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Anal Gland Remedies for Cats and Dogs

Updated: 08/28/2009

Treating Your Pet's Anal Gland Issues

Anal gland problems occur when our pet's feces are too soft, and while passing through the glands, do not empty them completely.' If the glands produce too much liquid, it can thicken and clog they will become clogged.  Dogs and cats have two anal glands beneath the skin near their anus. You will know that your pet is having a problem when they begin to lick themselves frequently and attempt to drag their bottoms along the floor.  Luckily for you, this is a situation that you can look after at home!  However, if the glands have become infected, which would include signs such as, the glands themselves appearing red or discolored, the animal experiencing severe pain, developing a fever, loosing their appetite and becoming lethargic, it is at this point that you need to get some immediate medical help.

Here's how you can clean out the glands yourself.  Enlist the help of another person to help hold the pet and make sure that you both change into some old clothing and wear some disposable gloves.  Use an old blanket or sheet to lie underneath the animal as the material that is removed from the anal glands will be smelly and can cause stains on carpets etc. Clip away any long hair beneath the tail so that you can see what you're doing.  With one hand, lift the tail way up over the animal's back so that you can expose the glands (these will be located at 5 and 7 o'clock positions on the anus).  You will be able to feel if they are full.  The ducts that will actually empty the glands are located a little bit higher at 4 and 8 o'clock.  In a milking type fashion, use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the glands in a C-shaped sweeping movement.  The fluid will probably be a dark brown to clear color, however if it is yellow or blood tinted, it is likely that your pet has an infection and should see a veterinarian immediately. 

After you have finished, sooth your pet's anal area by applying a warm, wet cloth to it.  Once the cloth cools, warm it again with water and repeat the process for at least ten minutes at a time, three times per day.

In an effort to eliminate problems of impacted glands, there are a few changes that you can make to your pets regular diet.  Increase their fiber intake by adding Metamucil to the food.  You could also offer your pet some fresh vegetables such as Carrots, Cabbage or Celery.  However, you should be aware that increasing the fiber in your pets daily diet will in addition to helping them express or clear their anal glands, also increase the size of their droppings.

DISCLAIMER
* Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional veterinary prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your veterinarian before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your Veterinarian can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your pet's unique needs or diagnose your pet's particular medical history.

COCONUT AND COCONUT OIL

3 YEA

03/11/2009: EVELYN from TAMPA, FLORIDA writes: "LOVE THE WEBSITE IS VERY UPLIFTING TO KNOW THERE IS A CURE FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT POOR DOGS AND CATS CAN FIND RELIEF AT LAST THROUGH THE TESTIMONY OF OTHERS IT REALLY TOUCH MY HEART BECAUSE WHEN OUR ANIMALS SUFFER WE SUFFER WITH THEM TOO I JUST STARTED TO USE THE COCONUT OIL AND PUMPKIN ON MY POMERANIAN THANK YOU FOR THE INFO"

04/06/2009: Terri from Ravenna, Ohio replies: "Dear Evelyn from Tampa; How much pumpkin & coconut did you feed your pom? I have a pug who is having the same problem. I remembered hearing about this so I looked it up, but now I need to know "exactly" how much you use... Thanks, Terri from Ohio"

08/28/2009: Belinda from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia replies: "I have a 5 month old miniature dachshund that was experiencing discomfort associated with blocked anal glands. I read on a website to feed them pureed pumpkin as the fibre helps to clear the blockages. I boiled the pumpkin in plain water, then drained and pureed. Once cool, I gave him 1/2 a cup that night and 1/2 a cup the next morning. It worked a treat!! He has had no more symptoms.

Now i will freeze a batch in portions and give him some each week.

and he LOVES it!"

[YEA]  06/04/2008: Elaine from Edmond, Oklahoma, USA writes: "My little chihuahua would yip whenever he would have a bowel movement. His stool was also hard and light in color and hard to pass. Thank God for this site it saved me a vet bill. I remembered reading about coconut oil for people. I went to the kitchen and got a small amount on my finger, pried his mouth open and smeared in his mouth. I thought he would really protest, but he seemed to like the taste. Sure enough the next day he had a very healthy bowel movement. It turned out he had a swollen anal gland. I put witch hazel and hydrogen peroxide on it. It ruptured, drain and his fine now. I LOVE THIS SITE!"

