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My dog's poop is normal. Should I still give pumpkin for anal glands?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 5 years and 3 months old | 17 lbs

If my dog is having solid normal stools without pumpkin do I need to continue to give her the pumpkin for her anal glands?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Mirissa Duncil, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 21st, 2017

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Many vets recommend the canned pumpkin to continue on emperically-so just every now and then if she is now well maintained, while others ok it to be discontinued entirely. In my personal clients, I will often tell them it is ok to skip every day addition of this and go to about once a week to see if that will help maintain. However-if Chloe has had trouble with her glands, I always recommend having them checked by your veterinarian every 3-4 weeks to avoid any potential rupture, etc. Your doctor will palpate the glands for any sign of scar tissue (old ruptures), as well as abnormal consistency etc of the glandular material to assess any further problems.

I hope this helps, and I'm very glad that Chloe is doing much better!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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