anal glands... YUCK!!!

[vsentz]

Anyone out here with a doggie with over active anal glands???

My baby girl is a boxer pup (well not pup anymore, but she's so spoiled she thinks she's still baby!).
And lately we've been dealing with a FOUL smell out of her butt... we took her to the vet who said most likely she had over active anal glands plus he asked us if she was allergic to something... and she is! she sometimes gets hives real bad all over her body and her face gets real puffy!!!! (there's something outside in the yard she eats we can't figure what yet....)

Anyway, i was just wondering, should we have the vet express her anal glands every so often? if so, how often?? or how do you guys deal with this??? should i have my poor ole' husband give our pup some 'backdoor lovin''??? lol ;) and express her every so often???

Thanks!

[bearsmomma]

Try changing your dog's diet.  My friend's dog was dragging her bottom all the time on everything. She would even drag it on the cement driveway. I don't remember her saying anything about a smell though.  One vet tested for worms, another said her glands needed expressed and the third vet said it was allergies and put her on a steroid.  I had been doing some research because my dog has cancer and discovered that dogs are alergic to grains, and can develope all kids of allergy symptoms and health problems.  Anal itching is one of the symptoms I read about. I told my friend and she started using EVO dry dog food which has no grains or by products, just real meat and fruit and vegies. The dog doesn't drag her bottom anymore.  I am feeding my dog all raw meat with fruit and vegies.  I give him the EVO when I can't give him a raw meal.  Since I have had him on the raw meat he doesn't have any dog odor anymore and his breath doesn't smell either.  So maybe maybe the grains in your dog's food is causing the smell.

[Salyna]

My sister has to express her dog's anal glands because they are overactive, as well.  She does it about once a week.  I would ask the vet if you should do that.