[YEA]  02/08/2008: Wendy from Lacey Township, NJ writes: "My Golden had a problem with emptying her anal glands, which led to several trips (quite often) to the Vet. My first approach in solving the problem was adding canned pumpkin to her diet. She got 1/4 cup twice a day, with not much success. I heard about using coconut in her diet and after using it for two months, the problem has resolved itself. I I still give the pumpkin and have added 2 TBS of organic, low fat, sugar free coconut twice a day. No scooting in this house!"

[YEA]  11/17/2006: Sue Ann from Beachwood, NJ writes: "I read an article in a natural dog publication I receive about giving a dog with anal gland iissues unsweetened coconut and coconut oil (both can be purchased at a health food store). The coconut bulks up the stool with fiber and the coconut oil softens the bulked up stool a bit. For a dog about 30 lbs., you work up to 1 teaspoon of the coconut oil, and work up to 2 teaspoons of the unsweetened coconut. The coconut has to be soaked in water until its wet so it can be digested more easily. I only began this remedy 2 weeks ago, but don't notice my dog "scooting" as much as he used to."

HOMEOPATHIC GUNPOWDER 3X

1 YEA

[YEA]  04/17/2007: Dharma from Phoenix, Az writes: "Hi, About 20 years ago I spent thousands on antibiotics for my Borzoi's anal gland infection. I finally had a radionic analysis done and the homeopathic, Gunpowder 3x was prescribed. It can be highly antiseptic/antifungal. Since then I have seen that in animals if antibiotics do not work it is often fungal. For whatever reason gunpowder 3x has saved more than 1 animal from dangerous surgeries and amputation.

I do have a challenge I am working on and would like some advise if any have suggestions. What would you use for a deep anal fistula in a German Shepherd? What is generally used is an immune suppressant such as cyclosporin and it works well at close to $300 a month forcing many owners to have to make terrible choices and with cyclo it is evident that the animal feels awful and soon will begin to limp and become very weak. This is common in Shepherds and is quite a challenge.

I have tried the standards such as Silicea, Arnica Calc Sulph. Some temporary relief from Glyconutrients mixed with Three Lac but then it fights back and gets considerably worse. I thought primal defense or Ohira's would do it but not so."

05/14/2008: Sue from Otago, New Zealand replies: "I also have a german shepherd with an anal fistula. It was the size of a pea and growing - opening fast. The vet put him on some over-the-counter drugs, (Very very Inexpensive) about $20 worth, and it closed up like magic. Since then he has been on a low dose of prednisone for about 2 years, I am now wanting to get him off that so have started weaning him very slowly and at the same time changing his diet to include coconut oil, kelp milled flaxseed, acv, yoghurt and a few other bits and bobs. So far so good. Every time I googled "Fistula" up popped thousands of sites on Crohns Disease in Humans. It appears to be very similar, so in the end I searched for natural cures regarding Crohns disease. If you want the name of the drugs I initially used to HALT and SHRINK the fistula, I will find out for you."

01/06/2009: Ruth from Wichita, Ks. replies: "Tell me about the radionic analysis....

Question on dog anal glands. I am going to try the pumpkin and coconut. My Murphy (Shi-TZU) has very small openings on his glands. I feed him raw diet meat and veggies. His stools are solid, but I'm guessing it is because of the small openings that the glans need expressing so often. Can't be expressed from the outside. Tech or vet has to go in internally. Poor little guy. Now only 3 weeks apart and had a litlte infection last time. Hoping the coconut and pumpkin work on him. He loves the pumpkin right out of the can!"

HOMEOPATHY

1 YEA

[YEA]  03/31/2009: Maria from San Francisco, CA writes: "One of my dogs (I have 2) has had problems with her anal glands since she was a puppy so, I learned to empty her glands myself. I can't afford relaying on Vets and their assistants for that. They just look after money: Veterinary is a big business. Just that.

Occurred twice that my dog's glands got impacted and when I pressed it, pus came out from there, she was also scooting her but a lot so... I treated her with homeopathy. On the first day: I gave Belladonna 6X , 1 pearl each 2 hours (at least 15 min. apart from meals, water or treats), direct on her mouth. She was kind of quiet but eating normally.

On the follow day I started with Silicea 6 X, 1 pearl each 2 hours again apart meals. Within 3 days she started to come back to herself and in 5 days she's good as "new" but the treatment is supposed last for total 10 days.

When they are nervous or agitated for any reason I give Flowers of Bach, which is usually the "Rescue Remedy" (3 drops on their mouth) Few hours later they're fine."

