Okay, I know. It's been almost two months since my last blog post. Facebook, friends. Facebook. It is my excuse for all procrastination these days. Today I'm back...with a story not for the faint of heart.
First of all, I need to let you all know that Addie has never been to a professional groomer. I have wanted to take her many times (I believe she deserves a little pampering, plus I think she needs a professional to make the hair around her ears look really good), but Dave doesn't want to spend money on that, so I grudgingly oblige. Once I made an appointment for her and was going to take her in secret, but then I spilled the beans and Dave made me cancel it.
One of the reasons that I think a professional groom job is so important is the Expression of the Anal Glands. When I brought this up to Dave, he said "what the hell does that mean? She doesn't need her anal glands expressed."
"Yes she does," I said. "They get full of stuff and it hurts her."
"Listen," continued Dave, "there are plenty of wild animals who don't have their anal glands expressed regularly, and they're doing just fine."
Well, I bought that. Until today. Hanging out at Mom's, I suddenly noticed some heavy black gunk on Addie's rump. Upon closer inspection, there was a giant lump or something around there too. It looked pretty bad. I called the vet and she told me to bring Addie in, since it was probably an anal gland abcess.
When we got to the vet, it had started bleeding. The tech said, "yep, I can tell you right now. That's an abcess. A bad one too - it looks like it's infected." She tried to clean them out, and Addie wouldn't even let her squeeze the non-abcessed gland, because it was so full and sore. Long story short, the tech had to infuse Addie's glands with a special gel, and then she sent me home with a round of antibiotics and pain medication. We have to go back in a week to have it looked at by the doctor, and when the pain finally dies down and the infection goes away, then she can have them expressed.
As I paid for the meds, the tech said, "yeah, it's important to keep up on those glands. Otherwise this can happen." What a bad mommy I am. Actually, I think Dave needs to take the blame on this one.
I'm making a grooming appointment for poor little Addie tomorrow. And I don't care what Dave says - I am going to spring for the vanilla-scented calming milk bath as well.
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7 comments:
Eww, that is really gross. I think Finley needs to go to the groomer because he stinks and I can't lift him into the tub anymore. Do they just do the anal glands or do you have to request it? He's been to the groomer before, but I don't know if he's ever had that done.
They usually do it, but it's worth asking. You can also just bring him in to the vet and they will do it for less than the price of a full groom.
Although if Finley stinks and you can't lift him...he better get groomed!
Tell Dave he can learn how to express the glands at home...I work with a woman whose husband won't pay for it done so she made him learn how. Apparently the actual expressing part is relatively easy but it's the catching and disposing of the goop that takes a little work.
OMG! Cyndy, I will have to share my anal gland story with you at choir on Tuesday. Once you know about them... you NEVER forget. Poor puppy! :( (Amy W)
(Oh, and just a warning for Dave: I let Jackson's go to long and when the vet techs tried to express it the goo shot several feet across the room and hit a passing vet. Now when I walk into the vet, the techs at the front desk say knowingly, "Oh, this must be Jackson!")
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