ANAL GLANDS

Is your dog dragging his hind end on the floor? Is he chewing at himself? Is he chasing his hind quarters?

This most likely means that your dog needs his anal glands done. The anal glands are scent glands that are used for marking. Some dogs will express these glands when nervous or scared.

These glands are located under the skin next to the anus. In larger dogs these glands are usually expressed by the dog, however in smaller dogs these glands need to be expressed by hand. If these glands are not expressed frequently then the dogs anal glands can become impacted and cause infection.

Should your dogs anal glands become impacted and infected please get them to the vet immediately so that they can be taken care off. This is such an issue in some dogs that the anal glands have to be surgically removed.

Your groomer should be expressing these glands every time your dog goes in for grooming. There should not be an extra charge. This is part of the job. So when taking your dog in be sure to remind your groomer to do this.

Should you have a dog that does not require grooming, you either need to go in once a month to have the anals expressed or learn how to do this yourself.

BEWARE: I will describe how to perform an anal expression however, if you have never done this before, I would highly suggest asking your groomer to show you how or asking your vet. This should not be attempted by someone who does not know how to do it as you may injure

your dog and cause serious problems.

Note: It DOES stink so its best to do this when the dog is in the tub before bathing.

I put a dog in the tub and get them sudsy and before rinsing the dog I express the anals.

I turn the dog so their hind end is facing to the side so you can see but not be in the direct path of any oncoming expression. I take the tail in my left hand (or non-dominate hand) and hold it straight up so that it is taught. This serves two purposes. 1- It gives you a good hold on the dog. 2- It pulls the skin and anus tight to that you can find the glands easier.

The glands are located right next to the anus, one on each side. Basically at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions. You should be able to feel these glands with your fingers. I use my thumb and middle finger to express the glands. I start towards the outside of the gland and gently but with a little bit of pressure milk the glands out towards the anus. Almost like you are pulling away from the dog. It does take a bit of practice to get this right and to get anything to come. Start with a light touch and gradually strengthen it a bit until you get the right pressure and the anal glands express. This should never hurt your dog although he might give you a funny look as you are playing in areas that he thinks you should not. When anals express you will smell a funky, smell a lot like fish oil. You should see either a brown oily liquid come out and squirt into the tub or a dark almost black liquid. Sometimes it even looks like light brown toothpaste or dark brown almost black coffee grounds. Any of the above is normal. Just REMEMBER...Try not to get any of this stuff on you. It does not come out of clothing very easily. Its pretty nasty stuff. Once the anal glands are expressed washing it down the tub and rinse off the dog.

Should you see anything abnormal like blood or something that is not described above in the expression then get your dog to a vet ASAP. 

Trimming you Dogs Toenails 

You know you need to clip your dog's toenails regularly. You attempted to do the right thing but could not seem to hold the dog still to complete clipping even one nail. Or you attempted to clip the dog's nails, quicked a nail, the nail bled the dog screamed, you abandoned the pedicure and neither one of you are anxious to experience this activity soon.

Meanwhile you hear clickity click on your floors and know you need to do something soon. So now you decide to call your Vet or groomer and pay someone else to commit the clip.

Sometimes hiring a professional is the best avenue to take if you absolutely can't see yourself clipping a toenail. The problem is that nails need to be clipped regularly. Trips to the groomer or Vet can be tiresome.

Some dogs get so traumatized by nail clipping they require many pet professionals to hold them while someone clips the toenails. Some dogs require anesthesia to have their nails clipped. Please get your dog used to nail clipping when young so he or she doesn't have to endure being knocked out for simple grooming. Start early. Get your dog or puppy used to you touching feet and nails early on in your relationship. Most dogs are not fond of this type of interaction and will put up a fuss. Touch a paw and say good or yes and move on to the next paw and so on. You could have someone distract the dog with a food treat or toy while you touch and praise. Gradually touch the toes and paws little more, touch the nail, the pad, look between the pads and praise. You could try to clip nails on one paw a day to begin. Act confidant. If you are OK, your dog will feel a bit better about the procedure.

Black nails are more difficult to clip than white nails as you cannot see the quick. White nails are easiest to clip as you can see the difference in color of the tip of the nail which is pinkish in color. Either way, you can just take that tip off and be relatively safe. Just clip the end at first until you are more comfortable with getting a little more nail. Have some styptic powder on hand to put on the end of a bleeding nail if you quick the nail. You can get styptic power at most pet stores or can order it from dog supply catalogues. Even the most experienced Vets, breeders and groomers quick nails.

There are various types of nail clippers you can purchase offering various sizes to handle small to large dogs. You can also try using a dremel which can sand or grind the nail. Grinding nails is easy on the dog once they get used to the dremmel. You can get a shorter nail using a dremel. You can purchase a dremel at most hardware stores or from dog supply catalogues. You can ask your groomer or breeder to show you how to use either tool. You can purchase nail files for dogs to round off the tips of nails. There are many options from which to choose.

A dog whose nails are left unchecked can end up with deformed toes. Can you imagine trying to walk on your overgrown toenails? Ouch! Left unattended, nails can grow under the paw and into the pad. Dew claws can grow so long they wrap around the dog's leg and into the skin. I have had to actually use hemostats and pull nals out of pads on dogs and cats that had grown into the bottom of their pads.  OUCH!

How often should you clip nails? As often as needed. I would recommend weekly for pups, then clipped as needed. Preferable every 2-4 weeks. Check them weekly to see the rate of growth. It is easier to maintain short nails than deal with longer ones.

Stop in for just a quick and easy nail trim today! No appt.neccessary for most pets, unless extremely difficult you may want to call and check with me first if I have my helper available.

Give me a call at (253)-539-9200 or (253) 686-6031 too let me know you'd like to come by for just a nail trim.  Small dogs $5 Med $8 Large $10.00  Cat nail trims are 10.00 

Your dog or cat will feel so much better being able to feel the ground beneath their feet!  Take five minutes out for them and stop by today!