7 Best High Fiber Dog Foods to Prevent Anal Gland Issues

If your pup is having chronic anal gland issues, your vet may recommend switching your dog over to a high fiber diet. A high fiber diet can help firm up bowel movements, which in turn will aid in the anal glands releasing on a regular basis. When anal sacs do not excrete fluid regularly, they can become impacted or even infected.

By switching your dog to a high fiber food, you can help reduce or eliminate the need to have your dog’s anal glands expressed manually.

With the variety of dog foods on the market; it can be challenging to know which high fiber food will work best for your dog. Also, many dogs have additional dietary needs. So, it is essential to find a dog food that will meet all of your dog’s nutritional requirements.

In this article, you will find:

• Detailed information as to the importance of having your dog’s anal glands expressed
• Why Fiber is Important for Solving Dog’s Anal Glands Problems
• Treating Anal Gland Issues with A High Fiber Diet
• How Much Fiber Regular Dog Foods Have?
• Healthiest Sources of Fiber for Dogs
• Top 7 Dog Foods for Anal Gland Problems

Why Do Dogs Need to have their Anal Glands Expressed?

All dogs have anal glands. The glands are located on both sides of the dog’s anus. They are small sacs that secrete a fluid when your dog defecates.

The secretion is specific to each dog. When your pup has a bowel movement, the secretion is dispersed at the same time, leaving your dog’s unique calling card.

When these glands become blocked or impacted, due to not releasing frequently enough, they need to be manually expressed.

Though you can express them yourself, it is best to allow a professional to do it for you. The dangers of expressing the glands yourself include:

• Rupturing the sac from too much pressure
• Dog Bite
• Damaging the gland from improper handling

Why High Fiber Diets Help Dogs with Anal Gland Problems

Dogs require both soluble and insoluble fibers in their diet to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal balance. Soluble and insoluble fibers work the same in dogs as it does in humans.

Soluble fiber helps to maintain good gut bacteria and promotes good health in the large intestine, aiding in the prevention of diarrhea. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to a dog’s bowel movement, which will help in releasing the fluid from the glands.

Without fiber, a dog cannot produce firm enough stool to activate the anal glands.

Treating Anal Gland Problems with A High Fiber Diet

As it’s mentioned earlier, a high fiber diet can help firm up your dog’s bowel movements and assist in alleviating impacted anal glands. High fiber diets are only beneficial for dogs who have a chronic problem stemming from a lack of fiber in their diet.

If your dog is suffering from a temporary bought of diarrhea, your vet may suggest giving your dog a fiber supplement like pumpkin or psyllium husk. In cases like this, using a fiber supplement temporarily to avoid anal gland issues is best. Changing your dog’s diet should only be done if your dog suffers from chronic anal gland issues caused by a lack of fiber in their diet.

Diet isn’t the only cause of impacted glands, and it is best to discuss with your veterinarian before changing your pup over to a high fiber diet.

Other factors that can anal gland issues include:

• Anal glands formed too deep in the rectum
• Underlying health issue causing GI upset
• Dog’s Breed and Size
• Weight

How Much Fiber Should Regular Dog Foods Have?

Most dry dog foods have a guaranteed analysis of fiber content between 2%-4%. For dogs requiring a high fiber diet look for a guaranteed analysis between 5%-10%, above 10% could cause adverse reactions.

Read the Label – Healthiest Sources of Fiber for Dogs

Fiber comes in many forms, and some of the best types of fiber for dogs can be found in the following foods:

• Fruits like Apples, Blueberries, and Pumpkin
• Vegetables like Spinach, Greens, Beet Pulp
• Sweet Potatoes
• Rice Bran
• Flaxseed
• Psyllium Husk
• Pectin
• Dried peas and beans
• Oats
• Barley

Fiber comes in other forms as well, but these are the top ingredients to look for.

Top 7 Best High Fiber Dog Foods

Here are the 7 best high fiber dog foods for dog’s suffering from anal gland problems. How changing your dog to a high fiber diet can eliminate anal gland issues.

1. Fromm Gold Weight Management Dog Food

Fiber Guaranteed Analysis 10%

Fromm’s Gold Weight Management formula’s first three ingredients are animal protein. So, although this is a high fiber food, it still contains enough protein to be a balanced diet. The top fiber-rich foods found in this dog food are oat groats (4th Ingredient) and pearled barley (5th ingredient).

In addition to these two significant sources of fiber, this food also contains flaxseed, sweet potatoes, and pea fiber. In addition to being rich in fiber, this food is also enhanced with probiotics to aid in a healthy digestive system.

