[Sabrina H]

My dog needs around 5% fiber or he has anal gland problems. I noticed the large breed formula of many brands has more fiber than the regular formula. Is there any harm in feeding a 40 lb dog large breed food?

[anonymous]

Quote “Is there any harm in feeding a 40 lb dog large breed food?”

I’m not sure. You could end up with loose stools when you increase the amount of fiber. What does the vet recommend?

From a previous post of mine per:
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”.

[Sabrina H]

His stool is fine on the foods I can find that have 5-6% fiber. It’s kept anal gland issues away for a few years now. Including large breed food would give us more options.

Vet opinions vary. One vet insisted he come in every 2 weeks for the rest of his life to have his glands expressed even though higher fiber in his food fixed the problem. Other vets in the same office acknowledged that higher fiber fixed the problem and didn’t think he should come in unless he’s scooting, chewing, or smells fishy. The vets in the area we live in now think anything that’s not Science Diet or Royal Canin is horrible and toxic, so their solution to just about everything is to put the pet on Science Diet. They don’t even like to discuss options that don’t involve Science Diet.

[anonymous]

My dogs are doing well on Fromm Classic Adult. Most vets(in my experience) approve of Fromm.
This formula has 5.5% fiber https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-reduced-activity-senior-gold-food-for-dogs

Some of the grain-free formulas have more fiber but until the FDA finds out if there is a correlation with cardiac problems/DCM I would avoid grain-free.
Unless your vet recommends and feels that the benefit outweighs the risk for your dog.

[anonymous]

PS: I forgot to mention that a dog I occasionally dog sit for has anal gland issues and is doing well on Nutrisource adult formula grain inclusive.

I was shocked but one of their formulas has 14% fiber! https://www.petflow.com/product/nutrisource/nutrisource-weight-management-chicken-and-rice-dry-dog-food
I don’t know if this is a good idea? Run it by your vet.

[Author]

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