[joanne l]

I need some advice, my dog is been licking under his tail and when he does I can’t get him to stop.

[anonymous]

Anal gland issues? Take him to the vet. It will only get worse.

Example: /forums/search/anal+glands/

Pruritus in the anal area could be caused by any number of things, only a veterinarian that has examined the dog can diagnose and advise you accordingly. Obviously the condition is causing him discomfort.

[joanne l]

I called my vet and over the phone he suspects a food allergy. He didn’t have any appointments today, but I will ask him to exam him. thank you.
Did anyone hear of a food allergy causing this?

[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 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..

[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..

[anonymous]

Quote: “I called my vet and over the phone he suspects a food allergy. He didn’t have any appointments today, but I will ask him to exam him. thank you”.
“Did anyone hear of a food allergy causing this”?

Good idea!
I would not apply anything to the area you could make the situation worse!
Food allergies tend to present as gastrointestinal distress, in example: diarrhea and vomiting.

Is there a vet tech at your clinic that could fit him in today? I would give them a call.
I am sure they could determine if his anal glands need expressing and it only takes a minute.
Plus it costs less for a 15 minute vet tech appointment.

Good luck!

[joanne l]

Thanks Susan and Anon I will call the vet today. Plus Susan, the funny thing is he has been eating pro plan lamb and oatmeal for 3 months now. What I noticed is some bags are lighter in color and when I get those he does this. I remember now that one bag was darker kibble and he was fine then I got a lighter color and he started biting at himself, thought it was a treat so I stopped those and still he bit at himself. Then when I bought another bag it was darker and he stopped. Now I got this bag and it is light again plus it is a big bag and it is almost finished and this situation has been present ever since he been eating it. So now I am suspicious of the color of the food. Sounds crazy but this is what I observed. Now that I am thinking about it. This did not occur to me until now. I just bought another bag and if it is light I will return it. Maybe a home cook diet for a day or 2 to see if it is better. Oh and his poops are not that firm, just slightly soft but normal. I thought maybe tapeworms? He was tested for parasites and it was clear.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by joanne l.

[anonymous]

Variations in the color of kibble are not unusual. Here is how Fromm explains it:
https://www.frommfamily.com/about/question-and-answer/products/kibble-color/
We choose not to use artificial colors or dyes in our products. The color of our foods is dependent upon the natural color of the ingredients that we use. Depending on factors such as the time of year or where ingredients were sourced, the color of a specific recipe may vary from batch to batch. This variation in no way impacts the quality or nutritional value of the product.

[anonymous]

I would rule out impacted anal glands first.

Excerpts (out of context) from article below: https://www.vetsecure.com/veterinarymedicalclinic.com/articles/136
Overview:
Anal sacs are the reservoirs for the secretions of anal glands which are located on either side of a dog’s anus, at approximately four and eight o’clock. These sacs contain liquid secretions from the anal gland, which, in healthy animals, are normally pale yellow-brown to grayish in color. The contents are usually emptied during normal bowel movements, or when a dog is nervous or scared. In most animals, these sacs empty easily. However, some dogs, especially small breed dogs, are not able to empty the sacs properly and become susceptible to anal sac disease.
Transmission or Cause:
The cause of anal sac disease is unknown. Smaller dog breeds, such as Chihuahuas and poodles, are most often affected. Excessive anal gland production, soft feces or diarrhea, poor muscle tone, and obesity also contribute to higher risk of developing anal sac disease. Anal sac abscess tends to occur after an impacted anal gland has become so severely swollen and infected that the anal sac forms an abscess and ruptures.
Prevention:
Expression of the anal sacs every few weeks or months often will help prevent anal gland fluid from accumulating and becoming thickened again. High fiber diets have been shown to help prevent anal sac disease in at-risk dogs, especially those that are obese.

[Susan]

Hi Joanne,
it’s probably his food the batches can varying, there might be more of a certain grain maybe more oats then the barley or more barley then oats & he does better when there’s more of the grain that agrees with him?? then sometimes there’s less of that grain & more of another grain??..
The same thing happened with Patch years ago, when he was eating “Earthborn Holistic” Ocean, when I bought the first small bag Ocean Fusion to try the kibbles were darker he did really well so I get another small bag with the same batch & use by dates he did well again, then I tried looking for the same batch nb & use by date in bigger bag cause Earthborn Holistic in small bags is expensive at $44 for 2kgs.
I couldn’t fined the same batch nb & use by date so I ended up buying the bigger size bag 12kg with a different batch nb & Use by date, the kibbles were lighter in colour I knew straight away he’ll have problems with this batch, within 2 days his poos were soft & sloppy then diarrhea by day 3-4,
I’d say there was more grounded barley, now I’ve discovered he cant eat barley..