PRUNES

1 YEA

[YEA]  01/06/2008: Cindy from Reese, MI writes: "A few years ago, German shepherd was very smelly and vet had to express his anal glands. After the 2nd trip to the vet in less than a year, plus the fact that the dog greatly dislikes going to the vet, did some research on Internet and found out someone recommended prunes. I give my 88 lb dog 2-3 prunes per day and have had absolutely no problems since. Was concerned that prunes might be in the same family as raisins (which are toxic to dogs) and possibly toxic but have not been able to find definite information. If there is a problem with giving dogs prunes, I would appreciate if someone would post something to that effect."

09/10/2008: Brandie from St Louis, MO replies: "I just wanted to say that prunes are NOT related to raisins. Raisins are dried grapes, and the grape seed is what is toxic to dogs. Prunes are dried plums. Since plums have a large pit, before drying they remove that pit. I dont think there is any problem feeding a dog prunes. I'm not sure if you will see this, I noticed that it has been quite a while since you posted, but I thought I would tell you anyway."

PUMPKIN

7 YEA

[YEA]  07/09/2009: Saskatchewan Girl from Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada writes: "Pumkin for stinky dog

Our dog had an accident with a loose stool on the floor about 4 days ago. It has been walking around since with a skunky type smell coming from it. I washed the dog thinking that maybe it had rolled in the stool which also had the foul odour. It worked for about 5 minutes when the smell returned. The dog had loose stools for 3 days when I just put him on straight rice...still the smell was awful but no more accidents on the floor. After 4 days of smelling skunky dog fart smell in our house (truly enough to make your eyes water in any room), I found this site about pumpkin. I started yesterday around noon. I gave 1 cup food to 1/4 cup pumpkin. About 4 hours later I repeated the same as the dog was still hungry. I searched the yard around supper time for an orange stool to see if he had passed anything firmer. I didn't find stool but what I did find was totally disgusting. It looked like a kiwi skin with white bones sticking out of it entwined in hair. It wasn't there earlier so I'm guessing it came out of the dog. After inspecting it looks like just the fur from a mouse and bones that have been stripped of meat. I'm guessing the dog ate this small rat/gopher (probably taken from our cat who only kills for pleasure) and ate it. With the amount of hair and the looks of the bones I think the dog probably ate it whole, digested what it could and the rest was maybe caught inside. Anyway the dog still stank bad that night but I continued with another dose of pumkin mix in the evening, a long jog and by about midnight the dogs odor smelled more like poop than this other stank. This morning it appears that the smell has passed as she is not making the kids gag anymore. I gave more pumpkin in same dose this morning and will continue the rest of the day which will hopefully keep things clear. Thanks for the tip, the vet can't get to her for a few more days and I was really starting to worry."

[YEA]  08/28/2009: Bel from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia replies: "I have a 5 month old miniature dachshund who was displaying the symproms of blocked anal glands. After reading this post i decided to try the pumpkin. I boiled the pumpkin, the drained and pureed it. Once it was cool, i gave him 1/2 cup with his dinner and another 1/2 cup the next morning. We could see a difference in him after just a few hours. By the next night he was back to normal. He actually loved the pumpkin too, so i've frozen some in portions to give him a dose every week, just in case.

Thank you for the suggestion, it worked a treat and will consult this site whenever i have questions from now on."

[YEA]  05/21/2009: Christie from Up North, Michigan writes: "Canned Pumpkin for dog anal gland problems:

My husband and I have been using 100% canned pumpkin on my cocker spaniel as needed for about a year. I found this remedy online when researching her abcessed anal gland problem. We are pretty in tune with her and can notice right away when she is beginning to get a little discomfort in the area, tucking her butt in when she sits, the licking and scooting etc.. we immediately give her a tablespoon of pumpkin every night for a few days and it completely takes care of the problem. Her stools become more formed and compact - not to mention orange from the pumpkin.. But it takes care of the problem for several weeks at least, we'll give it to her whenever we think she might be brewing another swollen gland, or if we notice her having a bout of loose stools. I swear by this and recommend it to every pet owner I know."

01/02/2009: Rob from Denver, CO writes: "My 7 year old DLH cat, Cowboy has been plagued with AG issues for a couple years now. Initially after suffering an abscess a couple years ago, my vet advised me that it was rather rare for this to be a persistent issue with cats. Being otherwise extremely healthy, I figured once the scheduled anti-biotic dosage was complete we'd be alright. She also advised me I could take him in once a month to have the sacs expressed before an infection set in. I took him back several times to have them expressed but he ended up getting another infection anyway within 6 months.

