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Anal Gland Removal....new technique

8388 Views 11 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  debannib, 
debannib
Hello all!

I had to make the painful decision to have Maggie's glands removed; she is three years old, and her glands were filling up completely every ten days....vet bills getting too expensive.....not to mention her suffering.

She is 36 hours post-op, and after a rough 24 hours, has finally turned the corner and is starting to eat again (even though she insisted on cooked chicken tenders ONLY at 1:30 a.m.!! Turned her nose up at ALL her favorites except that. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif )

The scariest possible complication to anal gland surgery is for a nerve ending to be cut that will permanently damage the anal sphincter and cause the dog to wear a diaper the rest of it's life......
HOWEVER, my vet just recently began using a new technique which lowers the risk of complications, AND makes post-op healing less traumatic. I was excited to hear about it, and wanted to pass it on in case anyone here is considering anal gland surgery.

A small balloon is inserted into the gland and inflated, whereby the sugeon can know EXACTLY the size and location of the gland, can pull it up closer to the surface (less cutting of muscle and nerves) and cut PRECISELY around the gland.

My vet has performed this technique just a dozen times, and he's THRILLED with his new little tool!! He expects Maggie to suffer less (even though having your butt sliced open is still painful) and expects 100% muscle control when she's healed.

I don't know the name of the tool or technique, but I can get the information if anyone here is facing the same thing.

Maggie and I send our love to all of you; we've been traveling MUCH with the dog collar business (I don't have a laptop) so we've sure missed being part of the Beagle World Family these past 4 or 5 months.

Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.....and I look forward to renewing friendships now that I'm home a bit more. :wave:
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M
Hi Deb.... glad to have you back. Sorry to learn about Maggie's gland issues... I hope her recovery is quick and as painless as possible.

This technique does sound cool, although it was a bit painful for me to even imagine it (and I love those bio-med-tech mumbo-jumbo....)

Gladly, so far Chloe's anal glands are perfect.... and I hope they stay that way :thumbup:
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M
Deb - that's super news about new advancements for anal gland surgery. As you may recall, my Maggie had hers removed a couple of years ago. Thankfully, she recovered from that with absolutely no negative repercussions. Gentle hugs to your Maggie!
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M
Marley's bother him very often. In fact, right now. They get expressed and filled again. The Vet Tech "advised" me to take the table food out of his diet. HE HAS NEVER HAD ANY. I said, he only get his kibble, some carrots, and other little treats from time to time. She said oh, well, it just happens in some dogs then. Ugh!
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B
Hugs and positive thoughts for a speedy recovery for your Maggie. The ONLY one of the ten pack that has had problems is my Chloe - and after taking her in every few months for "expression", we finally decided to have the glands removed - she had the surgery in August - recovery took a while, but was complete. I don't know if my vet used that procedure. He did tell me that the only problem was that sometimes there would be some "leakage", but that it would go away within a few days - he was right - just took a day or two and she was fine - tho she still TRIED to lick a lot - poor baby wound up with a "bonnet" - which frustrated her.
Hope Maggie's recuperation goes well. Hugs to you both!
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B
That is great information to have Deb. Two of our three had to have theirs removed which only leaves Popcorn with the problem at this point. So far she is fine being expressed every month or so - and knock on wood no infections (Moose) or increasing pain and frequency (Booker) which eventually led us to having the others' removed. I was so worried about the "fecal incontinence" that we held off for a long time with both surgeries although both have recovered very well and have no ongoing "leakage" problems.

Hope Maggie recovers quickly and is back to pooping normally in no time!
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debannib
Thank you all for the well wishes; Maggie wants you to know she's healing well and "going" normally now!! Stitches out in 5 more days.....

Marley's Mommy, some people suggested I increase fiber in maggie's diet; supposed to create more bulk in the stool to force the anal glands to express naturally. Didn't work for me. Perhaps it kept her glands from filling as quickly, but the problem still existed. I wish you luck.

JudyMaggie, I remember the story of Maggie's experience with her surgery; I suppose with your dear Maggie's health problems, it seems like a long time ago, and just a drop in the bucket. Please give your Maggie a hug from my Maggie.....

Chloe's mommy, your sweet girl looks a lot like my sweet girl.....their coloring is similiar...probably soul sisters :biglaugh:

Bealge's mom and Bookermoose...thanks for the encouragement. It's hard to watch our sweeties undergo such barbaric surgery just to make their bottoms better....let's hope no other of our pups need it done, but it's nice to know things ARE improving in that area.
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M
Deb,
It's really good to see a post from you. I hope Maggie continues to heal with no complications. Give her a tummy rub from me.
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J
Glad that Maggie is healing well and recovering from her surgery.
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S
Is this a big problem in the breed? Every two weeks or so when I give the Cocker a bath, I express hers and have never had any problems.

I am glad your baby is okay though!
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J
It is good to hear from you Deb !! glad to hear that the dog collar business is keeping you busy.

Give Maggie a hug from me and Sammy !!!

Julie
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debannib
Quote:Originally posted by Jamie:
Is this a big problem in the breed? Every two weeks or so when I give the Cocker a bath, I express hers and have never had any problems.
Click to expand...
I think it's a problem in most smaller breeds, not just for our beagles. It's a first for me in any of my dogs. Maggie is 3 yrs old now, and the problem became more frequent, more painful and more expensive as the years went by. Maggie says goodbye and good riddance to her nasty glands, she's already a different dog! :wave:


Sandy, Jennifer and Julie....thanks for the welcome home wishes. 2007 was a successful year for Dog E. Dazzle Petware as well as my personal life (a two-legged beagle named Ed has stolen our hearts and become a valued member of our pack; he helps with my business, and I help with his, hence my absence from BW for so long) We have two more shows and then we're done traveling until after summer. Gonna' spend five days in Florida for a little rest and relaxation next week.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HOME (SIGH)
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