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Are there any experienced dog people around tonight?

I'm a little stressed out about how my dog is acting and I could use some advice.

Thanks

Here; owner of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who loves to get into trouble.

It’s late now, can’t sleep, but happy to help if I can. I used to assist dog training classes years ago and have trained multiple dogs to be therapy dogs.

I have three dogs, one of which is a puppy. They range from 75 to 145 pounds, LOTS of experience. What is going on with yours?

Thanks everyone.

I have an eight year old Boston Terrier. Bostons are a very quirky breed so it is so hard to tell if he is sick. He also is a little dramatic.

When I took him out last night he reacted kind of crazy when he did his business. He threw himself down and was running back and forth along the porch rubbing his side. When I got him to come inside he stood under the table hunched up. Then he wanted to be held.

I finally figured out he appears to be developing an anal gland abscess.

Off to call the vet.

Thanks again!!!!!

Just called the vet. There is NO vet available today at all. He has had these before and there prescribe an antibiotic and have me do warm compresses and bring him in if it doesn't get better.

I get kind of understand not having an appointment available but nobody available to take my message either!?!

[This message edited by zebra25 at 7:56 AM, November 19th (Friday)]

Just called the vet. There is NO vet available today at all.

This is pretty standard across the country. I can't tell you how many stories I've read on Nextdoor that people have been unable to get a vet's appt. in a timely manner. Which then means the acute care clinics are also overwhelmed. This all started during the pandemic when all those people who are now working at home decided they wanted a pet.

Several times we've not been able to get our dog into his regular vet for an emergency. They are just absolutely overwhelmed and understaffed. A few weeks ago, our vet's office sent out an email to all its clients about 'etiquette' when in the office. While they gave no specific examples, they reiterated that clients must refrain from abusing the staff when at the office, and provided examples, such as not being aggressive, not using foul language, etc. It made me wonder how awful it must be there for them to send out an email to all clients.

A few months ago, I baked a pan of brownies and dropped it off for the staff to enjoy. They were SO appreciative. A little kindness goes a long way. They sent me a thank you note, too, saying how important it is to them, particularly now, to know some of their clients appreciate them.

If it were me with your pooch, I'd start calling urgent care centers and see which ones have openings and how long the wait might be. There were times we had to call three or four places to find one that didn't have a wait time of 4-6 hours! Hope he feels better. It's hard on us when our pets are unhappy!

I would have said Anal sacs for sure based on your description.
Have fun at the vet.
If his gut tolerates it give him real cow bones to chew. It's good for their teeth, and will make their poop hard enough to express them naturally.

Dogs were not made to eat kibble, and soft foods every single day. A regular diet for most dogs doesn't do the trick.

Let us know how everything comes out..... I'm cracking myself up.

Seriously though. Hope your little guy is ok. About to go play 30 minutes of fetch in the nearing dark with my 2 hooligans.

I have a Chihuahua who has issues with impacted anal glands on occasion. I had to switch her to a higher fiber food to combat it. It helped tremendously. I can tell you I do not enjoy expressing a dog's anal glands at home (yikes and ew), but I've done it a few times to give her some relief. Sometimes it's like with your little guy...it's 9pm on Friday night or something and it's hard to get a vet.

I do understand not being able to get a same day appointment. This is a small veterinary practice I have been with for twenty years. There has always been a vet at one of their two locations. This is also a problem my little guy has had before. In the past they called in an antibiotic and had me bring him in later for a follow up. I just don't understand not having a vet available to handle something over the phone on a week day.

I live in a rural area so there is only one emergency vet clinic with limited hours, long wait times and not great reviews.

I have been putting warm compresses on the abscess and it started to drain which lessons the pain. He is so dramatic which is funny and sad. He likes to be rocked. It calms him down.

"Let us know how everything comes out..... laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh I'm cracking myself up"

That was so thoughtful of you to bring brownies to the vet's office. I can imagine what they have to put up with.

