Are my dog's anal gland home treatments effective and safe?

Poor Marius! I'm sorry he has been through so much recently! I think you should consider a trial or a prescription diet for food allergy first as many anal gland issues are related to food allergies. A diet like Royal Canin Ultamino would be a possible choice. However, if he still is having anal gland issues despite the prescription diet then surgical removal of the anal glands is probably the best choice. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best to you and Marius!

Unless the dog has chronic issues (infection, impaction, abscesses, etc) with the anal glands, removing them would not be recommended. Surgical resection of the glands should be done by an experienced and/or board certified veterinary surgeon to minimize risk of complications such as fecal incontinence.

Hello. The darkened skin is just an indication that there has been some chronic irritation & this can certainly go along with the itching & scooting that goes along with anal gland problems. Anal glands do not atrophy, so by expressing them every week ( which I really do not recommend you continue to do ), I am sure they are now completely empty for the time being. Some people have found Glandex to be helpful. There is absolutely nothing dangerous about trying this & seeing if it is helpful for Tuti. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Most anal gland infections heal up quite nicely with medications & keeping the area clean. Unless there is a special circumstance involving Tia's glands, such as the area is just not healing, additional flushing & treatment is usually not necessary. See how she does after a week on antibiotics & if she is doing well, just continue the antibiotics. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You may speak with your veterinarian about a diet trial with a hydrolyzed protein diet for 12 weeks. This will tell you if an allergy is present. If you can;t control it with food, you may look into surgery to remove the glands. I hope this helps.

Chronic anal gland problems can be highly unpleasant to manage. Have you discussed surgical removal of the anal glands with Bear's vet? From your description, it sounds as though he may be a good candidate for this procedure. If surgery is not an option for one reason or another, euthanasia may be an option if Bear's quality of life is declining. I can understand your heartbreak over this situation, but I strongly recommend discussing all options with your veterinarian before making any final decisions.

You can express Ellie's anal sacs yourself, but have the vet show you how to do it first to make sure you are doing it right. You can also give her Glandex. It's a supplement that can help with anal sac health. I hope this helps!