SUMMARY
“The food you’re feeding could be causing your pet’s anal gland issues.”
Many of the common kibbles being fed contain inflammatory ingredients or chemicals that are causing inflammation in the body
Dogs who were fed a kibble diet had 32 times the amount of glyphosate in their urine compared to humans
Lower back issues can be a hidden cause of anal glands not being able to work properly
Chiropractic care can help with subtle subluxations that can occur with active or agility dogs
Obesity is a common problem that leads to increased inflammation in the body
By optimizing diet, getting chiropractic adjustments, and making sure your pet is at lean body weight, anal gland issues could be a thing of the past
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
Did you know that the food you’re feeding your pet may be leading to your pet’s anal gland issues?
I know it sounds crazy because you’re used to hearing from your vet that you should be feeding the top four big brand pet foods and if you feed anything else it will lead to harm.
Sound familiar?
I’m going to share three secrets with you today that are going to make you rethink your pet’s food and how you think about their health while helping with those pesky anal glands.
In this short video, I’m going to cover what you need to know about anal glands. You’re going to learn what they are, why anal gland issues can develop, and how you can naturally fix the problem.
I’m Dr. Katie Woodley, holistic veterinarian and founder of The Natural Pet Doctor. I’m on a mission to help pets thrive naturally by empowering pet parents like you. If you’re excited to learn more about how you can help your pets achieve optimal health, make sure you hit that subscribe button below. New videos post every Monday on our channel so make sure you hit the bell to receive notifications, so you never miss out on our new content. You can also check out more of our free content at www.thenaturalpetdoctor.com.
So why is this topic important?
If you have a pet that has chronic anal gland issues or has ever experienced an anal gland rupture, then you know why this is an important topic.
Many pets will experience anal gland issues every year and often go to the vet clinic over and over again for this same problem with no relief from drugs or even routine expression. You may even have a pet that gets their anal glands expressed every time they go to the vet clinic or the groomer as prevention.
What are anal glands?
These are the scent glands that sit on the inside of the rectal area at 4 pm and 8 pm when we look at the anus as a clock. They normally express when your pet defecates.
Common signs of an anal gland issue may show up as scooting, licking excessively at the rectal area or tail base. You may even notice swelling at the rectal area or a wound at the 4 and 8 pm region of the rectal area if there’s been an anal gland rupture.
If you see any of these signs in your pet, make sure you see your veterinarian to assess your pet.
So why do so many pets need their anal glands expressed or have an issue?
There are four main categories for anal gland issues.
The first area is anal gland inflammation or infection. This is called anal sacculitis.
The second area is anal gland dysfunction or paralysis. This is where the anal glands are lazy or don’t express themselves naturally.
The third area is anal gland rupture. This happens when inflammation or infection is not resolved and the anal gland will rupture outward causing a wound at the 4 or 8 pm region near the anus.
And the final area is anal gland tumors. These are not the most common reason for anal gland issues, but if your pet is continuing to have issues after changing the following things, then make sure your veterinarian is ruling out this problem.
These next 3 areas are commonly overlooked when conventional vets are treating anal glands.
The first is diet. This is especially the case for dry or canned processed food, poor quality inappropriate species ingredients, preservatives, and other chemical agents. Your pet’s diet may have inflammatory ingredients, like wheat, corn, carrageenan that are leading to inflammation in your pet’s GI tract and anal glands. Many of the processed pet foods have higher levels of herbicides and heavy metals, leading to toxins building up in your pet’s body.
Astonishing research from the Health Research Institute Laboratories has shown the following results with glyphosate in our pet’s and the food they’re receiving:
- Cats are averaging 16 x more than that found in the average of human urine
- Dogs are 32 x the human average
- Dogs that eat raw food have virtually no detectable glyphosate
- Those that eat dry kibble have higher levels
This is not meant to scare or make you change your pet’s diet right now, but I recommend looking up the research that is being done, forward it to your vet, and ask about testing glyphosate levels in your pet’s urine to assess if their anal gland issue may be from toxin overload coming from their food.
I’ve had patients that came to me on steroids and needed their anal glands expressed every 4 days for months, and their anal gland issue resolved almost immediately with a switch to an appropriate diet. Diet is a powerful form of medicine when used appropriately.
If you’ve been wondering if a raw food diet is appropriate for your diet, make sure you watch our previous YouTube video on raw food diets. There’s a link to access this video and blog.
The second reason that commonly leads to chronic anal gland issues is a lumbosacral issue or lower back problem. This can be very common in active or agility dogs.
Have you ever watched your crazy dog, jump, twirl, and catch a frisbee mid-air and wonder if they are hurting themselves?
Pets can have subtle luxations that affect the energy flow to the anal glands. The anal glands will be affected if the nerve function to this area is reduced. If you’ve changed your pet’s diet, assessed the toxin load in your pet’s body, and your pet seems otherwise healthy but still needs to have their anal glands expressed, then make sure you seek out an animal chiropractor to examine and potentially adjust your dog. I’ve seen amazing things happen for a pet’s health after they’ve received a chiropractic adjustment. To find a holistic practitioner near you that provides these types of services, go to ahvma.org.
The final area that is connected to chronic anal gland issues is obesity.
Do you know how to assess your pet’s body weight and know if they are overweight?
Gone are the days of comparing our pets to a neighbor’s pet, because over 60% of pets are now technically overweight.
When your pet is overweight, it puts more pressure on their back (affecting the energy and nerve flow to the anal glands), causes inflammatory mediators to be released in the body, and is directly related to the food you’re feeding.
Most pets who are on a raw food diet are lean and at optimal body weight. This is the most biologically appropriate diets, and when our pets are being fed a processed, kibble diet, it can lead to insulin resistance and a higher chance of your pet being overweight.
Learn how to access your pet’s body weight and adjust their diet and the amount you’re feeding to help them achieve an optimal weight.
Remember unhealthy anal glands signal system problems.
Your pet should not need routine anal gland expressions. So if yours is needing this treatment, we must start looking for where the imbalance is.
Start with the above 3 areas that are commonly overlooked but are so powerful. By changing your pet’s diet, getting a chiropractic adjustment, and keeping your pet at lean body weight, you may be surprised at the positive health responses you see in your fur family.
If you found this video helpful, click the like button and hit the button to subscribe so you never miss out on our future content that gets released every Monday. I love hearing from amazing pet parents like you, so if you have other pet health topics you’d like to hear about, make sure to leave a comment below. As always, you have the power to help your pet live a long and vibrant life. Together we can make the change that’s needed to help your fur family thrive naturally. Until next time, I’m Dr. Katie. Take care, pet parents!
*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor. The information contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. Please consult your veterinarian for medical advice for your own pets. Dr. Katie Woodley cannot answer specific questions about your pet’s medical issues or make medical recommendations for your pet without first establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.