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Anal Gland Impaction In A Dog

by CorinneC - February 11, 2026 View Case Report

Update on Mitzae Mae with "Shivers" - sorry Dr Marsden I don't know how else to get this to you so is a follow-up from an older case.

Notes: Shivers started up again the last 2 days (Jan 2026), but will stop when fed Vital Essential duck and beef nibs. Didn't want to eat last night or this am, but will eat the nibs no problem. Started giving her Carnivore frozen beef broth (apparently it has some apple cider vinegar). Not eating veggies at all, really resisting her raw (has veggies and herbs in it). On Probenz probiotics, Omega 3/6/9, and dandelion root for 2 weeks.

She has also had very full anal glands for 2 weeks, expressing dark brown thick sludge, Rt gland actually looked like it had burst, but today rechecked and able to express it normally, just very full. Pulses are toned, tongue is light reddish-pink, sl swollen, no TC, even a bit dry.

Diet is largely raw

Mitzae is presently on GXZYT, YGJ, and Halscion. Trying to figure out why she has this anal gland issue and poor appetite, seems like stagnation to me?? Shivering makes sense if so, but I would think the GXZYT and Halscion are helping to move Blood, no?

by naturevet

February 15, 2026

Hi again,

Halscion's main direction is inward. The anal glands are part of the upper burner in Chinese medicine, so they are part of the outer body. GXZYT addresses the middle and maybe lower burner. YGJ is sort of neutral, increasing the amount of circulating Blood but not really acting as a Blood mover. So, none of the three really targets the anal glands. To help move Blood in the anal gland region, I use Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. You may want to see if that moisturizes things.

If the glands are painful, that could cause shivering, as you suggested. The continued use of YGJ makes it unlikely it's an ulcer. You may well have a Spleen Yang deficiency, if the shivering accompanies a reluctance for unprocessed raw foods. It would be interesting to see if it improved with just the feeding of a heated version of the previously acceptable fresh raw food. If so, that would tell you that is the issue.

The other possibility is Shao Yang disharmony. I've noticed that dogs with pronounced Shao Yang disharmony often tremble and are cold. It's because Yang is more often trapped internally with them in the Stomach and Large Intestine (creating the previous possible ulcer tendency), a tendency to Blood Stasis in the interior and a lack of decent circulation in the exterior (including the anal gland region). So, introducing XCHT might help along with the XFZYT. XCHT is in Halscion, but the latter has the other Yang internalizing herbs found with XCHT in CHJLGMLT, so it doesn't help to vent Yang energy to the exterior.

If warmer food is better tolerated, another option is to use Adoptrex (XCHT + WLT) along with the XFZYT. To keep variable simple and minimal, though, I'd probably just add the XCHT and XFZYT. Stop the ones that don't appear to be helping, but since YGJ helped in the past, maybe keep that one going. And meanwhile, try warmed food.

Hopefully, things turn around for you and this mystery condition!

Steve

by CorinneC

February 17, 2026

Thank you so much Steve. My only reservation is that she has microvascular dysplasia and was on the other herbs to keep her liver happy? I am afraid to lose those and turn everything upside down. I may have missed you as I know you're in the "down under" for a bit, so I think I will just try cooked food and maybe add the XCHT and XFZYT for a bit and see where we get.
Hooroo! (Australian for good bye I believe, lol)
Corinne

by naturevet

February 17, 2026

Hmm. Well, GXZYT would actually potentially aggravate microvascular dysplasia, since it is trying to decongest the liver, yet you want to drive Blood to it. XFZYT would help a little in that regard, so it's still a good fit.

XCHT takes Blood away, too, so if liver enzyme elevations are an immediate concern, then starting with just the XFZYT may be your best bet. If they have endured or worsened despite GXZYT, now you have a theory why that might be the case

S

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