[Susan]

Hi Joanne,

Patch was licking bum cause of food sensitivities & his poos weren’t firm enough to empty the anal gland naturally & he was rubbing bum on floor, grass, carpet, concrete, it was awful…

Are his poos firm?? Have you changed his diet recently or giving him new treats etc?
If his poos are firm it’s not anal glands they’d be emptying naturally themselves, also he’s a big dog, its normally the smaller dogs who end up with anal gland problems cause owners start emptying their anal glands themselves or when they go to the dog groomers they empty the small dogs anal glands, my vet said this isnt necessary to do on a healthy dog..
Patches 2nd vet was emptying Patches anal glands everytime we went for our monthly vets, then Patches 3rd good vet said NO, there’s no need to keep emptying his anal glands, he’ll empty his anal glands himself, then she took him off the grain vet diet & said look for a Fish or Lamb & Sweet Potato grain free kibble, a protein you know he does well on, she said stay away from chicken cause the Eukanuba Intestinal vet diet was Chicken & his skin was smelly of yeast, itchy & rubbing his bum all day, the Sudocrem did soothe it for him thats stopped the rubbing bum on ground a little but as soon as he started the TOTW Sierra Mountain Lamb formula he started to empty his own anal glands & now I can see after he does a poos sometimes a clear liquid is running down his black bum & I get a baby wipe & wipe his bum after a poo…

I’d buy a baby cream, I use either “Sudocrem” or look for “Bepanthen” soothing cream, this will stop the itch & any redness..
Look at diet change there’s some OK grain free dry foods, there’s probably an ingredient he may be sensitive too..
Also has he been wormed? maybe worm him aswell especially if you go on walks, he may have worms..
Then if after doing these things & he’s the same I’d see a good vet that gets to the bottom of the problem not just emptys his anal glands & sends you home you can do that yourself, I couldn’t do it to Patch, it smells awful when the anal glands do empty this is why I wipe Patches bum with a baby wipes after he does his poos..