Nourish Your Pooch Naturally Crafting Optimal Raw Dog Diets
How can I help my dog express his anal glands naturally (8 ways)?
Key takeaways:
- Dont try to manually express your dogs glands at home unless your veterinarian instructs you to do it.
- If your dogs anal glands become impacted, they usually progress to infections or rupture without treatment.
- There are several things you can try at home to help your dog naturally express his anal glands.
Your dog has been scooting his butt across the floor lately, and you know that may mean his anal glands are full. Should you take him to the vet, or can you do something at home to help your furbaby express the sacs naturally?
Anal glands in dogs usually provide natural lubrication when they poop. Unfortunately, the oily liquid can become too viscous, or the duct can become inflamed. When this happens, the sacs dont empty or express themselves properly.
In this article, well discuss why dogs need to regularly express their anal glands and things you can do to help them accomplish this action naturally. Then, Ill explain what happens if your dog cant express his glands and when its time to head to the vet.
Does my dog really need my help with anal gland expression?
Normally, dogs express their anal glands when they poop. The firm stool presses against the sacs from inside the rectum. When your pup has diarrhea or soft feces, expression may not occur. If your dogs anal glands arent expressed regularly, they can clog.
The problem is that a clogged or impacted gland continues to produce oily liquid. As a result, the sac swells and becomes inflamed and painful. Over time, they may abscess and rupture. So, if your pooch cant express his anal glands naturally, you should find ways to help him to prevent severe health conditions.
Dogs usually express their anal glands during defecation. But, if their poop isnt firm, they may evacuate the oily liquid effectively. The anal glands can clog, become inflamed or infected, or rupture. If your dog cant self-express his sacs, you should help him.
8 Ways to help dogs express glands naturally
Fortunately, there are several ways that you may help your dog express his glands naturally.
Increase fiber in your dogs diet
Fiber helps to add bulk to the stool so that it will fill the rectum and press against the glands from the inside. You can increase dietary fiber by feeding your pooch high-fiber commercial dog food. Another way to boost dietary fiber is by adding high-fiber human foods to his existing food. Healthy examples include:
- Pumpkin Add up to 1 tablespoon per 10 pounds of body weight of plain, canned pumpkin or fresh, steamed pumpkin.
- Banana You can feed bananas to your pooch to add fiber. Give some slices as special treats or mash it up and stuff it in a Kong toy. Dont overdo bananas, however, because theyre higher in sugar.
- Sweet potato Boiled, mashed sweet potatoes add fiber and omega fatty acids, which can help to reduce inflammation, to the diet. Feed this food at the same dose as the pumpkin.
- Apples Apple slices with the core and seeds removed to make a nutritious fiber-filled snack for your dog.
- Carrots Most dogs love crunchy carrots. You can feed pieces of baby carrot as a snack or grind some carrot up and mix it with your pals dinner.
- Brown rice You can add up to cup of cooked or steamed brown rice to your dogs food to increase his fiber intake.
- Beets/beet pulp Plain raw, steamed, or boiled beets can be added to your pups food for prebiotic fiber. Do not feed your dog pickled or can beets due to the high salt content.
Feed high-fiber treats to your dog
In addition to feeding a high-fiber diet or boosting the fiber in your dogs food with natural foods, you can also provide him with treats that are higher in fiber. For example, Glandex provides your pooch with soluble fiber from pumpkin seed and pectin to boost your dogs fiber with a few treats each day.
Give your dog supplements
One way you can assist your pooch in naturally expressing his anal glands is by giving him supplements that support the gut and healthy digestion.
- Probiotics These bacteria help replenish the normal gut flora and support proper digestion.
- Prebiotic fiber also helps by providing an energy source for your dogs healthy gut bacteria.
- Omega-3 fatty acids Omega fatty acids help reduce inflammation which can reduce the risk of anal gland impaction.
Increase your dogs water intake
Believe it or not, adding water to the diet can help improve your dogs stools. Canines need at least 1 ounce of water for each pound of body weight every day. Proper hydration encourages healthy digestion and regular bowel movements.
