Why is my dog still having loose stools after anal gland surgery?

This could be completely normal after the surgery and could be due to an inflammation of the last part of the colon. As a first approach I would suggest to start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

It can take 3 weeks or longer to completely heal from this surgery. The itching is likely due to the sutures and healing. Keep an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking or chewing. Your vet may be able to prescribe a remedy for the itching.

They can and you definitely want to avoid them straining to defecate. It is best to feed very soft foods, bland and easy to digest as well. Also, your vet should have given you a type of laxative to make the stools soft until the surgery has healed. Did they do that? After the surgery has healed there should be no ill effects. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the last portion of his intestine was lowered, however I think it is very unlikely that improper anal gland expression could lead to fecal incontinence. Sometimes dogs with chronic anal gland inflammation will leak anal gland fluid, however this would also probably not be related to improper expression and rather ongoing inflammation and anal gland disease. Fecal incontinence is more often a sign of a neurologic problem or occasionally gastrointestinal disease.

It’s hard to say what’s going on but from the picture, I agree that the anal gland abscess seems to be healing well. As the scab forms, it can produce a mild pulling or pinching sensation which could be uncomfortable. Also make sure there is not hair or feces stuck in the fur around there. If true limping happens or if Ems is biting at the area, you notice discharge, swelling, or have other concerns, definitely see your vet. For now I’d watch Ems over the next 12-24 hours and see how she does. Best of luck!

There is a pretty big hole where the anal sac used to be, so there is a chance that there is a seroma there filling it up, which is a perfectly normal reaction of the body. Unless the discharge is yellow or green (pus) or frank blood, I would not worry and you can wait for your recheck appointment with your veterinarian.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Trinni may have irritation arpund the anus from soft stook sitting on the skin. I would make sure to clean the butt area well to prevent further irritation. If you notice any swelling under the tale, I would have his glands checked for infection by the vet. For the soft stool, I would recommend a bland diet as outlined below. Glandex is a supplement that can help reduce anal glands problems, so I would recommend starting this product if his glands have problems on a regular basis. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.