps strengthen the lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, thyroid and digestive tract. Astragalus boosts immunity by increasing the levels of certain types of immune cells that fight pathogenic invaders. These include macrophages and natural killer cells; the former goes around ‘consuming’ microbial enemies, while the latter attacks and destroys viruses and cancer cells.” Animal herbalists have used it for conditions such as
respiratory problems (kennel cough), viral infections, inflammation, diarrhea, prolapse of the uterus or anus and even loss of appetite. It’s also used to strengthen the dogs’ bodies by stimulating their killer-cell activity and raising their white blood cell count. At the same time, astragalus boosts the body’s defenses through its liver strengthening attributes. Stimulate your pet’s liver and it will help you zap out all the toxins built up in their bodies.
Red Clover
Red Clover contains therapeutic isoflavones and phytoestrogens, red clover is a valuable source of calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamin and vitamin C. Among other benefits, red clover helps with blood cleansing. It’s a tonic, anti-spasmodic, anti-tumor and helps strengthen a weakened immune system.Red clover has a history of use for cancer treatment due to its ability to stimulate the immune system. It can be used externally and internally. When added to an animal’s daily diet as a preventative measure, you can give a pinch of dried red clover to a dog, a tinier pinch to a cat.
Turmeric Root
Turmeric with its component curcumin, have numerous healing benefits for your dog. Turmeric supports and improves the immune system and prevents cancer. It helps maintain a healthy digestive system and tract, supports healthy bones, joints, and overall skeletal system. Promotes healthy blood, liver functions and cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range.
You can mix the turmeric into your dog’s food, but it should be fed along with a few grinds of fresh ground pepper and some fat because turmeric is fat-soluble. Pepper contains piperine, which increases intestinal absorption and slows the excretion of curcumin, which otherwise passes through the body quickly. The best choices of fat are cold-pressed extra-virgin olive, coconut or deep sea fish oil that are also non-inflammatory.
Echinacea
Echinacea can boost your dog’s immune system to ward off invading microbes, and has been clinically proven to fight bacterial and viral infections. This popular herb also delays the absorption of other herbs and medications, thus prolonging their therapeutic actions in the body. Echinacea can be taken to strengthen the immune system as a preventative measure, or to fight off an infection.
Goldenseal
Goldenseal is great for any inflammatory condition and is an immunostimulant. It has antimicrobial, astringent and antiparasitic properties. It also stimulates the liver to perform its function of detoxification and getting rid of toxins in the body. Taken internally as an anti-inflammatory; goldenseal can be effective for ulcers and irritations in the mouth, upper respiratory tract, digestive tract, liver disease and urinary tracts infections.
Goldenseal may also be applied externally to infections or ulcers as a poultice made from the powdered root. It is a useful herb against streptococcus, staphylococcous and salmonella infections.
Medicinal Mushrooms (Maitake, Reishi & Shiitake)
Research studies indicate that medicinal mushrooms contain polysaccharides, which have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor properties. Some mushrooms contain compounds, which stimulate the immune system and assist healing of the liver, kidneys, and heart tissues. Health benefits of mushrooms for your pets include: Help support liver, kidney function. Improves diversity of nutrients in the diet; especially minerals: K. Zn, Se, Cu. Improve nutrition in weak and deficient animals. Improves geriatric dog conditions (blood sugar and metabolism). Lowers cholesterol and helps support weight loss and fatty liver diseases. Prevent viral infections and contains many antioxidants and immune-modulators and improves health and well-being.
Milk Thistle Herb
Milk thistle herb can be used as a liver cleanser liver after exposure to toxins (i.e. processed foods, antibiotics, vaccines, flea/tick and heartworm drugs, etc.) or as a treatment to liver damage. Milk thistle stimulates the growth of new liver cells in order to replace those that are dead or dying, and helps protect against toxins which could cause further damage. Milk Thistle lowers your dog’s toxic load and by doing this helps strengthen the immune system.
Homotoxicology Remedies
Homeopathy is a gentle healing modality for both acute and chronic disease conditions. It works by stimulating the body’s innate healing ability.
Hepeel
Provides liver drainage and detoxification of the liver. Use in cases of skin allergy where the cause is toxic build-up in the liver.
Mucosa Comp
Broadly supportive and repair of mucosal tissues including the anal gland.
Cutis Compositum
Provides support and drainage and repair of skin. Useful in all phases of cutaneous disorders.
Traumeel
Natural pain reliever, reduces inflammation of the anal glands and supports immune system
Engystol
Immune modulator, use in virus and bacterial infections
Spascupreel
Well suited for spasms, pain and cutting pain.
For Disease requiring Deep Detoxification of the body such as in dogs with Allergies, skin conditions and toxic liver
Galium Heel
Strengthens immunity and is used in inflammatory conditions, decrease swelling and edema. It is a critical component of the deep detoxification formula. Use for support of chronic disease states.
Ubichinon Compositum
Provides mitochondrial repair of energy production mechanism. Used in chronic diseases and iatrogenic injury to mitochondria from antibiotic therapy. Part of deep detoxification formula
Lymphomysot
Used after cortisone therapy. Provides lymph drainage and immune support.