Are you worried about the anal gland problems that may become serious in your dog? or maybe your dog is already suffering from it. In this article, we discuss the ways to prevent anal gland problems and listing as well as reviewing the best dog food for anal gland issues.
Before moving forward, you have to understand what are anal glands and how they can become a problem?
Anal sacs are two small pouches located on either side of the anus, one at four o’clock and the other at eight o’clock. The walls of these sacs are lined up with sweat glands which naturally produce foul-smelling fluid. That fluid is stored in the anal sacs and released through the small duct that opens inside the anus.
Dogs need food high in fiber, which is easy to digest and promotes firm stool as well as releases less liquid in the gut, such food can prevent any possible issues of the anal gland and also help in curing this disease.
We recently reviewed a dog food brand Purina Pro Plan, we discuss the pros and cons as well as also discuss which dogs can use this food brand and what is the ideal time to switch the food of your dog.
Before moving forward let’s have a look at our top recommendations:
Amazon Brand – Wag Dry Dog Food, Available in the three formulations (beef, chicken, salmon, and sweet potato), Keep the bowel regular, Make stool firm, Release less liquid in the gut.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Dry Dog Food, made with farm-raised chicken and completely free from chicken by-products, an ideal solution to avoid anal gland issues.
CANIDAE All Life Stages, Premium Dry Dog Food, a multiprotein source food that also has whole grains, vet formulated, suitable for all breeds and all life stages.
Why Anal Glands Cause Problems in Dogs?
Inflammation of releasing duct is a common problem in dogs. Sacs become swollen and distended due to thickening secretion. That results in pain while passing feces. The feces’ bacteria are responsible for all the problems where it travels through the duct to the anal glands; in normal cases, it flushed out during secretion release, but when it’s not released, the sacs become infected.
As a result of this problem, the sacs filled up with pus.
It’s painful for the dogs and creates a challenging situation, red hot swelling on both glands. In the worst situation, when it bursts, it releases greenish bloody pus. When it remains unattended or untreated, it can create more serious problems for the dogs, damaging the anus and rectum. In some dog’s gastrointestinal diseases also leads to anal gland problems.
Symptoms of Anal Gland Problems in dogs
- Scooting and discomfort of the rear end
- Excessive licking of the anal area and hind end
- Straining to defecate
- Releasing a sudden foul (fishy) odor
- Leaking of anal gland fluid
- Bleeding and/or swelling near the anal region
A dog owner can prevent this problem from occurring when he examines his dog regularly and feeds high-quality food. Some conditions likely invite anal gland problems or chances of this disease increase in that condition—a few of the important ones we discuss underneath.
Conditions that can Increase Chances of Anal Gland Problems Include:
- Being obese or overweight
- Diarrhea
- Food hypersensitivities (food allergies)
- Atopic dermatitis (environmental allergies)
- Deep skin infections with bacteria and/or yeast
- Inability to contract the anal sphincter normally
- Obstruction of the anal gland duct – mass/tumor, inflammation to the muscles
- Skin mite infestations
What is the Best Dog Food for Anal Gland Problems?
Older pets seem to be more prone to these anal gland issues than younger dogs. The older ones cannot exert the same pressure pooping the youngers can do. But a quality dog food can become a solution for your dog.
While selecting a dog food to prevent anal gland issues you need to consider:
- Highly digestible food
- Full of fiber
- Limited ingredients
The guidelines are straightforward, dog food that depends on quality protein source is always easy to digest, and such food also keeps the bowel movement regular and promotes healthy stools.
The best dog food for anal gland issues leaves less liquid in the gut and improves faces’ consistency. Toileting regularly and firm stool is a key to drain the anal glands naturally.
1. Amazon Brand - Wag Dry Dog Food
- Ingredients: Beef, Beef Meal, Swear Potato, Peas. lentils
- Type: Grain Free
- Profile: All life stages
Wag is the ultimate Dog Food for Anal Gland Issues. Do you often spot the mongrel scooting over terrain? This weird behavior of an otherwise civilized pet is not because of madness but also the itching pain of anal glands or sacs. Anal glands are the two sacs at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock sphincter of the dog’s anus. These sacs are filled with stinky chemicals that are regularly extracted with feces.
Nonetheless, sometimes due to the excessive wet food, the anal glands could not pass on chemicals with stool, allowing the build-up to lead to the bulging of sacs. (I couldn’t find a more amicable way to describe the ordeal). Well, finally, the anal glands either burst to leave painful abscesses or keep stinking the environment.
The root cause of the disruption of chemical passage is loose or wet stool. Watery stool depicts an ill-health omen that, in the end, might put a heavy toll on the overall health of the dog.