Exercise your dog
Increasing your dogs exercise level may help him express his anal glands. It helps to build muscle tone in the abdomen and rectum allowing your dog can put more pressure on the anal glands when he poops. Regular activity encourages more frequent bowel movements.
Put Fido on a Diet
Overweight dogs are more likely to develop anal gland impaction because added fat in the rectal area envelops the anal glands and makes emptying harder. If your pooch is pudgy, feed him a reducing diet to help him reach trim down.
Apply a Warm Compress
If your poochs anal glands are impacted, apply a warm compress under the tail. This can help soothe the area and open up the ducts. Up to twice a day, soak a clean washcloth in a solution of warm water and 1-2 teaspoons of witch hazel or Epsom salts and apply the cloth to the region for about 10 minutes.
Treat your dogs allergies
For some dogs, certain grains, proteins, or dairy products can cause allergic reactions that cause inflammation. If you suspect that your dog has food allergies, consult with your veterinarian about feeding him a hypoallergenic diet to help prevent inflammation.
There are a variety of things you can do to try to help your dog express his anal glands. Some involve changing his diet or adding foods to boost fiber. Other things you can try include applying warm compresses, exercising your dog, and giving him supplements to support overall digestive health.
How soon should my dog express her anal glands after I help her?
Natural treatments arent overnight solutions. It will take time for your dogs system to respond so that it naturally expresses the oily liquid. The time varies depending on the approach you try.
- With warm compresses, you may notice some changes in a few days.
- Increasing fiber in your dogs diet with food, supplements, or treats may require several days to bulk the stools. Once the stool is firmer, it will apply more pressure to the glands to express them.
- Exercising your dog or increasing his water intake helps to stimulate more normal bowel movements. The regular passage of poop should help with anal gland expression in a few days.
- Managing your dogs allergies and feeding a reduction diet may take a few weeks or longer to yield results.
How long it takes before your dog should naturally express his anal glands varies depending on the approach you try. With some measures, you may notice improvement in a few days. Other approaches can take several days to weeks to help with the natural expression of the glands.
What happens if my dog wont express his glands naturally?
If your dog isnt able to naturally express his anal glands, they can clog and swell. Over time, the oily liquid provides a medium for bacterial growth, which results in abscesses and infections. If you dont seek treatment for impacted anal glands, they may eventually rupture.
Signs that your pooch is having difficulty expressing his anal glands include:
When you notice these signs, check with your veterinarian before attempting any at-home remedies. But if the remedies arent effective, do not attempt to manually express your dogs anal glands yourself. Take your dog to the vet.
If your dog wont naturally express his glands, it can lead to impaction, infection, and rupture. Sings of improper expression include scooting, straining to poop, and licking or biting the anal area. Whenever you notice signs that your dog isnt emptying his glands, talk to your veterinarian about your options.
When to see a vet?
Unfortunately, the approaches described above dont work all the time. If your dog cant express his anal glands properly, and the sacs clog, the condition usually progresses from bad to worse without treatment. So, how do you know your dogs anal gland problems require immediate attention?
You should schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible if:
The sooner you seek treatment, the easier it will be to help your pup recover.
Natural home remedies dont always work. If your dog cant express his glands, you need to know when to take him to the vet. Watch for foul odors, swelling, redness, a brownish-red discharge, or abscesses and pus. These signs indicate you should schedule an appointment immediately.
The Final Woof
When dogs cant express their anal glands naturally, it can lead to impaction, infection, or rupture. There are some things you can try at home to help your pooch naturally force out the oily liquid. Some involve dietary adjustments or treats. There are also helpful supplements you can try. Other things to try include increasing his exercise and applying a warm compress to the affected glands. Depending on the home remedy you try, you may notice improvement in a few days or after a few weeks or more.
