Yzma wrote: I've read on some sites that a diet with higher fiber might help. Is this true?
Yzma, my Billy scooted every day for 16 years.
Once again, I will have to agree with both sides: yes, it does become a definite habit. BUT, there is always a reason for it.
We never found out the exact cause, but in hind(?)sight there is no question that there had been "something wrong back there" all her life.
Oh, we tested for everything under the sun, and for her first 6 years Billy seemed to be perfectly normal, apart from her scooting.
Then out of the blue, without any diet change whatsoever, our 6-year battle with constipation began. Which ended in megacolon, which we treated for another 3 years before we had a sub-total colectomy done... And the scooting never stopped!
BTW, the idea with the itch came up, too, at some point. Unfortunately, in our case, applying any type of cream or ointment actually made her scoot even more. But it's always worth a try. As Davet said, please ask your vet about it.
Before I would add fiber to the diet I would want to see what consistency (and caliber!) Mythie's feces are now.
If it is truly an anal gland problem, "you" want hard feces, something you won't get by adding fiber.
Unless there is a water absorption problem in the colon, you will only end up with lots of soft bulk, which won't do anything.
I would definitely try the boiled chicken first.
In fact, I would give nothing else for a couple of days, to see what happens.
If it produces the desired effect, you can then slowly replace part of the chicken with her regular diet.
Of course, after that you would have to look into some sensible, permanent diet changes.
Best of luck!
