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Showing posts from June 17, 2010

Anal (as in canine glands/sacs) is indeed a four-letter word.

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Not many people like to discuss the subject of anal glands. Embarrassment?  Perhaps. The “eww factor?” Maybe. But in the canine world, keeping tabs on the anal glands is just as important as brushing their teeth and clipping their nails. Recently, in our Husky homestead, two of our Sibes have been afflicted with anal sac issues. A few months back, Harley (our Alpha queen and surrogate mom) was constantly chewing at her backside, alerting us that something was not quite right. When we did a complete exam, she was very, very touchy when we came to her rump. A trip to our vet verified that she had impacted anal sacs, which were then expressed, eliminating a thick black tar-like substance, and she was instantly fine.   Most recently, Gibson (Harley’s honey and the big brother of the pack) has had a case of “limp tail.” His crazy, frizzy, furry waterfall of a tail simply has been hanging limply at his backside. He has been way more sedentary than usual, with no desire to get up much.