I am looking at moving my pet insurance (for cost reasons) but this is the only pre-existing condition that 'could' become a problem in the future and I want to weigh up whether its worth moving it or not. Thanks

I think that the world of dog insurance is a mind field, i think what you need toask yourself is this does become a problem again in the future could you afford to pay for it. Also would the insurance company say that a new condition could be conected to this one?

Cheap insurance is not an option, I hope that one day dog insurance will become simpler and maybe they would let you move if you have been insured with another.

It isn't cheap insurance rather "cheaper" insurance :-)

The cost is what I am trying to work out so if someone who has had the op could reply with what they had paid would be great (I am aware that costs could be less or more I am just looking at rough prices)

We are having problems with my westie at the moment and the vet has recommended having them removed i was quoted around £500 for the surgery but not sure if all vets are the same, i am holding fire at the moment as have changed food over to barf so hoping long term this may help him.

I think we paid about £350 and that was a few years ago so I guess £500 would be about right. 'Petplan' paid up in about two weeks and even backdated it to include all the visits to the vets about the problem and the gland emptying. Definately not the cheapest insurance but I wouldn't ever change as they've been great with all the claims...............he is rather accident prone !.

It will depend on the size of the dog, as the anaesthetic (sp) is based on weight.

I think that our current vets are quite keen to remove them as the vet we now use has done alot of these ops. I have been holding out in the hope they might improve but he scoots alot more in the last year and the vet has said that it is uncomfortable for him. We will stick with our existing insurers just to be safe!
Wow, I can't believe they backdated all the times you had to have them emptied that is good, ours is always way below the excess and is sometimes done for free so we haven't been able to claim yet but we will be if he needs them removing :-o

my final bil was around £960 but this included the back dated consultations from when i first noticed a problem.  If you ask your vets they should give you a estimate of costs.

How often do you get yours cleared, my westie is having problems and has been for the past year and like you i have held out in the hope that they may start to improve, he is currently having to have them done every 2 weeks as you get the awful pungent smell return and then the scooting comes back, i have found putting some sudocrem on his bum stops him scooting as the nurse at our vets suggested this as i have found when they are cleared for the next couple  of days he scoots even more and this time putting this on stopped him doing it.
What size dog have you got is it a big or smaller breed as the vets have said its more the small breed dogs that get the blocked anal glands.

Every 2 weeks is alot! In your situation I would source a vet who carries out the procedure with an excellent success rate. Yes we too have a small breed a cavalier and they said that it does seem to affect the smaller breeds more frequently :-(

How often do you have yours done? Robbie usually starts to smell after about 10 days that awful fishy metallicy smell, they have said not to rush him down every time he smells and try and lengthen it out they feel the time to do them is when he starts scooting or biting round his back end but robs seems to smell more than anything and at certain times of the day more than others.

We never have the fishy smell (thank goodness I am very smell sensitive), ours are a few times a year but it varies. The only indication is the scooting and then we send him down there. How does he react to having them emptied that often? That must be awful, our vets recommended removal and ours are no where near as frequent.

My friend has to have her frenchies cleaned almost every 3-4 weeks- she is about 2yrs old- should she be considering this op?

When you get them cleaned my vet showed me how to from inserting a finger where other places I see do it by pinching the bum together...Could the second damage anything on the bum?

I'm a groomer and am, at this moment, waiting for a client to collected his dog so I can go shower and wash anal gland gunk out of my hair!!!  OMG, how bad do I smell.  Well, I guess that serves me right for having a second look as I began to squeeze?!
There are loads of virals on youtube which detail the proceedure if you are not sure.  I need to do my own girl every month or so that's why I learned as it becomes really costly if you need to go to the vet everytime.

Have you thought of having yours removed as the vets told me that anything over 4 times per year emptying you should think of removal, as i said ours is every 2 weeks and they empty them internally at the vets he doesn't bother when they do it but when i was shown by the homeopathic vet how to externally empty them he went crazy, don't think i was doing it right though and guess it hurt him.
Bit against the op as i have had mixed reports on this as i fear him being left incontinent and also somebody told me once they are removed it can make them nasty towards other dogs as they haven't got the scent glands there any more, not sure how true this is?

OMG cracar I'm a groomer too and have emptied a fair few in my time, but never managed to get it in my hair - how awful for you! (and I'm afraid I'm sniggering a bit too - sorry!)

Hamish75 has your vet got a good success rate? Our boy hates having his emptied which is why eventually we will have them removed, I have never heard of them being aggressive afterwards but I will mention it to my vet the next time.

I think he gets growly when i do it because i don't know what i am doing, thats why i take him to the nurse every time now at our vets as it is done quickly and he doesn't bother having them done at all down there. Not sure whether to go ahead with the op or not as somebody i spoke to that had had them removed said it was a horrible op and the dog was in a lot of discomfort afterwards, this is what is putting me off.
How old is your boy? Has he always had trouble from young?