This is Bella, a 10-12-year-old Chihuahua. Bella's mom, a single mom who works hard to provide for her family, adopted Bella three years ago. Bella is a very important part of the family, so when she started crying and having bloody stools, her mom became very concerned. At the vet they discovered that Bella was in excellent health for a senior dog, but she did have impacted anal glands. Did you know that you dog has anal glands? These are small, oval-shaped, and located in your dog’s rectum on both sides of the anus. According to Wag!, the glands produce a greasy, foul-smelling substance that acts as a territorial marker for dogs. Normally, stool will push against the sacs while exiting through the rectum and force the yellow-brown to gray substance to be secreted out with it. If your dog can’t express their anal glands when they go No. 2, the substance can build up in and thicken, thereby plugging the glands. Impacted anal glands can then begin to swell and become irritated, causing discomfort and possibly an infection in your dog; it also makes it painful to go to the bathroom. Often, impacted glands are caused by obesity, poor diet or chronic diarrhea. According to Wag!, signs include:
Symptoms of impacted anal glands should be taken seriously. If left untreated, an impaction can lead to a serious infection. Bella's mom applied with Fur Kids Foundation to see if we could help get Bella seen by a veterinarian. They were afraid at Bella's age she was suffering and didn't want it to impact her quality of life, especially if it was something serious. We were more than happy to help. Bella was sent home with some meds and is expected to make a full recovery, and signs for her mom to look for if Bella's anal glands start bothering her in the future. No matter what is happening with your fur kid, at any stage of life, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to call your veterinarian sooner rather than later. Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. Read more Success Stories.
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