I'm now trying the added bran to Daisy's diet to try and solve the bottom problem before we resort to the surgical option.

Can anyone who has tried this - Sue? - please give me a hint as to how much I should be adding and how often. Tonight she's had a small handful of crushed all-bran in 200g of tripe - is this enough, and does it need to be every night?

Also, best place to buy it from - I've resorted to All Bran tonight in the absence of having found anything else, but am concerened about the salt and sugar content. I'm going to try the health food shop in henley tomorrow - is that the best option?

Tis a tad hit and miss cos each dog is different and obviously you are looking to bulk out the poop!

I started with using a daily tablespoon of wheatgerm or bran mixed into his meaty chunks or mince so it was coated and he had to eat it . I then amended it up and down depending on how the previous days poos were.

I can now get away with homemade dog treats given 2 or 3 times a week that are a combi of porridge oats, wheatgerm and/or bran mixed with sausagemeat and baked till crispy. I give him a good handful of treats 2 or 3 times a week and it seems to be helping.

I get my bran/wheatgerm or plain porridge oats from Tesco - baking aisle or cereals.

Check with your vet too, ours has said that it's the way Charlie's glands lie that make them difficult, and no diet change will affect them - they lie vertically I think. If Daisy has loose poos, it might be worth looking at anyway, which is what we did, but I don't think it changes anything bumwise.
Just our experience

I was putting in a handful of branflakes a few times a week, but it hasn't helped, and the nurse at the 6 month check suggested B's kibble was too rich. JWB?? Anyway, she didn't have much of a clue about anything else, so I haven't taken it too seriously, she didn't even realise B was a girl...

I might try the porridge next tho...

I just use a bran powder that I got from the wholefoods section of the supermarket. It's not got any salt or sugar, just bran! I add a small handful once a day and it seems to have sorted Murphy out.

Couldn't find any Bran at Morrisons so I got All Bran and keep forgetting to add it, ,this has just reminded me

I've just read most the posts on ST re anal glands and what's been recommended to firm up the poo. Yup, i'm bored, second day waiting for a new phone to be delivered!

Two things strike me:-

1) Kellogs All Bran is very high in sugar and salt
2) Fudds has posted on every thread

Bit of info here:-
Linky 1
Linky 2

Has anyone tried either:-

Protexin Pro Fibre for Dogs and Cats - Linky 3
or
Peridale Granules - Linky 4

?

Fair do's J But they were only getting a tblsp in a weeks supply of tuna bread

Have managed to source some real stuff now though

Daisy only had All Bran for one meal and now has the proper whole wheat germ stuff.

Whether or not I think it's really effective I'm not sure. I'm quite concerned about her weight at the moment - she seems very thin to me, so am sneaking her into the vet tomorrow to get her weighed.

She has a small handful of bran every day, but I don't think it's giving consistent results - we had a small leak yesterday for instance.

She also has an overhanging dry cough which seems to be a leftover from the kennel cough, and is also not persistent, but every now and again. All in all, I'm not happy she's 100% fit at the moment

Reading through old threads on this subject cos we have just been down vets today and Pops had full glands, so asked the vet on diet advice and she said to add half a weetabix to her food.

Looking through these earlier posts has anyone got any further advice on adding bran to the diet and does it help with the gland problem??

thanks Jonny

My vet told me to add a small handful of All-Bran (the little brown wormy things!) to each of Angel's meals initially, then gradually reduce - it did help! It makes the poo more firm so they have to squeeze alittle harder to go and in turn it helps empty the anal glands - hope the description isn't too graphic for dinner time

Good luck

Sam and Angel

We add a handful of wheatgerm bran to mince for Daisy about 5 days out of 7, and yes, it definitely works for her. We think her problem was constipation, and apparently it doesn't take long for the glands to fill up.

The other thing we were told is that if you get into the cycle or regular emptying, it becomes a bigger problem and that is what we found with Daisy. Since we started the bran, we have still dah to have them squeezed a couple of times, but further and further apart, and now not at all.

Good luck.

Hi jonny. Sorry no advice. But i was also at vets today with Sam with same problem. Sams poo has been soft the last couple of days. The vet said thats been the problem. I think i will give the weetabix a try to see if it helps

Ryan&Sam

Great, thanks all.

Looks like whetgerm bran, weetabix or all bran is the way forward - i'll get the weatgerm next time im in tesco as its probably has less salt. Luckily she loves weetabix so hopefully she wont turn her nose up at the wheatgerm!

I'm glad that this is fixable as the vet seemed a bit resigned to this becoming part of the 'routine' , which would be a shame as she's only 6mths and seems very healthy in every other way.

I don't know if we were just lucky, but angel only had to have her glands emptied twice, once the introduction of all-bran we haven't needed it done again. I haven't put it in her food for ages now, i just keep an eye on her (and a nose!) if things seem to be going that way i just chuck a handful in.

My vet did laugh when i told him i added puppy milk to it - he said i should just put it in dry