Signs your dog isnt expressing his sacs include scooting, biting or licking, and swelling. If the glands impact and progress to an infection or rupture, you may also notice a foul/putrid odor around his rear end, straining and pain during infection, or swollen, red glands that are painful to the touch. Any time you see these symptoms, get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. Never try to manually express your dogs glands at home unless your veterinarian instructs you.
Top 5 Benefits of Raw Diets For Dogs: The Science Behind Optimal Nutrition
Have you been wondering: Is a raw diet good for dogs? The answer is that yes, a raw diet is great for dogs! Lets take a look at the top 5 benefits of raw diets for dogs and important things to know for your dog to have the best experience eating raw dog food.
What Is a Raw Food Diet for Dogs?
A raw meat diet for dogs consists of uncooked muscle meat, organ meat, and bones. Raw dog food may contain fruits or vegetables but typically does not contain grains or other refined carbohydrates. A raw diet for dogs mimics the prey that dogs would eat in the wild.
The Benefits of Feeding Your Dog a Raw Food Diet
There are many benefits to raw feeding dogs. Here are the top 5 benefits of a raw dog food diet.
Longer, Healthier Lifespan
Without disease-triggering carbohydrates, a species-appropriate raw food diet helps dogs live longer and healthier lives. Studies have shown that diets high in carbohydrates are tied to high levels of inflammation, and chronic inflammation is associated with diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, allergies, and other health conditions.
Dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates in their diet, yet commercial kibble contains an average of 30-70% carbohydrates.
With all of this information, its easy to see why a raw food diet for dogs can help them have fewer life-shortening diseases.
Shinier Coat and Healthier Skin
Since its rich in healthy fats and free of inflammation-causing carbohydrates, raw dog food can help your dog itch less, have less dander, and grow shinier fur. It does this by starving yeast, adding moisture to the diet, and providing a balanced ratio of fatty acids as well as enzymes for cellular regeneration and amino acids to support skin cells protein function.
Improved Digestion
Studies have shown that puppies fed a raw diet are much less likely to develop chronic enteropathy (CE)an inflammatory gastrointestinal disorderthan puppies fed kibble. However, its never too late to switch your dog to the better digestibility of a raw diet.
While dogs may look quite different from wolves on the outside, their digestive system (in form and function) is still nearly identical, meaning dogs are better suited to digesting raw meat and bones than they are to digesting highly processed, high-carbohydrate foods like kibble.
Dogs on a raw diet typically have less gas and smaller, firmer, less frequent bowel movements than dogs who eat kibble.
Reduced Allergy Symptoms
One study showed that puppies fed a raw diet significantly decreased their odds of developing allergies later in life. Even adult dogs can benefit from switching to a raw diet, however. How?
For one thing, raw diets for dogs naturally have fewer ingredients than kibble, so its easier to avoid triggers for dogs who have food allergies. A large review showed that the most common dog food allergens include wheat, dairy products, beef, and chicken. By feeding a single-protein raw dog food (like our turkey recipe), you can avoid feeding your dog common allergens and eliminate food allergy symptoms.
Thats not all. Even environmental allergies can be improved by switching your dog to a raw diet. Thats because highly processed, high-carb kibbles can contribute to dry, flaky, itchy skin, exacerbating allergy symptoms. Raw dog food, on the other hand, supports a healthy skin and coat, improving allergy symptoms.
More Mealtime Excitement
While some dogs get excited over kibble (due to its high starch content and addictive qualities), more dogs are excited to eat REAL food. It smells, looks, and tastes like the food theyre meant to eat and is a lot more appetizing than highly processed crunchy brown balls. Raw diets also offer variety that kibble doesn't.
Potential Risks Associated With Feeding Your Dog a Raw Diet
Skeptics of the raw diet, including some vets, believe that feeding dogs raw meat could be dangerous. Lets look at some of their arguments and why those arguments dont hold up against We Feed Raw.
Bacterial Contamination
Vets often point to the risk of bacterial contamination as a reason why dogs shouldnt eat raw food. However, dogs digestive tracts are designed to handle potential pathogens.
