Secret thinks life is pretty darn boring right now. We can't go swimming for a bit yet because Kaiser is still healing from his neuter (soon, though -- soon!). We aren't doing much agility at home right now -- Again because of Kaiser, but also due to a fun summer cold I'm experiencing. I'll suck it up one of these days.And that stupid Kaiser is getting all the attention AGAIN, she says. Not that he is enjoying it all that much -- Kaiser went to the vet this morning for an abscessed anal gland that popped up. Believe me, Secret, you should not be jealous of such things. I've never had this problem with any of my dogs before, so it was a new experience. Poor Kaiser, though, it's not a fun one.
I must get a plug in, though -- I LOVE MY VET! I really appreciate them getting me in on short notice when we need it. I also appreciate the phone call at 7:00 p.m. after seeing my facebook post to ask if I needed pain meds to get him through the night. :o) He wasn't that bad, but again, just more reason to love my vets.
This whole experience makes me wonder if I should take Secret & Luke in to get their glands expressed. Granted, I should probably learn to do it myself -- But until then, it probably wouldn't hurt to go get them taken care of. If I were to be honest, I always thought that anal gland issues were only a symptom of dogs who ate a crap diet filled with corn and other nasty fillers. Apparently not; lesson learned. Luke & Secret have both, on occasion, had some bum-licking phases -- So more or less, I think it would be a good idea to get it done. I bet Secret will just LOVE it. Yeah......
And for anyone dying with curiosity, here is what an abscessed anal gland looks like:
Not really something you want to have to deal with! Kaiser agrees -- He thought getting his butt shaved this morning was pretty awful, but not as awful as when the vet went to express the infected side. I'm pretty sure Secret will get muzzled for her experience!
Oh, no - poor Kaiser! I hope he is feeling better soon. Pretty bad luck that he gets an abscessed anal glad while he's recovering from surgery.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of Secret is hilarious. Does she always sleep that way?
Yes, she is crazy. Even in bed she ends up laying on her back half the time -- the couch just makes the crazy positions that much easier. She's always been a "gumby dog." As a puppy I thought she had no bones. She can STILL fit under my bed. That is not right for a 23" dog.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, poor Kaiser. No idea if the surgery/medications contributed to the issue or what. If anything I thought the meds made him a bit constipated, which you would think would help express his glands naturally. But compacted they were (if the abscess wasn't enough evidence, my vet showed me what came out of the "good" side and it was not anywhere near the liquid consistency that it should be).
Hopefully it's a one-time freak thing, but it's definitely something we'll keep an eye on in the future. Definitely not the sort of thing you want to deal with on a chronic basis.
Ok so its kind of gross but heres a video I just found that might interest you:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Cr1MQaGHc
Since I dont care to be messing around with the anal glands I found the last few tips helpful.
Poor Kaiser! Hope he feels better soon!
ReplyDeleteMy lab, Sadie, had many anal gland infections so our vet at the time suggested removal. Sadie came through the surgery well.
I would suggest that only a vet expresses the glands as damage can occur if they are not done correctly.