Unfortunately, it didn't end there. After the third bout of infections, I decided I had to seriously find an alternative to surgery and anti-biotics.

I started searching more diligently for a holistic approach to prevent the build up in the first place. I've always been of the mindset that dealing with the cause is a much easier than dealing the effect later on. Most have suggested that I up his fiber/carbohydrate intake which is completely contradictory to the diet I prefer to feed him.

Once I read all the success stories here @ EC I thought I'd give it a shot and went out and purchased some Organic Pumpkin last night. It was an easy sell for me to give it a try after discovering others have reaped the benefits of pumpkin for not only AG impaction, but also for hairballs.

I wasn't sure he'd even go near it so I initially just put a little dab on his nose to let him lick it off and get a taste for it. I then mixed some into his breakfast this morning thinking it would still be there waiting for me when I got back from work today to discard. Much to my surprise he ate it all. Getting him to even try it was my biggest concern.

I'll report back as soon as I get some definite feedback as to the effectiveness of this apparently miraculous remedy. I just wanted to thank the contributing members here for giving us a glimmer of hope that we can beat this awful condition naturally.

Again, I'll post back when enough time has expired to give a true Yay or Nay on the effectiveness of this remedy. I'm already convinced this will be a huge Yay for us since he's proven he'll even eat it in the first place to give it a try.

Thanks again! "

EC: AG = Anal Gland

[YEA]  02/16/2009: Rob from Denver, CO replies: "It's been just over 6 weeks since Cowboy starting using pumpkin for his anal sac and hairball issues and I'm simply blown away by the results.

He's been to the vet twice since his last anal sac abscess (12/20/08)for rechecks and each time his glands have been empty. That alone is simply miraculous. In the past he wasn't able to empty his anal sacs naturally through defecation. Prior to the pumpkin remedy both of those vet visits would have resulted in the vet having to manually express his glands to prevent them from abscessing. The pumpkin appears to have cured him of this horribly painful and long-term condition.

The other issue was the daily or 4-5x per week hairball vomiting. Having to clean the mess I've always monitored the condition very closely. I would mark the calendar each time he would throw up with either a V if he threw up and there were no hairball seen or an HB if I saw a hairball. It was very common for him to throw up between 18-24 days monthly. Since we've begun the pumpkin remedy he's thrown up only one time in February.

This was a chronic condition for most of his life and the vet kept telling me because he was a long haired cat it was basically something we'd have to deal with. She prescribed the petroleum malt products which is supposed to help lubricate the digestive tract and allow the hairball to pass naturally. I may have used 1/4 of a tube, if that, and just threw that stuff away because it didn't work. Also, I never felt comfortable giving my cat a petroleum based product anyway.

I am so elated to have discovered the healing properties of pumpkin. I'm convinced Cowboy will live a much more comfortable life because his digestive system is working efficiently now.

As for the amount I give him it's certainly been a process where I started off using approximately 1/2 tsp mixed in his meal of grain-free canned natural cat food and about 1/2 medallion of raw cat frozen food (nature's variety). We've worked up to 1 tsp with each meal so he's getting about 2 tsp daily now.

He's also getting a small amount of probiotics with his morning meals to help restore some of the good bacteria that died off with the antibiotic therapies for the abscesses in the past.

Thank you Earth Clinic contributors for this valuable natural remedy. I'm eternally grateful!"

[YEA]  11/21/2008: Kelly from Nashville, TN writes: "Canned pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin) is a great cure for dog who must have their anal glands expressed due to impactions. Also, my two dogs take enzymes and herbs daily. The herbs smell (and most likely taste) really bad. I mix them in a few teaspoons of pumpkin and add a couple of drops of omega 3 and vitamin E and a drop or so of Agave nectar. No problem getting them to eat this."

