We have always fed dried food to our 2 with the occassional wet food (dependant on weight) and we don't have any real problems but they both need anal glands emptying frequently and whilst their poo is never runny it is never hard either (if that makes sense). I also think that they produce an awful lot of poo (for want of a better word) on a daily basis.....

I find that they can't tolerate anything other than a chicken based dry food, the brands we have tried are:
Science Plan (awful imo)
Wafcol (they were not keen on)
Royal Canin (the best so far)
James Welbeloved (they seem to get very bored of this)
Iams
Eukanuba (as a puppy)
Pedigree
Wainwrights
Pets at Home own brand

They don't have any treats but I have been considering changing their diet to raw to see whether this would help with the anal glands (after we have dealt with current behaviour problems)
I would really like some advice as to whether the raw feeding would take up alot of time (something I sadly have very little of) and also whether there is another dried food that anyone would recommend that would be good for lean cavaliers (they don't like large chunks of food so it needs to be a small breed specific). I don't give the wet food to the eldest at all as it gives him a dodgy tummy.

I use natures menu in tins and my 2 dogs both poodles seem to be much better anal gland wise certainly the older one who is 5 years old is much better as the groomer who clips them every 8 weeks has remarked as she always checks them when they are bathed. They also have Royal Canin mini sensible as well although the natures menu is their main food.

Anal glands SHOULD empty themselves if the poo is firm enough as it will press on the glands when the dog poos. However if the glands have had to be emptied by humans regularly they will have become too slack so won't empty naturally no matter what. Have you tried Nature Diet? It's what I feed my Cavalier and Papillons on, next best thing to raw feeding. My big dogs get raw but the little ones aren't too impressed with it plus the worst problem is you need so much freezer space.

Thanks, yes I thought I would need freezer space which again I don't have. I have tried natures menu and nature diet as wet foods but the eldest does not get on with these. I thought about going back to rc and adding a few extras like chicken wings (do they need to be frozen first?) and egg yolk (a friend swears by this for good coat condition)

Tbh they have never had rock solid poo it has always been softish although it is easy to pick up iyswim sorry for too much info

my dogs are raw fed and have never had to have their anal glands emptied

Anal gland emptying is a thing of the past since switching to Barf - cooked chicken meat used to make mine loose. Raw has a different result.  

If you are considering BARF then I can only try to convince you to go for it - best thing I ever did for my dogs.  I have 3 dogs, 2 children, work part-time, basically, have very little spare time.  It takes a little getting used to but I prep and plan ahead and now don't give it a second thought of it being time consuming.  I was given an old chest freezer and had a few trips to a few local butchers asking for bones and scraps, opened an account with TMPS and when I do my weekly shopping, look out for reduced fish, fruit n veg.  Its easy when you get into it.  :-)

My boy had his anal glands emptied a few times but since changing to Purina Pro-Plan sensitive stomach dried food he has been fine, it's salmon based, he also (touch wood) hasn't had an upset stomach on it.

Hi we have changed our dogs to darlings dog food it is brilliant http://www.darlingsrealdogfood.com/ hope this helps

Hi,

We are going to wean them onto purina pro plan salmon and see if this has any difference. I have less than 1 drawer in my freezer for dog food available!!!
Would it help to give them raw chicken wings as an extra? Would I just buy it and leave it in their bowl?

Well a bit of an update on the food, we have been feeding them the salmon purina pro plan and I am amazed at the difference it has made. Really firm stools and less than half the amount they used to go :-)

You know you are bonkers when you get excited at firm stools lol

I think anything with no wheat (and preferably no grain at all) will produce less and firmer stools.

We are actually weaning them onto the salmon and potato dried food to see if this has an even better effect :-)

However if the glands have had to be emptied by humans regularly they will have become too slack so won't empty naturally no matter what.

I can't agree with that. That may be your experience but its rather sweeping!
My 1st dog was fed on complete for 5 years and then fed raw (3 years on), he had to have his anal glands emptied regularly and they became infected when on complete but since changing to raw has never had to do it as they empty themselves.  The can have scar tissue on them from infections but just because they have been emptied manually does not mean that they will never empty themselves.  Friends from dog club have had similar improvements when switching to raw.

I can't agree with that. That may be your experience but its rather sweeping!

Not really -that is experience from when I was working as a vet nurse, so not just one or two dogs. :)

>The can have scar tissue on them from infections but just because they have been emptied manually does not mean that they will never empty themselves.

I agree; I know plenty of dogs (my own and others from work) that have had their glands emptied once or twice but are normally fine. After all many groomers empty the glands as a matter of course every few weeks, and it's unusual to find problems with them.

Not really -that is experience from when I was working as a vet nurse, so not just one or two dogs. :-)

I too am an ex vet nurse, I am not talking a few dogs either.