they need to be expressed when you see them scooting across the floor on their butts. you can't tell from their stool if it needs to be done..... is his stool still liquidy?? if it's diarrhea i would call the vet. did he eat anything different? does he appear sick?
anal glands???
How do you know when anal glands need to be expressed? Chili had what looked like a BM on the kitchen floor while we were at the gym today -- he almost never has accidents anymore, and this was very liquidy and EXTREMELY foul-smelling. He has never had even soft stools before and I am concerned, but hoping it is just the anal gland thing because that is just a $17 grooming -- and right now, we cannot afford much more, as I am finally going to have my surgery in 2.5 weeks. Any ideas or info is definitely appreciated. :wave:
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Sorry, didn't post all the important things -- Chili's diet has been the same for a couple months now -- just Kibbles and Bits with some treats now and then with tricks. He has not been acting sick or different. Everything has been totally normal with him except for this today. There is no way he has gotten into anything poisonous or bad for him, so we are sure it is nothing like that. He hasn't had a BM since we came home, so it doesn't appear to be a case of diahrea -- if it were, there would be more of it. Besides, we are pretty lucky normally -- chili's poo is usually very solid (not hard just solid) and has very little smell to it. This stuff was FOUL -- not just gross-smelling, but make you wanna puke foul. I mopped the floor with pine-sol and sprayed lysol in there and can STILL smell it. That is what is concerning me. I cannot take him to the vet because I have an EGD tomorrow in preparation of my surgery and the hospital is almost 2 hours away. I was hoping someone would have some insight, as if this sounds like anal glands, we can have him groomed and them expressed Saturday, but if it sounds like something more, we can try to make arrangements to take him to the vet.
I know I am in the minority, but I don't rush animals to the hospital/vet unless it is obviously a serious problem. In the absence of any other symptoms, I am unsure of any serious problem that this could be indicative of -- so am seeking help. THanks everyone!
I know I am in the minority, but I don't rush animals to the hospital/vet unless it is obviously a serious problem. In the absence of any other symptoms, I am unsure of any serious problem that this could be indicative of -- so am seeking help. THanks everyone!
normally you would see scooting around the floor with the anals. just keep watching his stools. it might just be nothing.
luvmypuppet -- thanks for the input. Apparently, the weird poo was just that -- weird. Since the one episode, his poo has been normal and he is still not acting sick. In fact, he is very energised lately (I think partly due to me going away for longer periods recently for my doctor visits! I really hope he will be ok when I am gone for 3 days!!) so I am sure it was probably just where maybe he managed to hoover human food off the floor or something.
glad to hear!
i posed a good question to my co-workers today, to bad i thought of it after the dr left for the day..
if chiwi needed her anals expressed how in the world would we do it?! she's 1.8 pounds! her tushy is the size of a pencil point! whould we get a toddler to do it!? poor thing would scream if we expressed ere anals....
i posed a good question to my co-workers today, to bad i thought of it after the dr left for the day..
if chiwi needed her anals expressed how in the world would we do it?! she's 1.8 pounds! her tushy is the size of a pencil point! whould we get a toddler to do it!? poor thing would scream if we expressed ere anals....
Litoris, I'm sure Chili will do good while you are in the hospital. I had my surgery and was in the hospital for 3 days and Gadget did fine.. Mark took him to work with him and he even brought him to see me the first night I was there... it was really neat because the nurse said bring him on in...
Good luck on your EKG.
Luvmypuppet, I think they would figure out a way.. I know Gadget's bum is really tiny too.. and even the themopetor they used the first vist at the vet(he was 4 weeks old) it ws a little large for him... he didn't like it too well.
Good luck on your EKG.
Luvmypuppet, I think they would figure out a way.. I know Gadget's bum is really tiny too.. and even the themopetor they used the first vist at the vet(he was 4 weeks old) it ws a little large for him... he didn't like it too well.
The anal glands express some of the fluid in them whenever your dog has a bowel movement. And it is generally VERY foul-smelling. Perhaps Chili's anals completely emptied on that BM. Or the anals can empty when the dogger scoots across the floor, so perhaps what you found on the floor was simply the result of the anals emptying there. I wouldn't be concerned since everything else seems normal. 
Litoris, occasionaly domestic dogs express their own anal glands when they are over-excited, scared, or if they passing stool after a period of constipation. If it is REALLY fould smelling-fishy-oily material that looks more like diarrhea, but only in small amounts (less than a teaspoon), it's possible your chi expressed its own anal glands. Lovely, as long as it's not on carpet or your shoe =)
Luvmypuppet, there are 2 ways of expressing anal glands, externally and internally. What you're describing is internal, the good ol' 10 and 2, manually palpating each anal gland from the inside of the anus. For dogs under 10 pounds, I normally express the anal glands externally by palpating them from the outside. This method doesn't express the glands as completely, nor does it allow you to feel the texture of the gland (looking for granulomas or polyps), or how full they are. However, it's more comfortable for everybody, so we do it this way on a regular basis.
-Nate
Luvmypuppet, there are 2 ways of expressing anal glands, externally and internally. What you're describing is internal, the good ol' 10 and 2, manually palpating each anal gland from the inside of the anus. For dogs under 10 pounds, I normally express the anal glands externally by palpating them from the outside. This method doesn't express the glands as completely, nor does it allow you to feel the texture of the gland (looking for granulomas or polyps), or how full they are. However, it's more comfortable for everybody, so we do it this way on a regular basis.
-Nate
thanks nate i'm going to ask one of the dr.'s to show me how to do it that way... i'd hate it if i were a dog to have someone like meexpressing the anal glands internally. have you seen the pictures i took of chiwi's collar? you can totally see how long my nails are! eesh!
i'm going to ask one of the dr.'s to show me how to do it that way... i'd hate it if i were a dog to have someone like meexpressing the anal glands internally. have you seen the pictures i took of chiwi's collar? you can totally see how long my nails are! eesh!Long nails = ouch = :evil: chihuahua!
yeah i know! when we have a mean dog everyone says ooo how bout we get mandy in to do your anals :lol: my nails are a running joke over there.ilovesadie said:Long nails = ouch = :evil: chihuahua!
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