[PeggyTheParti]

You could also try fur/feathers in addition to a bit of bone.

Yes. I give cow ears sometimes for the addition of fur. And quails are popular for feathers.

Where does one get such things??

And could I maybe try giving her whole fish? Is there a particular kind that might mimic the bone content of a mouse? I saw freeze dried minnows over at Chewy.com but the reviews weren't great.

 

[VanessaC]

Mine love Vital Essentials minnows, but those might be a bit small.. You can buy frozen sardines at many Asian grocery stores. Those are the largest whole fish I’ve given Groot. Not too sure what the bone content is since I usually give them for the omegas. I also buy smelt from our local store to give to them whole.

I get a lot from WAzzuOR which is a raw food co-op. Thogersen Family Farm is fairly local and they sell rabbit feet and ears with fur still on them and grinds that are whole prey. You can also ask local farmers at the farmer’s market if they can sell you something of that nature.

You could also probably buy mice from a pet store. They usually sell them for reptiles.

 

[Raindrops]

Where does one get such things??

And could I maybe try giving her whole fish? Is there a particular kind that might mimic the bone content of a mouse? I saw freeze dried minnows over at Chewy.com but the reviews weren't great.

A lot of people get quail and rodents from reptile suppliers like Rodentpro. I give fish all the time... usually herring, sardine, or mackerel. They do have bone but I would guess the bone content is not particularly high. You may have to do a little bit of persuading to convince her to eat it if she's not a fish lover. I remember with our family dog she was very unconvinced at first. For safety, it is best to freeze fish for three weeks prior to feeding to be sure they will not transfer parasites.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

So we're coming up on 4 weeks without a fishy episode and I don't have the faintest idea why. This has happened only once before and I'm scouring my Peggy notes, trying to find a common denominator.

If her leakage is due to an anatomical defect, she wouldn't have these extended gaps. So that's off the table.

If it's related to extreme anxiety or extreme relaxation....same thing. Off the table. She's been in heat for the past two weeks and has cycled through every possible state of mind multiple times.

Diet? No major changes. I did introduce beef-flavoured Honest Kitchen kibble as a treat, but I didn't take anything away.

No change to stool consistency, aside from a bout of severe diarrhea of unknown origin.

So....is this destined to be a forever mystery? I'm thinking yes.

 

[twyla]

So we're coming up on 4 weeks without a fishy episode and I don't have the faintest idea why. This has happened only once before and I'm scouring my Peggy notes, trying to find a common denominator.

If her leakage is due to an anatomical defect, she wouldn't have these extended gaps. So that's off the table.

If it's related to extreme anxiety or extreme relaxation....same thing. Off the table. She's been in heat for the past two weeks and has cycled through every possible state of mind multiple times.

Diet? No major changes. I did introduce beef-flavoured Honest Kitchen kibble as a treat, but I didn't take anything away.

No change to stool consistency, aside from a bout of severe diarrhea of unknown origin.

So....is this destined to be a forever mystery? I'm thinking yes.

Anal Sacculitis
Idiopathic episodes are soo aggravating, for my Bea it is incontinence, nearest I can figure they happen during a deep nap but no proof in that, have they stopped well hard to say because Bea comes to work now. Hopefully Peggy's woes are over.

 

[Mufar42]

I could be that she had a slight deformity and that with maturing is has straighten itself out. Time will tell.

 

[Spottytoes]

I just read this thread. Interesting....we have actually had the same problem and it has gotten much better. We think it was fear based but maybe there is some sort of abnormality? Who knows? I was thinking the groomer was expressing the glands too much or something but after talking with her she doesn’t routinely do that, only if the dog actually needs it.
The first time it happened was about a year ago he was at the dog park, which we very rarely go to anymore but that’s another story. He was having fun but then there was this bulldog, who was very nice but played way differently and we decided we should just bring Bobby home. When we were driving home the car just reeked!!!
Had no clue what it was. We’ve always had male dogs but their smell was more musky. This was horrible stinky fish smell! Made the whole room stink!
When we got home we realized it was Bobby and you all know how we determined that.😂😂😂
Since that day it has happened a handful of times and each time we were able to trace it to fear or uncertainty and it has never had been as bad as that first time. It is a horrible smell so I feel for you but glad it is getting better!

