Dog Lesson: Anal Gland Expression

Does your dog lick/bite his anus area or drag his butt (scooting)?  The past two days, Teddy has been licking his anus area slightly more than normal.  So we took him to the vet, to find that his anal gland (anal sacs) were full.  These anal glands can be found at roughly 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock to his anus.

The purpose of the a dog's anal gland is to produce a smelly secretion that is useful when dogs (in the wild) mark their territory.  They are suppose to express (empty) every time he poops.  In an ideal situation, when the dog's poop is normal and firm, the anal gland will empty due to the squeezing of his poop.  If, however, the glands do not empty, it could be caused by many reasons: inherent hereditary issues, poor food quality or damaged anus tissue (to just name a few).  In these circumstances it is important to express the gland for the poor dog, as was done for Teddy today.  This just means squeezing empty the gland.  This was done for Teddy by the vet today (who charged $25), but a groomer can also do it.  Note:  Your groomer should be doing this already, if it is necessary; something I will be asking in the future.  I am unsure whether there will be a charge by the groomer as well.

Luckily his was just full and an expression was enough.  These anal glands can be impacted (blockage) or infected as well.  In these cases, the process gets more complicated and a vet appointment should be made.