When my wife read yesterday’s post on "Anal Sac Problems", she asked rather skeptically, "Is Butt-so-Fresh a real product?"
Well, yes and no. You definitely need to deodorize the pet’s hindquarters after the anal sacs discharge and there are products which will do the job, fortunately. Butt-so-Fresh, however, is not one of them. My boyhood chum, Alan Kindred, is a graphic arts specialist and was kind enough to mock this up for me.
Since I’m trying to give credit where it is due, I should also mention the actual products that we do use. Pfizer makes a product called Eliminodor. This product tends to chemically bind the odor-causing molecules and neutralize most of the stink. We use this to clean off the pet’s hiney-hair. It’s also good for toning down the "doggy" smell when your buddy doesn’t really need a bath, but also doesn’t really smell exactly clean. However, with anal sac secretion, there is still sometimes a bit of residual odor following the "neutralization" process. So we do a little follow-up.
Floral-scented Fresh-n-Clean (by Lambert-Kay) finishes off our deodorizing process, leaving the dog smelling (you guessed it) fresh and clean. Well, at least smelling a lot fresher and cleaner than the anal sac secretion. You may note the uncanny similarity between the Fresh-n-Clean package and that of Butt-so-Fresh. It’s just a coincidence.
I adopted a 2 yr old minature poodle. When she poops outside then comes in I find a little ball of poop on the floor. Anyone know what can cause this. Her poop is firm she doesnt look like she in distress when emptying her bowels.
Hello, Muriel,
I would first be sure whether the little poop you find inside is being passed before or after she goes outside to eliminate.
If beforehand, you just need to watch her more closely and get her outside sooner.
If afterward, I would make a point of giving her a small reward OUTSIDE when she finishes pooping. Do NOT reward her after she comes back inside. We don’t want her to hurry up to get back in for her reward.
I would also try to arrange my schedule so that I could determine when exactly she is pooping after she comes back in, how long afterward, and what else is going on. When you discover the pattern, we should be able to find a way to handle it.
My 8yr old cat has anal gland problems most of his life. He goes to the vet about every 2 months for this. Now after only 1month he is scooting his butt along the carpet. He is on Royal Canin urinary so wet food, his vet suggested same food but with satiety +calm. I have never heard of satiety. Also, no vets do rectal exams it seems. He has not had any de-worm med in for ever. Could worms be the problem. His flea meds should be preventing them, I think. He is on
Revolution Plus. I just don’t know what to do about all this. He recently had blood work and it all looked good I was told. Please any suggestions are appreciated.
Hello, Gilda,
That diet is geared to help prevent weight gain and has some amino acids and proteins that are supposed to help with anxiety. No drugs are involved. IT’s a good diet, but I don’t have any personal experience with it. It has a little more fiber, and fiber is often recommended to produce firmer stools, which may help the anal sacs empty themselves spontaneously with each bowel movement.
Revolution plus is a good product, and it does help with hookworm and roundworm. It does not treat tapeworms, but as fleas are the most common intermediate host to transmit tapeworm, if you control fleas, you would have less risk of tapeworm.
Tapeworm rarely causes butt-scooting, but it can. Certainly treatment for tapeworm could be done, as it has no risk and little expense..
I have lots of dog patients that need their anal sacs drained monthly, but it is unusual for cats to have such a problem.
There are times when the problems are so persistent that the only alternative is surgical removal of the sacs. I would definitely recommend treatment for tapeworm and a rectal exam before considering surgery.