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I just read this thread. Interesting....we have actually had the same problem and it has gotten much better. We think it was fear based but maybe there is some sort of abnormality? Who knows? I was thinking the groomer was expressing the glands too much or something but after talking with her she doesn’t routinely do that, only if the dog actually needs it.
The first time it happened was about a year ago he was at the dog park, which we very rarely go to anymore but that’s another story. He was having fun but then there was this bulldog, who was very nice but played way differently and we decided we should just bring Bobby home. When we were driving home the car just reeked!!!
Had no clue what it was. We’ve always had male dogs but their smell was more musky. This was horrible stinky fish smell! Made the whole room stink!
When we got home we realized it was Bobby and you all know how we determined that.😂😂😂
Since that day it has happened a handful of times and each time we were able to trace it to fear or uncertainty and it has never had been as bad as that first time. It is a horrible smell so I feel for you but glad it is getting better!

It's totally normal for them to "fish" when they are scared (that's what we call it in our household). I'm glad Bobby doesn't do it often.

It really is the most awful smell. Up until fairly recently, there was no liquid expressed when it happened. So we'd just get that first disgusting whiff and have to track it down with our noses.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I could be that she had a slight deformity and that with maturing is has straighten itself out. Time will tell.

I was thinking that, too, especially since she's in her second heat cycle now, which is another maturity milestone.

Her puppy vaginitis resolved with her first heat. Can't imagine if we'd spayed her early and she'd never had the chance to develop. I imagine we'd still be dealing with that other unpleasant issue.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Anal Sacculitis
Idiopathic episodes are soo aggravating, for my Bea it is incontinence, nearest I can figure they happen during a deep nap but no proof in that, have they stopped well hard to say because Bea comes to work now. Hopefully Peggy's woes are over.

I've spent a lifetime chasing my own health issues. I feel like I should be better at figuring this stuff out! Lol.

I love that Bea goes to work with you. The years that Gracie went with me are some of my happiest memories.

 

[kontiki]

How firm are her poos? A couple of people have commented on bone. And yes, it is good for them in the correct amount. The normal amount is 10%, but different dogs have different digestive systems, just like we do.

If my Spoo starts having anything less than a real firm poo, the next meal I feed him is a chicken leg quarter, bone in raw. Never feed cooked bone. The firmer their stools are the more the anal glands will naturally express themselves when they actually go poo.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

How firm are her poos? A couple of people have commented on bone. And yes, it is good for them in the correct amount. The normal amount is 10%, but different dogs have different digestive systems, just like we do.

If my Spoo starts having anything less than a real firm poo, the next meal I feed him is a chicken leg quarter, bone in raw. Never feed cooked bone. The firmer their stools are the more the anal glands will naturally express themselves when they actually go poo.

She has nice firm poos. Always has. Part of what makes this so baffling,

But if it's due to a slight anatomical abnormality, the act of having a bowl movement (even a firm one) might not apply enough pressure to express the glands.

I'm hoping with her second heat, there's been some additional growth which has maybe resolved this. Maybe?

Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed! We're loving this non-fishy poodle.

 

[Dechi]

If it's related to extreme anxiety or extreme relaxation....same thing. Off the table. She's been in heat for the past two weeks and has cycled through every possible state of mind multiple times.

I wouldn’t rule put the anatomical defect. Since she is in heat, her vulva is swollen, and probably some internal organs too, which might be pushing on or covering totally or partly the anatomical defect. Sort of « patching the hole ». I don’t even know if that makes sense at all, but maybe worth asking your vet.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I wouldn’t rule put the anatomical defect. Since she is in heat, her vulva is swollen, and probably some internal organs too, which might be pushing on or covering totally or partly the anatomical defect. Sort of « patching the hole ». I don’t even know if that makes sense at all, but maybe worth asking your vet.

Ooooooh. That makes a LOT of sense. She's really swollen this time around, too.

Good thinking, Dechi. Thank you!

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Gotta laugh. Peggy just had her worst fishy episode yet. My husband smelled it all the way across the room.

It's been exactly 4 weeks since the last one.

A blissful 4 weeks.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Today we had a minor fish episode followed immediately by an urgent request to go outside. Anatomical/poop-related anomaly is seeming more and more likely to me. (Thanks, Dechi.)

The first part of Peggy's poops are always doubled up. Sorry if TMI, but I've never seen anything like this before! It's like two poops come out side by side and then a few normal poops follow, single-file. Or sometimes the first poop will look like it's been folded in half. It's massive. And then again, normal poops follow.

This has always been the case, since she was a small puppy. But it never concerned me since her poops were always firm and otherwise well-formed.

