[Tatiana R]

My 10 year old dachshund itched her butt sligtly here and there, nothing that would worry me. Her annual visit came around and the vet said her glands are large and full, that he advised to express them (or pop them? first time I heard someone use “express” as a term for it) and ever since then.. my dog is licking her genitals and anal to the point where she is raw. She is now starting to scratch on her snout, as if her mouth is itchy. Doctor gave her allergy medicine and steroids, but she won’t stop itching… she looks like she’s getting a small blister around her genitals too, possibly from licking so much. PLEASE HELP. I thought expressing the glands is supposed to help a dog not itch, not make them itch worse than ever before!!

[anonymous]

Did her anal glands get expressed? You may have to return her to the vet to rule out an abscess.
Yes, it happens. She may have a hard deep pocket that the vet couldn’t express without general anesthesia. If this is the case, it has to be done, listen to your vet.
It’s painful, it is what it is, call your vet and see what he advises.
At 10 she is a senior, so you may not want to get aggressive about treatment, however, there are many treatments available to keep her comfortable.
Give us an update….

This is not veterinary advise; consult your veterinarian.

Ps: See you tube for how to videos, re expressing anal glands.

[Susie]

Maybe she’s bruised from expressing and she’s scratching from pain? For now keep it clean (diluted providine iodine) and warm compresses. I make a rice bag for mine and gently apply it while holding him. I have one that has had two abscessed and you would know. They seem to happen so fast! Is her tail under? It’s so painful. Ask the vet if the substance that came out was dry or liquid. Mine had dry thick matter. Not good.

[Susie]

I hope the blister isn’t an abscess. Since he got stuff out seems like it wouldn’t be.

[anonymous]

@ Susie, Thanks for your input
You never know. That is why I suggested a return visit to the vet. Usually pruritus is indicative of allergies….
If you don’t catch those anal gland clogs in the early stages, sometimes they develop an abscess deep inside. It get’s hard and it won’t move out with manual manipulation.

[Tatiana R]

Susie, her tail is actually out. When she sits down, she sticks her tail out, as if she wants to keep her butthole on the ground. Do you think she wants the cold surface on it to soothe it?

[anonymous]

Only a veterinarian that examines your dog can answer your question.

This is not veterinary advise; consult your veterinarian.

[Tatiana R]

Anon101, yes her anal glands did get expressed. She is itching and licking her genitals far, far more after she got them expressed. It’s strange, the medication will help her for maybe a couple hours, and it seems like when it wears off, that is when she gets very itchy again. I’m sure we are bound to take her again, I am just worried and seeking answers because the vet slightly brushed off the fact that she is itching AFTER getting the glands expressed.

[Susie]

Sure! I have one with ongoing issues. He’s 8. Our vet was able to get stuff out without anesthesia but it was uncomfortable for my baby and I hated it for him. It was also hard for our vet but he’s been a dr for 35 years and voted best in the metroplex so he knows his stuff. He was able to infuse antibiotic ointment up there without anesthesia as well. He gave him a round of oral antibiotics and the abscess drained. Sooo painful for dogs! Second time around he had anesthesia for dental work so vet Infused antibiotics and expressed while he was under. Abscesses look like boils but at beginning they aren’t obvious. Good luck!

[Susie]

I’m not sure about the tail thing. Mine kept his under. She may be bruised and licking because it hurts. Not necessarily because she itches. Does the skin look red and inflamed? If so I would remember to keep it clean and if you have anything non toxic to soothe her do that. If you apply salve try to hold her for 20 minutes so it has time to help and then wash off area so she can lick and self soothe. If she has hair in the way trim it. But collects bacteria and allergens. Maybe you can drop by the vet for a look and your vet won’t charge an office visit and just make sure it’s not an abscess in the making. But when you say the tail is out are you meaning straight out and not bent? You said she’s on steroids. Have you looked into side effects of the medication? I stay away from steroids.

[Susan]

Hi Tatiana R
What is your girl eating????
My boy bum surfs on carpet, ground, grass & tries to lick his bum from food sensitivities, he can NOT eat chicken, barley, oats, corn gluten meal he gets a itchy bum, a dog naturally empties their anal glands, there’s no need for us to do it, except when they have IBD IBS diarrhea sloppy poos etc & as the poo passes out it isn’t hard enough to empty the anal glands but once poos firm up they empty naturally, Patch had a weird vet always asking about his anal glands, have they been emptied, you see when they have just emptied, clear fluid runs down bum after a poo, Patch has a black bum & I see it… Your poor dog sometimes these vet can make things worse….
I would not be giving a dog steroids for this problem & as you have written it doesn’t seem to work, of cause steroids wont fix this problem while she’s eating a food she has an intolerance too, change diet to a limited ingredient diet with a different protein to what she’s eating now, feed 1 single novel protein, also go to chemist or supermarket go in the baby section look for a cream called “Sudocrem” or another cream that has the ingredients that Sudocrem has, Sudocrem is for nappy rash, eczema, dermatitis thick white healing cream, as soon as Patch starts rubbing bum on carpet, I get 1 Huggies baby wipe, I use the Coconut oil wipes, I wipe his bum & hold the cool baby wipe on his bum for 20 seconds then apply the Sudocrem & the irritation stops straight away, if you did this in the beginning her bum wouldn’t be so red & sore now…the vet would have been better prescribing a Hydrocortisone 1% cream this will help her sore red bum, rubbing bum on the floor will make it worse, when she goes to rub her bum stop her, cool with a baby wipe then apply either the Hydrocortisone cream or the Sudocrem…… when she is getting better please post & tell us..

[anonymous]

Most veterinarians don’t mind if you request a follow up, quick recheck. My vet doesn’t charge for such. Often I just show up and they fit me in.
The symptoms you describe may be normal, part of the healing process, or not. Only an examining vet can determine, diagnose, prescribe treatment….
Just give him a call and see what is recommended.

This is not veterinary advise; consult your veterinarian.

[Aidan B]

Have you tried using something like Glandex instead of expressing the glands?

[Author]

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