Fromm’s Gold Weight Management is an excellent all-around balanced food and would be suitable for dogs that need to lose weight.

2. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Dog Food

Fiber Guaranteed Analysis 10%

Blue Buffalo’s Life Protection Formula is not only high in fiber but also includes their specially made LifeSource Bits. These bits are packed with vitamins and antioxidants to help promote good health.

The first two ingredients in this blend are chicken, which is closely followed by barley, pea fiber and starch, and oatmeal. This recipe also includes sweet potatoes and probiotics. In addition to these gut-healthy ingredients, this formula has been enhanced with glucosamine and chondroitin to encourage healthy joints.

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is the best high fiber formula for dogs who would benefit from the added glucosamine and chondroitin.

3. Wellness Core Rawrev Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Fiber Guaranteed Analysis r 8.5%

If your dog requires a high protein and high fiber diet, this is an excellent formula. Not only is there 8.5% fiber, but it also has a guaranteed analysis of 35% crude protein. This recipe has turkey and chicken for the first three ingredients, followed by fiber-rich elements.

To boost the fiber in this recipe, it contains sweet potatoes, flaxseed, spinach, broccoli, apples, blueberries, and kale. Not only are these ingredients full of fiber, but they are all superfoods packed with antioxidants to boost the immune system.

CORE RawRev Healthy Weight is the perfect food for a dog who prefers a raw diet and needs a high protein and fiber diet.

4. Merrick Healthy Weight Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Fiber Guaranteed Analysis 5%

Though this recipe isn’t as high in fiber as other foods, it is still higher than average. Merrick is also a grain-free variety, which is a good option for dogs with food sensitivities. Merrick’s healthy weight management recipe is also high in protein, which is not always common in healthy weight dog food formulas.

This formula contains three main animal proteins beef, chicken, and turkey. In addition to the high protein ingredients, this recipe has flaxseed, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and peas to increase the fiber.

Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight is an excellent food for dogs requiring a high protein, high fiber, grain-free diet.

5. CANIDAE Pure Healthy Weight, Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Fiber Guaranteed Analysis 5%

This dog food is made with only nine key ingredients. For the main proteins, they’ve included chicken and turkey, which are the first three ingredients. The fiber-rich foods found in this formula are sweet potatoes, peas, and garbanzo beans.

In addition to this being a limited ingredient food, it has also been enhanced with glucosamine, chondroitin, and probiotics.

CANIDAE Pure Healthy Weight has an average amount of protein and fat, which would benefit dogs looking to lose weight, or dogs with allergies or joint issues.

6. The Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters Grain-Free Dog Food

Fiber Guaranteed Analysis 5%

The Honest Kitchen dog food is minimally processed and always made with 100% human-grade ingredients. This recipe contains an average protein content and above standard fiber. The Honest Kitchen is a chicken-based formula and contains only the single animal protein.

The Whole Food Clusters are not only grain-free but also packed with superfoods rich in fiber like flaxseed, apples, kale, chia seeds, peas, broccoli, and pumpkin.

Whole Food Clusters is a very vitamin-rich food and would be perfect for any dog looking to boost their immune system.

7. Solid Gold – Fit & Fabulous Weight Control Dry Dog Food

Fiber Guaranteed Analysis 10%

Solid Gold Fit & Fabulous is another high-quality grain-free option for dogs with grain sensitivities. Though this food is high in fiber, it is average in protein, 26% crude protein.

Chicken is the single animal protein found in this food. For fiber, this recipe contains sweet potatoes, pea flower, green beans, flaxseed, spinach, and broccoli. In addition to these great ingredients, probiotics have been added to ensure a healthy digestive system.

Overall this is an excellent food for dogs looking to lose weight or those who can’t have grains in their diet.

Final Thoughts

Overall, if you are seeking a high fiber food to encourage healthier anal glands, there are an abundance of options to pick from. The available options even include formulas that are high protein, grain-free, and weight loss varieties. Whatever your dog’s needs are outside of requiring a high fiber diet, there’s a food available that will suit your needs.

Keep in mind when you are switching to a higher fiber diet; you must transition them over slowly to reduce chances of GI upset.

Keeping our pups happy and healthy is every dog parent’s goal. Meeting our dog’s nutritional needs is crucial to ensuring we reach that goal.

Many foods on the market promote high protein. However, ensuring your dog has enough fiber in their diet is equally as essential to maintaining a healthy digestive system.

Good Referral Resources: ANAL GLAND PROBLEMS IN DOGS – NATURAL TREATMENT AND PREVENTION