Beyond that, We Feed Raw starts with high-quality, USDA-certified meat thats processed in an USDA-inspected facility, then uses a cold-pressure process to eliminate any potentially harmful pathogens. We also inspect every batch, so you can be sure that you will be safe handling the food and your dog will be safe eating it (although we still recommend washing your hands after handling our food, just as you would after handling raw meat before cooking it for yourself).
Nutritional Deficiencies
When feeding your dog a DIY raw diet, you do need to worry about making sure the diet is perfectly balanced and contains everything your dog needs to stay healthy. We Feed Raw takes all the guesswork out of raw feeding.
Our pre-portioned patties are nutritionally complete and balanced and meet AAFCO nutrition standards for dogs of all life stages, including the growth of large-breed puppies, so you never have to wonder whether your dog is getting proper nutrition.
Choking Hazards
Traditionally, a raw diet for dogs contained whole bones, which could theoretically cause a choking hazard or get lodged in a dogs intestines if they didnt chew it well enough. We Feed Raw incorporates finely ground raw meaty bones into our food, so your dog gets all the benefits of raw bones without any of the risks.
How to Introduce a Raw Diet for Dogs Safely
While some dogs can start a raw dog food diet cold turkey without any problems, we generally recommend that people transition their dogs slowly to prevent any stomach upset.
Gradually Introduce Raw Foods
Start with up to 25% raw food and 75% of your dogs current diet, and gradually add more raw food over the course of about 10 days. You may also have the best results starting with just one We Feed Raw protein and getting your dog (and their digestive tract) used to it before offering them other protein selections.
Monitor Your Dogs Stool
Loose stool is not uncommon when switching your dog to a raw diet. If your dog starts having loose stools, simply add a little bit of canned pumpkin or goat milk to your dogs diet and make the transition a little more slowly.
Get Your Pup Started on Raw Dog Food Now
Ready to make the switch to the convenience of We Feed Raws nutritionally complete and balanced patties? Start your meal plan or browse our bulk options now.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is a raw diet good for dogs?
Yes, a raw diet is great for dogs! High in protein and extremely low in species-inappropriate and disease-causing carbohydrates, a raw diet is the best thing you can do for your dog.
What are the benefits of a raw diet for dogs?
The benefits of a raw diet for dogs include a longer lifespan, improved digestion, healthier skin and coat, fewer allergy symptoms, and more mealtime excitement.
What are the risks of feeding my dog a raw diet?
Feeding your dog a DIY raw diet could cause nutritional deficiencies or introduce pathogens into your household. However, We Feed Raw is nutritionally complete and balanced and goes through a cold-pressure process to eliminate pathogens.
Are there any nutritional deficiencies in a raw diet for dogs?
Creating a raw diet for dogs by yourself could lead to nutritional deficiencies, but We Feed Raw is nutritionally complete and balanced and meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for dogs of all life stages, including large-breed puppies.
What are some good raw food recipes for dogs?
Some good raw food recipes for dogs include We Feed Raws turkey, chicken, beef, duck, venison, or lamb recipes.
How do I introduce my dog to a raw diet?
Its best to introduce your dog to a raw diet gradually, over the course of about 10 days. Start by adding about 25% raw food to 75% of your dogs current diet and gradually increase the amount of raw you feed.
Can all dogs eat a raw diet?
Most dogs can eat a raw diet, with very few exceptions for certain health problems, such as HUA Dalmatians, who are not supposed to eat diets high in purines.
Are there any health risks associated with a raw diet for dogs?
When you feed a nutritionally complete and balanced raw diet like We Feed Raw, there are few, if any, health risks associated with a raw diet for dogs.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when feeding my dog a raw diet?
The biggest mistake somebody could make when feeding raw food dog diets would be to try a DIY diet without enough information and fail to give their dog a properly balanced diet. You can avoid that risk by feeding nutritionally complete and balanced We Feed Raw.
