Anal sacs are scent glands of the cat and dog located low around the animal’s rectum. Unfortunately, these sometimes get impacted and require manual manipulation of the gland to relieve the pressure. Anal glands may also be the site of disease due to abnormal secretions. When these secretions become too thick or changes to non-flowing materials, this also requires manual manipulation of the glands.

This causes three main problems. First, when inserting a finger into a pet’s rectum to manipulate the gland, it crushes the mucous membrane and allows bacteria to infiltrate. Second, the procedure hurts your pet no matter how small the finger is that is being used. And third it requires an office visit because most owners do not want to do the procedure themselves. But no matter how hard these three problems make it, this condition must be treated because if it’s not this chronic disease could intimately lead to late stages of cancer.

Anal gland disease is a result of modern living. Animals in the wild do not suffer from this problem due to their diet. Pets get the disease due to the insufficient fiber found in most commercial dog foods. The keys to preventing anal gland disorders are to have adequate fiber and unsaturated fats in the pet’s diet.

Many commercial dog foods boast that their product is so digestible that the dogs that eat it produce smaller stools. This is exactly opposite of what a dog needs. Domestic dogs and cats generally need more fiber in their diet, not less. Fiber is essential for normal motility and fermentation in the pet’s lower digestive tract.

Good sources of fiber for your pets include raw sesame seeds, ground flax seeds, psyllium seed, buckwheat, whole oats, brown rice and wheat bran.

We have the stock of fiber formula pet food at all times, so consult with our veterinarian for more information on fiber and essential fatty acids for pets.