Have you looked at the “Pure Being” sold in Adli’s America, the ingredients look pretty good in the Pure Being, there’s the grain formula’s or grain free formulas, we have just gotten the new Adli’s wet dry & treats called “Natural Elements” but we only have the Grainfree Salmon or Chicken formula’s & the fat is 18%, it’s too high for Patch, the US “Pure Being” has better ingredients & lower in fat, so I just bought Patch the Natural Elements Kangaroo treats they had good ingredients, I’m getting a few things together for Xmas he loves opening presents, ripping the paper apart & getting a squeaky toy….

Look at Batch nbs & use by dates when you get the darker kibbles that agree with him or try another brand see how he does, or look at the EarthBorn Holistic Ocean Fusion formula he might do good on this formula, it has no Oatmeal, no peas & has barley & Sweet potatoes, Rye Flour then Potatoes for the carbs.. these ingredients might firm up his poos more, you can try & see, firmer poos will empty anal glands better but I think he might be reacting to an ingredient Patch has to have kibbles rotated or sometimes he starts reacting after 3months.
My vet feeds Earthborn Holistic the grain free Coastal Catch formula for her sensitive girl.
https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas/holistic/ocean-fusion

[joanne l]

Susan I agree some batches can vary because of certain ingredients. From what I have seen over the years when this happens he will get diarrhea and when I get the right batch the diarrhea goes away. If his anal glands are impact it could be from a certain ingredient that is making this happen. He is 4 1/2 and I never seen this before. But I can tell you color change in kibble, for me, is bad news. That is from true experience no matter what the company says. Thanks to everyone for advice I really appreciate it. I have a vet that comes to my home and I will get him examined.
I did hear about firmer stools to empty glands so I made him some white rice, sweet potatoe and meat for dinner. Anon thanks for that info. He is a GSD and I never had this problem before that is the only reason I suspect the food. He had been on the food for about 3 months so I might also change the diet after talking to the vet. What confuses me is that sometimes they need more fiber and sometimes they need less. So I guess it is trial and error. How does anyone know really if they need more or less? Because sometimes fiber can provoke soft stools and sometimes it firms it up. The one time a year ago when he had loose stools the vet said give him pumpkin, so I did what a BIG mistake so then I did white rice and it fixed his problem.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Does anyone know of a good lamb and rice formula? If I switch foods I want to see if anyone has good things to say about certain brands of dog food that I would feel comfortable to try.
I prefer grain in if that helps.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by joanne l.

[Susan]

Hi,

How’s his bum?? did you apply a cold press, lay him on his side & relax him, apply & hold a few cold baby wipes on his bum for a few mins, then apply some Bepanthen soothing baby cream..
or get some Betadine & soak a few tissues in Antiseptic Betadine solution & hold on his bum for a few mintues & watch he doesnt lick, the Betadine will relieve his itch & reddness..

The food has to agree with your boy, what you like & think is good, these ingredients may not work aswell for your boy, or what might work for 1 person dog may not work for your boy & when a food doesn’t agree with someones dog they normally post bad things about that brand of food & its not the brand of food that’s bad, 90% of the time it’s the person dog who’s sensitive to an ingredient lol..

He seems to be having problems with Purina, time to move onto another brand, you normally know within 1 month if a food is going to work for the dog…

“Victor” has their Select Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
alot of people say good things about Victor, the “Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice” formula has the best ingredients out of all the Select formula’s & it has no Oatmeal or Barley, look for LID formula’s that have no Oats or Barley, no ingredients that are in his Purina formula..Maybe no Lamb aswell??
Can he eat Beef, Pork, Chicken?

