[PowerNubby]

Cappy sees a vet at least twice a year and he has always had some stomach issues since we got him. We have had cappy for the past two years and we believe that he has some big time allergies, but we can't quite afford the allergy test. Instead we are trying to rule things out.

ANYWAYS, the stomach problems aren't serious and nothing more than just typical sensitive tummy problems. The vet isn't overly concerned, it just seems that if he gets a few too many treats he has soft stools and then it goes away and comes back. Cappy is also allergic to tuna fish. We figured this out with our cat's food. On the occasions when he would get into the cat food, we noticed the next day he would have red bumps on his stomach and some minor hair loss.. this only happened when it was the tuna cat food (solid gold brand which looks just like canned tuna).

ANYWAYS, the past week has been pretty bad. We brought him to the vet about two weeks ago because he was obsessively licking his butt. Last time he did that they just expressed the anal glands and it pretty much went away.. The smell I smelled in the car was the most horrid thing ever and he was not happy (i guess) about the way that that particular guy expressed them. He was licking like NUTS the whole ride home

So now we are here a few weeks later and he is still licking the anal glands but the worse part is - I CAN SMELL THEM.

I know that the anal glands secrete a fluid that has scent markers for other dogs and that they are naturally expressed when the dog poops. Cappy is pooping just fine, but randomly I will get this horrible wiff of that smell again! I has to be the anal glads!

Thie weird thing is, you dont smell it just when he is licking down there.. he will be sleeping and you will smell it. ITS HORRIBLE - way worse than a fart.. Oh, and he farts a lot, but this smell is just something else.

I will take him to the vet after teh weekend, but I want to know - what is this? Is it possible that he is infected? The anus looks fine and no redness or swelling.

Is there something I can feed him to help him?

[Leah]

Seems to me the vet didn't express them at all. Were you in the exam room with him? When they express my dog's anal glands, they smell only to the vet who is close up. They don't ever smell afterwards. Maybe he didn't get all the goop out.

Take him back and be sure this time they do a good job. Oftentimes they give up because of the smell. My vet opens the window first. lol

Groomers sometimes express them also. You have to request it and see if they do. The anus is not where the anal glands are. They are on each side of the anus, separate from it. Maybe your dog needs a good bath down there or some different dog food. Cat food isn't recommended at all for a dog, although my vet gives cat treats to my dogs sometimes. I have 4 of them and only 2 ever had their anal glands expressed one time. One is already 14. She had hers done years ago as a puppy. The other had hers done at age 3.

[maquignon]

Add some fiber (canned pumpkin - not pie filling) to his diet.

[connor12]

I have a cocker spaniel and they have horrible anal gland issues so I sympathize with you. Ask your vet if there is anything that they recommend to harden your dog's stools. Mine recommended an over the counter medicine back when I recognized the problem. Since then, I express my dogs glands manually so I forgot what it was. But Im sure they'll know. Just give em a call.

Hope this helps!

[Solomon11b]

I had almost the same thing with my 5 month old alapaha blue blood bulldog with the hair loss rash on belly and a red skin patch on her head and when I came across some articles on food alergies so I had originally had her on orijen puppy when I found that chicken was a popular allergy among dogs so I switched her to orijen 6 fish its an adult formula but everything stopped the bump went away the hair is growing back and the rash is gone we also stopped with dog treats and dental sticks and replaced it with baby carrots which she loves. Also for diarehia I take her off all dog food for 24 hrs and replace with white rice and raw beef to help clean out her system and her stool seems to return to normal.

as for the anal glands same thing there she was becoming so smelly couldnt even be near her when she went pooh we were taking her to the vet to have the glands emptied but before I went I was outside workin in the garage with some steel when a sheet fell of a shelf hit the floor like thunder terrified my poor puppy but the good out of it she got so scared she emptied her anal gland herself (I am not recomending scaring the crap out of your dog lol) but it worked out she was a little embarrased seeming after she released it but today the smells gone and she seems happier