Wag dry dog food comes out as a savior; the real beef is incorporated as the primary food ingredient that comprehensively gives a dry effect to mutts’ diet. Moreover, the nutrient-rich lentils and peas provide antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients. At the same time, salmon oil becomes a rich source of omega-3 acids. The food profile is optimal for an average pet dog.
Amazingly, this fantastic food aura is sketched up without the inclusion of wheat, corn, grain, chemical preservatives, and artificial flavors or colors.
What We Like?
Overall, Wag dog food is prepared under the aegis of a bevy of pet nutritionists or veterinarians. On the face value, the anal gland problem would be eliminated after a couple of doses. The feces would be normalized, and the anal chemicals would be secreted as routine. Try this trial-size food bag without investing too much.
2. Best Dog Food for Anal Gland Issues
- Ingredients: Chicken, Dried peas, Soybean meal, Whole Ground Corn, Brown Rice
- Type: Dry dog food
- Profile: All Life Stages
Rachael Ray is too good to be true. Dogs leverage the anal glands for marking territory; this is why the dogs are often spotted sniffing the butts of each other. Nevertheless, the malfunctioning of anal glands restricts the dog’s normal functioning, whether it be marking territory or identifying peers. The pain or distress on the rectum is an additional burden. More than often, this anomaly is caused by the dwindling moisture ratios in the dog’s diet. The supper becomes super dry, especially during summers.
Rachael Ray Nutrish is an excellent option to infuse a plethora of moisture directly into the dog’s diet. This 40-pound bag contains 10% moisture laden on a farm-raised chicken base. The balanced diet comes out as an organic cure for anal gland problems, and the pet parent need not visit the vet for manual excretion of gunk.
What We Like?
Fortunately, Rachael Ray Nutrish is also free of poultry by-products or gluten, making it one of the safest dog foods worldwide. The very first dose elevates the moisture levels by 200%.
3. CANIDAE All Life Stages, Premium Dry Dog Food with Whole Grains
- Ingredients: Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Rice, Peas
- Type: Multi protein
- Profile: For Adults
Canidae is the answer to your dog troubles. More than often, anal gland problems are being faced by pudgy dogs. The sacs disorder is an underlying cause of the broader systemic health problem where obesity plays a key role.
If your skinny dog is gaining the extra pounds of flesh, then opting for a balanced diet or switching food choices might alleviate pressure leading to a scenario where sacs get empty with utmost ease. A safe and sound approach constantly keeps the byproducts, toxic additives, or cheap carb fillers a mile away from the animal’s diet.
What We Like?
Canidae dog food is an optimal leveler that is compatible with any breed, size, and age. The nutrient-rich, dense, and formulated diet nourishes every bite of the dog. Moreover, the brand despises the idea of including filler, wheat, or soy in the first place. The perfect mix of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids gives the final touch to boost a beautiful coat and skin.
Canidae ensures that incorporating antioxidants and probiotics into the dog diet directly works in sync with the digestive system, making it a fully anal gland pro diet plan.
4. Hill's Science Diet Dry Dog Food
- Ingredients: Brewers Rice, Chicken meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Pork fat
- Type: Dry dog food
- Profile: 21% protein, 12% fat, 4% crude fiber
Hills Science is the best food you can get for the pup. Fiber is a silver bullet for a puppy’s anal glad distress, as this dietary supplement has the stool-softening effect that makes the gland get empty in an instant. Nonetheless, this panacea needs to be taken in moderation by a dog. The excess might prove a curse. As a lay pet parent doesn’t have any idea about the correct quantity, it is better to set the ball into experts’ court.
Hill’s Science dog food is such a name that works explicitly on the fiber-food phenomenon. Interestingly, empirical data shows that this dog food’s constant doses have eliminated the bloated anal glands problem up to a minimal zero through the pure organic way.
What We Like?
The food is extra rich with prebiotic fiber that efficiently balances the gut microbiome. Furthermore, this wholesome diet plan helps formulating a true digestible and nutrient-laden feed that improves the digestive system and ensures east stool pick up. Omega 6 fatty acid and vitamin E are additional picks to give lustrous fur and firm skin.
In sum, this veterinarian recommended, and truly organic fiber formula could prove a breeze for the hellish anal gland issue of the puppy in simplistic terms.
5. CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Adult Dry Dog Food
- Ingredients: Chicken, Split peas, Lentils, Plain Beet Pulp, Pork meal
- Type: Grain Free
- Profile: Adult dog food
Crave is all you need if your dog needs help. Bacteria are the magical beans living inside every sentient being. The dog anal gland problem is sometimes directly related to the absence of good bacteria in the gut area, leaving an open ground for noxious agent incursion.
Canine-specific probiotics can adequately boost the pro bacteria for solving the gut issues. Probiotics also help the anal glands to wash away on their own sans any outside help. If the dog faces the menacing anal glands swelling trouble, then an enzyme-rich diet might do the trick.
