Celebrating a life lived well with dogs.
A few dog-inspired words of wisdom for you before we take off for the long weekend (for our non-Canadian readers, it is Canada Day weekend!) Each dog featured in these dog quotes are available for adoption through Toronto Animal Services and are patiently waiting for their forever homes. Have a wonderful weekend celebrating everyone! We’ll be back on Wednesday with some fresh, new features! xo
{Photography by Posh Pets Photography}
In February while out for a walk with Rory I noticed a small lump on her rear end. Upon closer inspection I decided it looked like an unfortunate spider bite so thought nothing of it. Then later that same day while giving her a bath I noticed that the small lump had swollen up at an alarming rate to the size of a golf ball!
Not sure what to make of it, my guy and I rushed her to the 24-hour emergency vet clinic. The vet told us that she had an impacted anal gland and that if we hadn’t brought her in when we did it would have ruptured.
The vet had to take Rory in for a procedure to lance the glands (yes, both, because by this time the second one was also swelling) and listening from the waiting room to my sweet little dog yelp and scream as it was done* I cried. I felt so guilty, so helpless – why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? (*despite numbing the surrounding area, draining an impacted gland is still quite uncomfortable and scary for a dog.)
Impacted anal glands were something I was completely unaware of, so once Rory was completely recovered and off her medication, I reached out to Dr. Aleksandra Milaszewska MS, DVM of Queen West Animal Hospital in Toronto for an interview about this condition. Here are her professional thoughts and advice:
1) What are the dangers of an impacted or infected anal gland?
Anal glands can get big enough to literally block the stool from coming out. While they won’t be able to render the dog not being able to defecate completely, it makes for a painful and a very unpleasant experience for them. Once the glands get very full, the contents are thick and cannot empty themselves, so anal glands will physically rupture through the skin, which is extremely painful and often bleeds.
2) What are some common causes of this ailment?
No one seems to know for sure and there is no scientific proof of any theories out there as to what causes impacted anal glands. We suspect diet and genetic predisposition, but nothing has been definitively proven right or wrong. I do tend to see this more commonly and to a more serious extent in obese dogs, but that is just what I am personally seeing in my practice. This in no way means that impacted anal glands do not effect dogs of normal body condition.
3) What are the signs of an impacted anal gland?
Signs can be scooting on the floor, chewing, licking, defecating soft and ribbon like stools. However, sometimes there are no signs until the glands swell, rupture and are bleeding.
4) What are the dangers of an anal gland that erupts?
Ruptured anal glands are painful, infected and swollen. Usually the hole in the skin that the glands make while rupturing is large and may need surgical cleaning and closure. If an infection goes on too long, I have seen them getting necrosis all the way into the muscle layer which requires a major surgery. Difficulty defecating is another problem as it may be too painful to poo.
5) What can owners do to prevent this condition?
Since we don’t know what causes it, it is hard to say what to do to prevent it. There is some anecdotal evidence that increasing fiber in a dog’s diet helps. I have seen it work, but not in all dogs. The best thing to do is to be vigilant as to signs of a problem and check the glands regularly if you think something may be wrong or you know that your dog is prone to this problem.
—
With Rory, we still don’t know what caused her impacted anal glands. But in an effort to prevent a recurrence, I have boosted her daily fiber intake and I take her to the vet about once a month just to have her glands checked out – it’s a quick two minute exam and helps to keep my mind at ease.
I would also recommend that you specifically ask your vet to check your dog’s anal glands whenever you take them in for their yearly checkup, as some vets do not automatically check during the physical.
Needless to say, it was an extremely scary experience and one that I do not wish for anyone, so please keep an eye on your dog’s rear end. It sounds funny, but it is actually a serious issue.
{Special thanks to Dr. Aleksandra Milaszewska for speaking with Pawsh about this ailment and to the wonderful Tonya Pet Photography for the adorable photography,}
***
This article was made possible by DogTrot Fitness — Canada’s exclusive distributor of the PetRun line of dog treadmills — the ideal solution for exercising your dog no matter what the weather is like outside.
Adequate exercise is equally important to your dog’s wellness as a healthy diet. Even if you can’t run WITH your dog, we can help you meet his exercise needs, regardless of weather. With running decks scaled to suit any stride, there’s a PetRun treadmill for every size of dog! WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
A few weeks ago I made the alarming realization that something terribly important was missing from my dogs`day to day life… (more…)
I am playing catch up with my pet photography sessions. Can you believe I haven’t really shared any since January? Craziness!
To begin with, I would like to share this beautiful boxer shoot. It was booked through Pawsh Studio’s Soulmate Session special in February (spoiler alert: this event will be hosted again in February 2015 and yes, you can book now if you’d like) and was created as a simple, timeless session to celebrate a very special friendship between man and dog.
This beautiful boxer — a senior girl called Zoey with a heart of gold — was an absolute joy to work with. She was a little nervous at first, but after some tasty treats, belly rubs and lots of ear scratches she soon warmed up and had a blast trotting on and off set for her close ups. She was a pro!
It is always fascinating to photographer people with their dog, because you start to see similar mannerisms and behaviours unfold through the camera. The shot of these two best buddies looking at one another absolutely melts my heart — the mutual adoration is obvious!
I had the great pleasure of creating a custom 16×20 fine art canvas for the pair — a piece that shows off the manner faces and expressions of Zoey to be enjoyed forever. I especially liked the cool colour palette, as it lends itself wonderfully to wide variety of decors. You can see it below (of course, the studio’s logo was NOT on the final product).
I feel so lucky to have met this beautiful lady and her wonderful owner. Tragically, a mere two weeks after our session, Zoey’s parents called me to say that their beautiful girl had passed due to sudden illness.
The news was a tremendous shock and, as you can imagine, heartbreaking. I got chills thinking about the fact that I was lucky enough to be able to capture some of Zoey’s final healthy and happy moments for her family to look back on. It was a sad reminder that our pets are only with us for a relatively short time and that documenting their gorgeous souls is truly priceless and something that shouldn’t be put off.
Photographing true love is always a tremendous delight and I look forward to inviting more pet parents and their furry friends into the studio this season!
Don’t forget, if you’d like to sign up early for Pawsh Studio’s 2015 Soulmate Sessions taking place in February, or if you’d like to book a regular pet session, please email to reserve your spot!
My assistant and I have worked with all sorts of pet personalities from super shy to very hyper and we always make sure each session is a wonderful, relaxed and joyful experience. Don’t believe it? Find out what past clients are saying here!
