Blocked
It is much easier to express your dog's anal glands if you have someone to help you gently restrain your dog as the expression is often uncomfortable (though not painful unless there is an infection or obstruction) and your dog may feel some pressure while you are pushing on the glands.
If your dog's glands are really full, they may leak out a stinky, pungent smell. Sometimes you'll see spots of brownish material in places where your dog has been sitting, such as on your carpet, your furniture or your lap.
Then you see your dog scooting his bum on the ground or licking around the area. If the anal glands are not emptied they can become impacted and an abscess can form, which then bursts through the skin leaving a smelly, bloody, painful mess.
Manually expressing your dog's anal glands can help relieve discomfort that dogs experience when they are full and can prevent any infections from developing.
Once your dog starts to have issues with anal gland infections, impaction, or abscessation, it is usually best to have their glands expressed every 3-4 weeks to prevent the issue from happening again. Your dog's anal glands can be expressed by your veterinarian, a veterinary technician, or even some dog groomers.
If a dog hasn't emptied their bowel properly or after a few days of passing soft stools, their anal glands tend to fill up. The pressure of firm stools helps release liquid from the glands. So, a sure-fire way of telling if your dog's anal glands are full is by checking their poo.
Almost all groomers will express a dogs anal glands during the grooming process.
The purpose of the glands is to produce a fluid with a strong odor (very pungent and fishy smell) unique to each dog. It's believed that the expression of a small amount of this fluid marks territory. Most dogs can also involuntarily express their anal sacks when they are fearful or become stressed.
DON'T …
Expressing your dog's anal glands means manually squeezing them to remove the fluid. Some groomers and vets do this routinely … and they may tell you to do it yourself too. Don't do it and don't let your groomer or vet do it either!
Anal gland expression is a quick and painless — but important — procedure for many dogs. Let's take a look at everything you need to know about anal gland expression in dogs. At Essentials PetCare, our experienced technicians can safely and quickly perform your dog's anal gland expression for only $25.
Weetabix is not the way to achieve this and is not a suitable fibre source for your dog. It is made primarily from wheat with added sugar and salt for the human palate. Many more sources of natural fibre are available for your dog.
Promotes Healthy Thyroid Function
The calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, silicone and zinc in carrots helps protect the glands.
Some dogs never require manual expression of their anal sacs, while other dogs require expression every 3-4 weeks. If you notice signs of discomfort in your pet, such as frequent licking of the bottom, scooting of the bottom on the ground, or a stiff-legged or hunched posture, they may need their anal sacs expressed.
Dogs vary in their production of anal gland secretion, so some effected dogs only need this done every few months, particularly if the glands occasionally express on their own, whereas other dog's glands may fill up in just a week or two.
Generally speaking your pet's anal glands should only be manually emptied (or "expressed") when needed. Expressing the anal glands too often can lead to further irritation of the anal glands. Therefore it is best for the anal glands to empty naturally when your pet defecates.
Normal anal gland fluid is brown with a thin consistency. If the expressed fluid is thick, chunky or coloured green, yellow or grey, this is abnormal and could indicate an infection. You should contact your veterinarian in the case of an abnormal fluid or non-easy expression.
If your dog requires regular anal gland expression, that fishy smell is a reminder to get your dog into the veterinarian's office or to the groomer.
Anal Gland Fluid
All of our canine buddies have two sacs on either side of the anus called anal glands. These glands, when working properly, secrete a brownish, oily dog discharge with a powerful odor. Anal glands need to expel fluid regularly, either when your dog poops or when you manually express them.
Symptoms of a blocked anal gland include: Scooting - rubbing the bottom (anus) on the ground. A foul, fishy smell. Nibbling and licking the anus and/or lower back.