I'm new with a problem

[Bear]

Hi,
I'm sorry to be new because of a problem but I don't know what to do. We have a 2 year old English Mastiff. She is amazing! This summer she has anal gland problems (can I tell you how bad she smells), we've taken her to the vet at least once every two weeks to get them drained, it's now down to surgery to remove them. Has anyone had to deal with this problem, she is week in the hind legs, has problems getting up, is stiff before she walks around a little it's like she is 10 years old. Please any advice you can give us.

 

[sheryllovesdogs]

Sounds like bad breeding from the sound of the hips. You should inform your breeder. Dont know what to say about the anal glands. Im very sorry for you misfortune and the misery of you pet.

 

[Bentley]

Welcome, I have a collie cross who had the surgery on her anal glands and she showed no ill effects so I shouldn't worry about that. As for the hips/ hind legs, tell your breeder and ask him/ her if there is a history in her line. At two she is still growing and it may equalise at least to a degree once she reaches full growth. My sympathies though, I know what a worry these things can be.

 

[Bear]

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I will call the breeder and let them know about her hips. We are so scared getting the surgery, but that's our. last choice, we tried everything.
Thank you

 

[Cody]

Although it does sound like her hips it may be other things as well, Pano, OCD...I would ask your vet while your dog is under for the anal gland surgery to X Ray her hips and check them out.
Are you giving her supplements at all? I would do Ester C, like 2000mg a day as well as Glucosamine and Chondroitin.
And BTW having bad hips does not always mean bad breeding. Two dogs with perfect hips can throw pups with DJD, and a dog that is DJD can throw pups with no hip issues at all. It is luck of the draw, and unfortunately with these large breeds it is common. What will make a good breeder stand out is the action they take if a problem arises.
Good luck with your baby. Let us know how things work out!

 

[Bear]

Thank you, we will have our vet do the x-rays. My heart is just broken

 

[Cody]

Don't get too upset yet.
It may be nothing. She is young and growing, pains and stiffness are not uncommon.
The anal gland surgery will go fine, and it is better then bi-monthly trips to the vet.
If there is an issue with her hips, you will know after the X ray and can then decide what the best course of action is.
Some dogs live long and happy lives with hip issues.
The best thing to do would be try and strengthen her muscles and ligaments, swimming is a great way to work those muscles, without the heavy impact of running and walking.
A lot of cities have facilities for that, I know there is a dog swim tank here.
Check it out, is good for her regardless of whether or not she has hip problems

 

[Mongo]

Mongo has his anal glands removed when he was neutered... we had problems with his expressing themselves all by themselves... nasty nasty mess. Anyways Mongo had a successful surgery and is fine today (the surgery was 2 years ago)

Dont really know what to say about the hips except to talk to your vet about it.

Good Luck

 

[Bear]

I'm so happy to hear your dog is fine after the surgery. Was there a reason why it happened? Right now she is on Amoxicillin this is her third round in 2 months. That's why surgery is the last step.

 

[Mongo]

I dont know the reason but I found out after the surgery that anal glands can "mature" with age.... I really dont know if thats a good way of saying it... Mongo was not even a year old when he had the surgery...

ok I dont think this helped lol The vet didnt really give me a reason, he said it happens.... thats before I started up with dog forums and educated myself on vets and their BS

I dont think Mongos case is anything related to what your going thru though :/

 

[Bear]

Thanks,
I'm so happy your story had a happy ending. What the worst thing the vet told me, besides the surgery part was that this is more a small dog problem. Our Honey is 165lbs. So now we are waiting for her to come off her meds. and see what the surgery involves. Do you remember how much you paid? How was the recovery?

 

[Mongo]

Paid quite a bit not gonna lie.... it was the anal gland removal and neuter I believe it was $715 I paid all together. I think the neuter was around $400 and the gland removal was around $300 maybe vice versa :/

 

[Bear]

I haven't posted because I was waiting to get all the info from our vet.... Here it is, HoneyBear needs her anal glands removed because they fill up fast and get infected if she is not on antibiotics. So the price for the surgery is $3000.00! Our vet said that a soft tissue specialist has to do the surgery (because of where it is). That price is just for the surgery it's not including, blood work, a night in the hospital, meds for preventing infection.
There is also a chance that things could get worse. Does anybody have any ideas we could try? I've tried cleaning them out myself, I can't do it. Please advice I need.

 

[Cody]

That is crazy! I suggest getting a second opinion on that price.
That is the same as a TPLO surgery!

 

[Bear]

Thanks, we are going for a second opinion. I hope we get some good news.

 

[Bear]

Well we got our 2nd opinion and it's the same price. It feels horrable. I was also told to call the breeder and let them know that they should account for something. I just don't understand why dogs are getting this problem. I understand the hip issues because they are such a big dog but this. And we've tried everything surgery is the next step. Poor baby is just not herself, us either. Thanks for all your input. Wish us luck.

 

[Mongo]

That price is not right!

 

[Bear]

We've asked around and that is the price that we are getting. To make it worse not even a payment plan. I did talk to a person that said their bull mastiff had the same thing and once the got rid of the infection it went away came back one more time and that was it then it was gone, so we are trying another medication and praying that we don't have to do the surgery. I hate the look we get from the Dr.s when they tell us about it. Anyway, we are keeping everything crossed that it will go away. I'm at the vets a lot but that's not the worse part.

 

[mich_tidw]

poor thing! Only other things I can think of to try at home is soak a washcloth with epsom salts and warm water and hold it to your pet's bottom twice daily. if he will allow it put some pressure on the glands while compressing - this may help them drain.

additional fiber to diet will increase stool volume naturally putting pressure on the anal glands, helping them empty. some moderate exercise like 15min a day helps expression of the glands.