Q.Do you know of any products or methods that may help us live with fecal incontinence? My red heeler has had anal gland surgery and now suffers from this condition. She sleeps on our bed and accompanies me to work every day and has done so for the last 13 years. How long does it take from the time food goes in to the time it comes out the other end? Can we regulate this?

 

A.Every patient is different, as is the speed at which food passes through their GI tract. Sometimes bulking up the stool can work. I have had limited success using slippery elm and Acetylator by Vetri Science. Since one of our specialties over the last three decades has been rectal surgery by freezing, I have seen more cases like this than the average veterinarian. With some, I have had good success with sedating or using general anesthesia, and gently and gradually stretching out and breaking down any strictures that might be causing the incontinence. This should only be done by a veterinarian experienced in this kind of procedure. If the incontinence is neurological of functional, try acupuncture as a possible treatment.