German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[abbygwp]

Our 3 yo GWP has taken to licking her butt constantly! We have taken her to the vet and there are no physical signs of issues with her anal glads or rectum.

She has a tendency to break her anal glands constantly (much to my husbands dislike) mostly when she barks.

Does anyone else have this issue with their dog? It's not diet related, she is on BARF so I am just wondering if this is normal.

THanks.

[Illona]

Sounds to me like anal glands. My last boy had exactly what you're describing...including the anal gland squirts when he got startled and started barking. I ended up learning how to squeeze his glands myself, and did that every couple months.

My current girl (2 yr old) has not had anal gland issues, but they have filled up a couple times. I've noticed her licking her butt a couple times and I can smell the glands expressing. This is fine and natural. Once at my vets - for some reason - he expressed them, and said they'd been fulll, but if she's not squirting when barking, etc., I'm leaving them alone. No need to irritate them.

Then this weekend, for the first time, she went to scootch. I marched her up to the tub to do her glands (for only the 2nd time in her life). They were very full, but I couldn't get them to release except for a bit. And THEN I noticed she had a tapeworm segment on her butt. She spent Mon shedding tapeworm bits, and Tues went to the vet where one dose of meds took care of the tapeworm, and her full glands were expressed.

As for diet... Actually, I'd say it IS probably slightly diet related. And I say this with self-proclaimed authority because I too feed a raw diet. One potential problem with a raw diet is the stools -- these are often far smaller and narrower than kibble stools (blecht!) and therefore are sometimes not large enough to express the glands when the dog is having a movement.

You could try to bulk up her stools with veggies and/or oatmeal or buckwheat.

Honestly, I think this is an anal gland situation. If she's breaking her glands when she barks, then they're FULL! I would question the vet. Sorry, I've just gone through the same thing with two dogs. As for the butt licking...she won't lick if the glands are properly expressed -- either via her own stool or manually. You might try a spray or vet-recommended cream that could make licking distasteful for her, but honestly, I don't think that's fair. If she is licking because of a gland issue, she needs to lick to help express them. You could do it yourself. I had a vet teach me. It's not that hard.

Let me know how it goes. If you can afford to see a different vet I would!
Illona

[abbygwp]

We had her glands expressed at the vets right after you posted. They were not full and she did not see anything strange about her glands (like infection etc.)

The vet did mention the "skinny stool" thing and it may be that she just has overactive anal glands that need to be expressed more often than others. SOOO>>>>I have now had the course in anal glands and will be doing it myself occasionally.

[Illona]

Maybe she's taken a liking to the taste?

As I said, I had to express my last boy's every couple months. You get good at it, although my current girl is a little tougher.

Illona

[rmtaylorIII]

Hopefully the dog isn't looking you in the eye while in the process. Dog psychologists are expensive.

Bob