# Infected Anal Gland



## celtic313 (Mar 15, 2009)

My 5 year old female chihuahua Lucy has been having a problem with her left anal gland since the fall. The gland keeps getting infected. She has been on antibotics and prednisone for awhile and it still is infected. The vet wants to try cyclosporine a t-cell inhibitor. I a bit nervous about this. The other alternative is to remove the gland. The vet has been trying to avoid surgery. Has anyone has their chihuahua's anal glands removed? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## HeraLynn (May 6, 2010)

I have never personally had a dogs anal glands removed but I do work for a vet clinic and have seen it done a few times on dogs. Sometimes it is the best option if nothing else is getting the job done. Its a hard decision to make to put our babies through that. A year ago I had my girls knee done she had luxating patellas (her knees came out of place.) It was the hardest thing I ever had to do but it made her feel so much better so I knew I had made the right choice. I hope this helps. Heather


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## rocky scotland (Jun 15, 2008)

Welcome to the forum. Poor Lucy having probs with her glands.
I have no advice but I will bump this up so that someone else will see it and have some advice for you.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I'm so sorry your baby is having this trouble. I have no experience with this, so can't comment. I know one of our members babies had infected glands, but it was cleared up with antibiotics and cleaning. Sorry I can't help, but hope someone can give you some advice. Welcome to the forum.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I did this search on the forum, try this link. Maybe you can find something to help. 

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/search.php?searchid=829209


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I have no experience sorry but someone recently had an anal gland rupture.


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## Fizzy Chihuahuas (Mar 8, 2010)

I had a Border Terrier who kept getting an infected anal gland , in the end my vet removed her glands , it went perfect , no issues at all ...


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## Kioana (Mar 1, 2005)

HeraLynn said:


> I have never personally had a dogs anal glands removed but I do work for a vet clinic and have seen it done a few times on dogs. Sometimes it is the best option if nothing else is getting the job done. Its a hard decision to make to put our babies through that. A year ago I had my girls knee done she had luxating patellas (her knees came out of place.) It was the hardest thing I ever had to do but it made her feel so much better so I knew I had made the right choice. I hope this helps. Heather


Ditto what she said, I've seen many done its for the best


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## FireFox (Jun 4, 2009)

Peppi had anal gland rupture recently  She was on antibiotics for three weeks, it was really long but she is fine now  We have to go back now every month, either to a groomer or a vet to check how full are her glands, because if it happened once there are more chances that it will happen again. 

I read that these op are not to bad, it's very easy procedure, but the recovery is much longer because of the healing process - it's very slow, and they have to be on a special diet for quite some time after.
Good luck!!!


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## celtic313 (Mar 15, 2009)

Thanks!! We go to the vet again on Tuesday.


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## roguethunder (Aug 5, 2011)

I have a question on this subject. Gandalf has had his anal gland infected twice. He was put on antibiotics and all was well until a couple days ago. The right side swelled up again. I was able to open it with a little presure and he did not yelp but does anyone know what causes this. He is on Wellness dogfood and does well on it. He is about 6 years old now. Just wondered if anyone knew what caused this. I know it must hurt, Which hurts me.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

This thread is from 2010. In the future, it will probably be better to start a new thread rather than revive a very old one. 

Regarding your question, some dogs are just prone to compacted anal glands. If the glands get too impacted, they will get infected. When the infection is cleared up, I would make sure to get his anal glands checked regularly by the vet or a groomer. That way, they can be expressed on a regular basis to prevent them from getting compacted and then infected. 

Sometimes the food is to blame. Wellness was recalled during the recent Diamond pet food recalls, so I personally would not feed it. But I do not think it is a bad food. Are his stools firm and regular? If they are loose often, he may not be able to express his glands on his own. Have you looked into changing his food? If so, there are a ton of great brands out there. 

I hope this helps! Good luck


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## Little_em00 (Jun 16, 2012)

My pug used to get infected anal glands and the vet advised removing them and I have never regretted it. He was fine from the first day he got back and we havent had any problems with them since, based on my experience I would recommend having them removed.


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## roguethunder (Aug 5, 2011)

Thank You for your quck response. OK as to going to the old thread, I have never started a new thread, I don't know how. LOL 
As to the food. Can you give me a sugjestion. I am surley willing to put them on a different food. What would be a good one? I want to make sure they are eating the one that is best for them. Any help would be appreciated. These two furkids are my very heart, which is why I come to this thread.


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## AussieLass (Mar 1, 2012)

If Gandalf was mine I'd feed him raw and only raw to get his intestines & glands working as they should  Lots of threads & info about raw feeding in the forum.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

roguethunder said:


> Thank You for your quck response. OK as to going to the old thread, I have never started a new thread, I don't know how. LOL
> As to the food. Can you give me a sugjestion. I am surley willing to put them on a different food. What would be a good one? I want to make sure they are eating the one that is best for them. Any help would be appreciated. These two furkids are my very heart, which is why I come to this thread.


To create a new thread: 

Here is a screen shot of a sub-forum. The red circle is around the "New Thread" button. You click that then add the title and message and submit it. That's it! 










As far as food goes, there are many good options. 

- As Dee said, prey model raw is one option. Do not undertake this option unless you are ready to put in the time to research and ensure that you are feeding a balanced diet of meat, bone, and organ. 

- If PMR is not an option, a pre-made raw such as Ziwipeak or Stella and Chewy's is an option. They provide completely balanced raw diets with the convenience of kibble. I personally feed ZP and I love it. Expect to pay top dollar for these option. 

-As far as kibble, I would recommend Fromm grain-free varities, Acana grain-free varieties, or Orijen. Blue Buffalo Wilderness is also good, and it more common in big pet stores. 
-Other kibbles can be found at Dry Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Advisor where they are reviewed and rated. Try to go for a 4 or 5 star food. 

Also, here is a list of recent recalled dog foods to try to avoid. The biggest recall has been Diamond and products produced at their plants. Dog Food Recalls | Dog Food Advisor

I hope this helps.


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