 

[Pugparent]

It is truly the worst smell!!

I can't recall how much pumpkin I gave her. Probably a heaping spoonful? But she vomited shortly afterwards, which is rare for her, so I decided not to push it. But you're right, the Glandex does contain pumpkin. Maybe I'll try again at some point, but she enjoys so many other veggies, it may not be necessary.

She also can't tolerate whole egg, but is fine with dry egg in her food.

Wait. Or maybe she isn't?? Maybe that's actually the source of all these problems. Sigh. I think switching over to a simple homemade diet for a few weeks might be necessary. But we've got these massive bags of kibble to get through.

This has been an ongoing part of Life With Peggy and I'm ready to find a solution.

Does anyone's poodle leak when they're relaxed? It only seems to happen when she's on the couch or bed with us, and generally it's just a strong fish smell, but sometimes she leaves a stinky spot of fluid behind. It will typically happen a couple of times a week for a few weeks, then nothing for a few weeks. Repeat, repeat.

She has excellent, firm poops. Has never had diarrhea. We do give her Glandex (both the chews and the powder), which seems to bulk her stool up a bit, but just when we start thinking it's working.....NOPE. I'm so over it.

She doesn't scoot or lick. She does often bite at the end of her tail. During a particularly bad week, we took her to the vet to have her glands checked and expressed, but they were only moderately full and the fluid was normal. It's almost like it's a GOOD thing that they leak? Because it means they're not impacted? But ugh. Not fun.

Anyone ever experience or solve this? I can't think of a solution other than keeping them 100% empty at all times, which obviously isn't realistic.

Hello,
Did you ever find a solution for this? The EXACT same thing is happening with my pug. We took her to the vet, and the vet said there was no diseases and her glands weren’t full, but every time she rests with me, and I mean every time, she leaks the stinky fluid. It’s almost an everyday occurrence at this point.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Hello,
Did you ever find a solution for this? The EXACT same thing is happening with my pug. We took her to the vet, and the vet said there was no diseases and her glands weren’t full, but every time she rests with me, and I mean every time, she leaks the stinky fluid. It’s almost an everyday occurrence at this point.

Oh no. I’m sorry

We switched half her kibble from chicken to beef and give her a Pet Honesty allergy chew daily. Anything that softens her poops even slightly (like a single treat with glycerin) seems to trigger it. But otherwise it only happens every few weeks, always when she’s resting with us. It’s never happened in any of her beds or her crate.

If she wasn’t prone to resource guarding, I would try a weekly chicken wing or some other raw bone. One thing I can do, which might be helping a little, is I let her eat her own hair. Weird, right? But she only seems to crave it occasionally, which makes me think her body needs it. So after a brushing or clip, I offer her a bit. She’s welcome to as much as she wants, but she only takes it sometimes.

This makes me think she might do best on a primal diet, but I’m wary because of the guarding.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Hello,
Did you ever find a solution for this? The EXACT same thing is happening with my pug. We took her to the vet, and the vet said there was no diseases and her glands weren’t full, but every time she rests with me, and I mean every time, she leaks the stinky fluid. It’s almost an everyday occurrence at this point.

I should also add that the single best thing we did was get a washable, waterproof couch cover. Do I love the way it looks? No. But it makes life so much easier. Before that we had to strip the couch cushions every time it happened, which is a real pain in the butt.

We also keep detailed notes on her diet, toilet habits, meals, leaks, etc. I hope that a pattern will eventually emerge, but even if it doesn’t, it’s helpful to know how long it’s been since the last episode. My husband always insists it’s only been a few days, when in fact it’s been weeks. Knowing this helps us to roll with it a little better.

 

[Pugparent]

I should also add that the single best thing we did was get a washable, waterproof couch cover. Do I love the way it looks? No. But it makes life so much easier. Before that we had to strip the couch cushions every time it happened, which is a real pain in the butt.

We also keep detailed notes on her diet, toilet habits, meals, leaks, etc. I hope that a pattern will eventually emerge, but even if it doesn’t, it’s helpful to know how long it’s been since the last episode. My husband always insists it’s only been a few days, when in fact it’s been weeks. Knowing this helps us to roll with it a little better.

Thank you for the tips! It’s crazy how similar our situations are. Our dog only leaks when she’s resting with me...never in her bed or when she’s sleeping alone somewhere. We already have a couch cover because of this ..haha...and yes it’s ugly but necessary at this point.