Crave dog food is the kind of brand that includes probiotics and proenzymes, a digestive supplement based on the “digest-all” notion. Moreover, chicken, nutrients, and minerals are also at galore. The brand incorporated high-quality animal protein with a meaty flavor for tempting the ancestral wolf nerves to enhance the interest. While on the flip side, this dog food recipe is also formulated with zero wheat, corn, soy, preservative, grain, color, flavor. It means all the party spoilers are chucked out of the kennel.
Overall, Crave is a living example of rectifying gut disorders by simple food processing; this is also perhaps the best possible approach of liberating the troubled dog from the shackles of the swelting anal glands.
6. Halo Natural Dry Dog Food
- Ingredients: Chicken, Dried egg, Pearled barley, Oat groats, Chickpeas
- Type: Healthy Grains
- Profile: Adult Dry Dog Food
Halo is a savior, and we shall tell you why. Consuming a poor diet is one of the leading factors of rising anal gland problems among dogs. According to an online survey, “every fifth dog has once in its life experienced the bloated anal sacs.”
Quality food brands like Halo dog food have the potential to mitigate the risk of anal glands by balancing the diet. Halo extracts the prime quality base material from cage-free US farms and non-GMO vegetables and fruits. Hence, the final diet is highly digestible, sans any worry of preservatives or artificial ingredients.
This Omega 3 and 6 rich diet with delightful crunch is the best solution for rejuvenating the anal gland stricken dog.
7. Real Meat Company Air Dried Turkey & Venison Dog Food
- Ingredients: Turkey, Venison, Vegetable Glycerin, Pumpkin, Inulin
- Type: Air-dried dog food
- Profile: 30% protein
It is an established truth that Meat is meant for dogs. No matter how vehemently the pet parent pursues this beast to survive on plant-based civilized food, the bestial instincts do not die down. Ironically, the over-relying on the vegetables also leads the hound into some severe gut issues. One of this kind is an anal gland problem.
The blocked anal glands are often blamed on the excessive plant-based diet that gives zero galvanizing effect to the nipple-shaped anal glands just beside the sphincter. Meat proves a powerful idea to activate the anal glands inadvertently, hence relieving the dog of its onerous onus. As some pet parents despise the concept of bestowing raw or cooked Meat to the house dog, then processed and packaged food is the best pick.
Real Meat air-dried dog food rules the roost in the meaty genre. It incorporates the organ food of turkey and venison with a mix of minerals and nutrition.
This diet plan brings energy, health, and agility from the very first dose. Anal glands would be sprouting like a brimming fountain.
When to See a Vet
When you found your dog is suffering with anal glands, examine your dog well while bearing latex gloves. If you find any problem like reddishness, swallow, and pimple, then immediately consult with your vet. The infected glands should be examined by the vet quickly as possible, and a ruptured abscess can create a harrowing situation.
To minimize the damage and lessen their pain, you should visit the vet to cure your dog’s recurring problem.
FAQ's
These glands contain a chemical which is used for territorial marks or dog calling card. Usually, in dogs, it's used to repel enemies and show presence. Dogs can squeeze it out through muscular contraction. You may see dogs smelling feces of other dogs. This is why, during their bowel movement, they also release a distinctive odor (scent signature) that becomes their identity for other dogs/animals.
Scratching the rear on the ground is the biggest sign that your dog is caught into an anal gland problem or when he is scooting very often. It’s just the first sign in serious conditions; dogs also lick and bite their tail base because this problem is excruciating for them. When you are examining their anus or tough the tail base, they may growl or snap. While in a severe condition, you can see blood and pus draining from the rectum.
It is unnecessary for domestic dogs. It’s used to mark territory and was very useful when dogs used to live in the wild; then, it helps dogs alert other animals and mark territory. The removal of anal sacs in domestic dogs will not adversely affect the dogs.
It is a specialized surgery that veterinarians perform routinely. There is no major risk associated with the removal of anal glands. But keep in mind for a few weeks dog may experience loose stools and lack of bowel movement.
The Wrap Up
Many of my friends are not convinced that anal gland problems can be prevented using good-quality dog food. But it’s the reality that a good quality dog food that keeps the bowel movement normal helps avoid this painful disease. If you feed a good quality recommended food from the very start, then your dog will not experience such a problem.
When you see the very first sign, after cleaning the anus of your dog, the second thing you need to do is “change the food of your dog” moving to quality dog food is the only solution that vets recommend. We recommend the wag most because it’s made with quality ingredients, and the formula is perfect for keeping the dog bowl regular during all life stages.
A quality dog food may cost you more but it can save your dog from the pain that anal gland problems may cause.