10/11/2008: Linda from Moncton, New Brunswick writes: "Hello, my dear sweet old cat Murphy had an infected and impacted anal gland, the my golden. Have purchased 100% pumkin and started the dog on it. Had anyone tried it on a cat? If yes how much per day?

with thanks! Lg"

10/12/2008: Kari from Oxnard, Ca replies: "I have not used it on a cat, however we have a cocker spaniel who weights about 20 pounds and we would mix the pumpkin with honey, as per our vet 1/4 cup 2 times a day. Good Luck"

[YEA]  03/25/2008: Laynie from Lakewood, NJ writes: "I cannot even tell you how thrilled I am to have found the "pumpkin" cure for anal impaction! My dog, a small mixed breed, was at the point where I was taking her at least every two weeks to have her glands expressed! I started her on one teaspoon (she is small) of pumpkin mixed with her food and she has not had to have them expressed in over three months now!! It's a wonderful cure! If you haven't tried it, do so!! THANK you!!!"

[YEA]  11/11/2006: Margaret from Worcester, MA writes: "feeding approximately 2 tablespoons canned 100% pure pumpkin 2X per day (for a dog weighing about 100 pounds). This cures anal sac impaction. My Rottweiler had anal sac problems from too soft stools and was in misery after eliminating. We had to take him several times to the vet for her to express the sacs- which he found rather unpleasant. She suggested we increase the fiber content of his diet and suggested we try the pumpkin. We started out with 1 tblsp/feeding (twice a day) and then upped it to 2 tblsp/feeding (twice a day) because of his size. He loves his pumpkin and has it every day. He has not had one bout of anal sac problems since we have started him on the pumpkin and this has been for almost 2 years now."

RAW FOOD DIET

1 YEA

[YEA]  04/27/2008: Suzanne from Southeast, Michigan writes: "For those of you who have dogs with skin problems, skin allergies, anal gland issues, smelly coats, dirty or greasy feeling coat, smelly breath, please consider a raw diet. This is something that is becoming more well known and is growing in popularity. Commercial dog foods are the cause of so many health problems in pets. My dog had horrible anal gland problems(have you ever smelled anything so horrid?) Instead of having his anal glands extracted over and over, and for other health reasons that need to be addressed, I switched him to a raw diet. My three dogs and one cat have now been eating a raw diet for two years now. Raw meaty bones, some organ meat, and then a couple times a week, a few supplements like fish oil, yogurt, raw egg, kale. It's similar to something called the BARF diet for pets, but a simplified version. Two books by Tom Lonsdale, Raw Meaty Bones, and Work Wonders, are a good place to start reading about the diet. There are web sites and yahoogroups as well. There is a formula for percentage of meat/bones/organ, so it's important to read about the diet before jumping into it. It should also be a very gradual transition. My dogs teeth are super clean and white (even my 9yr old lab) because they're eating like their ancestors did; ripping the meat off bones, chomping on bone (raw bones only -- cooked bones are a choking hazard). Since starting this diet, besides being overall healthier pets, other benefits: clear anal glands because the poop is a bit harder, healthier skin and coat, no dog smell or doggy breath, much less poop because no fillers, etc., as in dry food I never have to clean up poop in my yard! Natural diet means natural poop; in a few days, it turns white and crumbles away. Also, my dogs are happier. They love the raw diet. I had one very stubborn cat who I just couldn't get to transition to a raw diet, so I fed her Evo, the more natural dry food. That did help her allergies, but I still would rather she went raw."

03/01/2009: Kim from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada replies: "My golden's anal sac issues were solved many moons ago by switching to a raw food diet. HOWEVER, my rott mix has been having anal sac issues for about a year now, regardless of diet. We've tried herbal fixes, grain free kibbles, raw foods (several varieties) and have actually settled on a less than ideal kibble. Still corn/wheat/soy/byproduct/chemical free, but my guys generally eat grain free human grade stuff. We're in the process of switching to morning feedings of this kibble and then evening feedings of Orijen again with added pumpkin, coconut and bran. Her issues are severe, and she required expression weekly, with copious amounts of fluid. Quite frankly, I've never seen anything like it. Cross your fingers for us!"

04/16/2009: Linda from Burlington, Ontario replies: "Hi Kim: How is you doggy doing with his anal sac problems. I am going through the same thing with my choc lab. I have to get them emptied every two weeks. He is on a high fiber diet, coconut and coconut oil I HAVE TRIED BRAN CARROT AND PUMPKIN. i AM THINKING ABOUT ADDING ENZYMES TO HIS DIET. hAVE YOU EVER TRIED ENZYMES. hAS YOU DOG EVER BEEN ON HIGH DOSES OF ANTI BIOTICS. I THINK THIS HAS CAUSED ALL OUR PROBLEMS BUT THAT IS JUST MY UNEDUCATED OPINION. i WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY SUCCESS."

 

 

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