One day last week, after the morning chores were done and everything was squared away, I came across Beagle hunched over and looking quite miserable. When I went up to him, I was greeted with a low growl, which in itself didnt bother me, he does that for effect sometimes and it has no scare value at all. What did bother me was that he seemed to really be in pain and flinched when I touched his sides, kept looking at his rear and trying to cuddle up with me - and that is weird, seeing as he is such an independent soul...
I checked his legs to see if they were hurt, and then his abdomen but no joy there either, finally in desperation I made an appointmet to see the vet the same evening. In the meanwhile I took Beagle for a walk and he seemed cheerful enough but when he came back he sat with his head hanging down all listless and sad.
To cut a long story short - it turned out that he had impacted anal glands (tiny glands that produce the stinky liquid that marks their poop) and had to have them manually drained by the vet. The result was instant - when he got back in the car he threw himself on the seat and rolled around in joy.
Apparently impacted glands are quite common in small dogs and occur when the liquid they produce is not expelled as fast as it is produced, usually because the stool is not firm enough to exert the required pressure on the gand on its way out. It is uncomfortable and painful and if an infection sets in (which frequently happens) it can be serious. It is also however, quite avoidable if you are vigilant and get your dog prompt treatment.
Some things to look out for:
Scooting the butt across the floor
Hind legs buckling while standing, walking or lifiting leg to pee
Constant nibbling or biting at the rear end (Beagle had actually bitten himself on his side because he couldn't reach his butt - THATS how uncomfortable it is!)
Brown and unusually smelly discharge from the anal area
Listlessness and unwillingness to sit down
What to do:
Check your dogs rear end regularly to make sure everything is working fine
Make sure he is getting enough fibre in his diet
At the first sign of trouble make sure you go to your vet
If your dog has a tendency to develop this problem have the glands drained regularly.
Please remember that this condition is painful ans your dog is in distress so make sure if you see any of these symptoms get vetrinary assistance as soon as possible to save them too much suffering.
I hope this information is useful - but please remember it is not medical advice and only a qualified vetenarian should diagnose and treat your dog.
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