I’d try the Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice it has Lamb Meal in it aswell. Chicken formula’s seem to have more meat & better ingredients.
https://victorpetfood.com/products/chicken-meal-brown-rice-formula

“Nutro Wholesome Essentials” Large Breed Adult Farm Raised Chicken
The LID Lamb & Rice formula worked for Patch, years ago, he was doing small firm poos only 1 or 2 poos a day. It only haa about 3-4 ingredients

“Farmina” Lamb & Blueberry Adult Medium
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/120-lamb-&-blueberry-adult-medium.html

“Eagle Pack” Large/Giant breed Adult.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=85#.XAH-hvZuI5s

“Pro Pac Ultimates” Lamb Meal & Rice.
Made by Earthborn Holistic
https://www.propacultimates.com/dog-food/lamb-meal-brown-rice-formula/

“Sportmix Wholesome” Large Breed Adult.
Made By Earthborn Holistic
alot of people have good results if their dog has sensitive stomach/blowel..
https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/wholesomes-large-breed-chicken-meal-rice-formula/

“Holistic Select” Lamb Meal & Rice
but I think Holistic Select has way too many ingredients & probiotics, too many ingredients is opening the door for more reactions your boy might have & you wont know which ingredient it is..

You can always return the kibble or you might “find” a formula that agrees with him??
You wont know until you try, maybe look at a Chicken Formula, I wonder if he’s reacting to the lamb but there’s not much lamb in the Purina formula he’s eating, its seems to have more Oatmeal & Barley then Lamb, this is probably the problem??
His bum would be painful & sore so they lick & the more they lick & lick the same spot their tongue strips their skin..
I had a cat years ago, he had a small sore, probably was a Hot Spot, he licked it that much I had to take him to the vet to be stitched up, he made the sore triple the size..

I came home from shopping last week & Mr Patch had licked & licked his back paw inbetween his toes, he could not walk for 2 days limping on 3 legs & had to wear a shoe on his sore paw, the nut gave himself a red ulcer from licking in the same spot for 1 hour… Grass Allergies

[joanne l]

Hi Susan thanks a lot for those foods you mentioned. Vonn is doing a bit better, I cleaned him with baby wipes and used warm compresses on his bottom. Then I opened the new bag of Purina and sure enough the kibble was darker and he is doing better. So now what I said in my post about color change in kibble, is just that. When the kibble is lighter this happens and when I get the darker color it went away. So now since the 5th ingredient is “fish meal” the type of fish can change from batch to batch and maybe that is why we see inconsistent color. So I “think” it is the type of fish causing this. So for now I check the exp. date to get the darker kibble and if it is light I will return it. I may need to switch b/c it is crazy to try to get the darker kibble all the time. I am guessing this is what caused it, from what we are observing. The vet won’t know this observation ,sometimes in certain situations, is best. I am sorry to hear about Patch’s paws. Try putting vitamin E on it or coconut oil it seemed to help my other dogs paws a lot. Just buy the vitamin E pills and poke a hole in it and squeeze the oil out and put it on his paws.

[Susan]

Hi,
I got your email but your post isnt here, same with with another poster post he has posted on someone elses post, it hasnt been posted either but the emails are all there, weird?

joanne l wrote:

Hi everyone this is an update, the vet gave Vonn probiotics and he did express his glands on his own, but it came back and the vet said change the diet. He rather the dog express his glands on his own if he can before he does it. Now I was looking at N. Instinct LID food but it has peas should I give it anyway? I am scared b/c of the FDA warning about grain free.

Honestly I wouldnt worry peas, Pea Protein is used in vet diets so if peas weren’t no good they would know by now, I really think its something to do with these hard Legumes, high legume diets or something else cause this low taurine isnt affecting all dogs..
Patch has been eating a G/F Chicken, Turkey, Potato & Pea diet & he’s fine, he went under
anesthetic 1 month ago, cause he is 10yr old he had to be tested before having anesthetic cause of his age & he is fine his heart is all good…

Your boy hasnt been doing well on the Purina Lamb formula for a while, there has to be another kibble that will agree with his stomach/bowel & food sensitivities, I never seen N. Instinct LID food on the Taurine-Deficient Diet table that was low taurine & Diet related. Only a few brands had formula’s that were diet related, this is where I think people are going nuts over this, In Australia vets have read the research they have at the moment & there isnt enough proof at the moment to change a allergic or IBD dog diet & make the poor dog ill & sick again..
I really think your dog will be fine & probaby better off once you find him the right diet..

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