Abby's Butt (forgive the bluntness)

[abbyknitter]

So the other day at the crazy vets office, they charged $20 to express Abby's anal glands. Now I wouldn't want Abby to be uncomfortable you know that...but we were at the vet less than 3 weeks ago and they said then that her anal glands were empty...can they even fill up in 3 weeks?

 

[BareOnAHotTinRoof]

It all depends on the specific animal and what diet they are on. Some animals produce more and need expressed more often, and some don't ever need expressing.

Did they tell you if she was hard to express or easy? AG excretions can be liquid(what Baron has, in very small amounts), or they can be very thick, black and gooey.

 

[abbyknitter]

No they didn't, should I keep an eye on her then?

 

[PitRottMommy]

I agree with Bare. For some animals, yes, it can be required frequently and they do fill fast. I used to have a Chihuahua that needed twice-weekly expressions. We finally just had them removed because they caused him so many problems.

Using a food with more fiber, or adding 1 tsp of canned pumpkin twice daily, should help to express them naturally as the feces leaves the body. In addition, the fiber content won't hurt your girl at all. Most cats love pumpkin. My cats would eat only pumpkin if I'd permit this, lol.

 

[susi794]

I agree with Bare. For some animals, yes, it can be required frequently and they do fill fast. I used to have a Chihuahua that needed twice-weekly expressions. We finally just had them removed because they caused him so many problems.

Using a food with more fiber, or adding 1 tsp of canned pumpkin twice daily, should help to express them naturally as the feces leaves the body. In addition, the fiber content won't hurt your girl at all. Most cats love pumpkin. My cats would eat only pumpkin if I'd permit this, lol.

I couldn't believe it, but mine love it too. So does my beagle!

 

[myspecialboy]

I agree with Bare. For some animals, yes, it can be required frequently and they do fill fast. I used to have a Chihuahua that needed twice-weekly expressions. We finally just had them removed because they caused him so many problems.

Using a food with more fiber, or adding 1 tsp of canned pumpkin twice daily, should help to express them naturally as the feces leaves the body. In addition, the fiber content won't hurt your girl at all. Most cats love pumpkin. My cats would eat only pumpkin if I'd permit this, lol.

Is there any way to tell if the glands need to be expressed?

 

[abbyknitter]

Is there any way to tell if the glands need to be expressed?

Thats a good question

Thanks guys, you don't know how much that helps

 

[PitRottMommy]

Dogs are notorious for dragging their bums on the carpet when they need to be expressed. For cats that are bothered by it, they may do the same or consistently lick the anal area.

Generally speaking, anal glands cause more of a problem with dogs than they do with cats. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of cats I've ever seen for anal gland issues. I cannot even begin to count the number of dogs.

It is said that a fatty diet can even exacerbate anal gland issues. Therefore, feeding a low fat diet with a fair amount of fiber usually leads to not having to deal with recurrent anal gland issues. If it continues to be a problem, upgrading food generally fixes it.