[This message edited by zebra25 at 5:20 PM, November 19th (Friday)]

I don't even try to express them myself. Both dogs go regularly to vet their nails and glands done. My other dog get so scared his leak before they even touch him. So gross!!!!

This is an abscess. It is a large red swollen spot in that area. It eventually ruptures and drains. Also very gross.

He has a sensitive belly so I will ask the vet about adding more fiber to his diet.

Dee, what is the high fiber food you switched to?

It's not the fanciest, but she started stealing it from my pudgy Beagle and it basically eliminated that problem, lol. Purina One Healthy Weight. There are higher quality brands, but I have six dogs and Blue Buffalo level of pricing would be a car payment per month for food. They do get some cooked chicken and such as well, but the extra protein didn't do anything to help. I'm kinda scared to switch to anything else since this resolved it for her anyway. I had her on supplements to try and help it, but this was what did it. Probably anything with a higher fiber content would be good. These little dogs are prone to that issue, sadly.

And yeah, this is the grossest stuff, omg. She has had hers rupture right on my lap and I thought I'd have to burn my clothing, lol.

[This message edited by DevastatedDee at 3:32 AM, Saturday, November 20th]

Being a life long animal owner and lover and being a STL girl I have reinforce thT Purina makes some of the best most nutritious food out there. Plus it backed with tons of evidence based research.
Just because a food is more expensive does not mean it is superior. Most breeders and trainers feed Purina products. As do we.
My superstar male who is one of the healthiest muscular leanest dogs I have ever seen or owned has had Purina ProPlan formulas his whole life.

Hope you got some meds for your an and if not when you do ask for a back up rx for next time since it is an established problem. Your vet should be willing to do that.

I took the suggestions of several of you knowledgeable SI people and put him on Purina Pro Plan. I don't know if it is high fiber. I will check it.

I fed my first dog the really cheap Purina food and he was very healthy and lived past his sixteenth birthday.

That's a good idea to ask the vet for extra meds.

The abscess drained several times yesterday and he seems much happier today.

T/J

but I have six dogs

Huh???

And on a more serious note, I'm interested in this...

If his gut tolerates it give him real cow bones to chew. It's good for their teeth, and will make their poop hard enough to express them naturally.

My English Bull Terrier (Zeke) has a real dirty mouth. Will this help? And, if so, is there a specific bone I should ask for at the butcher shop?

You are correct, Tushnurse. They have a lot fewer recalls on their foods than some of the more expensive brands too. Back in the day before this insanely priced food became a thing, I had a dog live to 17 on regular old dog chow.

And yeah, Reposessed, lol, six dogs. Hazard of being involved in animal rescue. I take home the mean little ones that no one wants to deal with. My most recent one is a Pomeranian who was returned to the shelter 8 times due to his aggression. I'm good with these guys for some reason, so it works out. I spoon that dog to sleep every night. Six is definitely my limit, though.

Repo -

My English Bull Terrier (Zeke) has a real dirty mouth. Will this help? And, if so, is there a specific bone I should ask for at the butcher shop?

I will absolutely help.
We get our bones a variety of places, Chewy, a local farm store, and a local butcher shop. You want it relatively clean of stuff, unless it has been smoked. Even then they can be greasy, so the first 15 min with a new bone is spent in the kennel at our house. The unsmoked marrow bones from the butcher are great, my butcher sells them about 6 inches long. I have to take those from my 2 as soon as they get them cleaned out because their jaws are so strong they can crack and splinter those. But a little dog like yours will think he has gone to heaven.
You want to always make sure they are cow bones they are the strongest, and will not crack and splinter like pork or poultry.

Gross comments alert
My two get cow knuckle bones. And they will chew and grind their teeth on them then when they poop their poop is almost white from all the bone they swallowed.

tushnurse, thank you!

Well, his anal gland abscess is better and he is on an antibiotic but tonight he started panting and shaking.