Keegan's Mom Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Keegan and Tess have to get their anal glands expressed regularly. The vet mentioned trying to mix metamucil in their food. I have done the pumpkin bit in the past. Comparing the two at the grocery store this evening...metamucil doesn't seem too different from pumpkin...and pumpkin has not traditionally helped their anal glands in the past. What do you all do to increase the fiber in your dog's diet? I feed Canidae...in case that is a question you might have...and currently we do not supplement but I'm starting to wonder if we need to add anything else to their diet. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitch Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Dublin hasn't had any gland issues since I switched him to raw, but that might be more of a change than you want to do. Before that, I always just used pumpkin. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Shoshone was straining to poop, I assumed she was constipated and started adding about a tsp or so of oat bran to her dinner, + a little water. They've all been getting pumpkin for years. The oat bran did the trick, and a LOT less expensive than Metamucil. Shoshone is around 11 or 12 yrs old, and just can't be as active as she was a couple years ago because of the arthritis in her front feet. Ruth n the BC3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Remember, if you add fiber, make sure the dog drinks lots more water. I learned the hard way (with me, not with my dog). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Does your dog have allergies? They can make the glands fill up faster. An antihistamine could make a difference if that is the source of the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan's Mom Posted June 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 As far as I know they don't have allergies. However, Keegan cannot eat dairy...gives him the runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbionLass Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 I usually feed some regular raw bones like chicken wings even to dogs that are on a dry food diet, the undigested bone helps to empty out thier glands in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 AlbionLass is right - raw bones can firm up things (once their system has adjusted to the novelty) and help keep everything doing what it's supposed to. I saw this PBS show on a guy called the "Scat man". He specialized in predator poop and the show was on a study he did of predators in an endangered part of the Yukon coast. Scat from canids showed that as they consume a kill and start getting into the "garbage" parts (skin, hair, larger bones), they will start passing firmer stools. These stools are smellier, apparently coated with gland fuid (not a lot, just a teeny bit) and they serve to inform intruders that there's a healthy resident capable of hunting and eating his whole kill. Lunch anyone? I just thought it was fascinating that this troublesome part of doggy ownership had a very important function in the lives of wild canids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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