Anal Glands

We get a lot of questions about anal glands. What are they? What do they do? How often should they be checked/expressed?

Anal glands are two pea sized fluid sacks (one on each side of the anus). They are scent glands. In the good old days when dogs used to forage for themselves, they were on a grain free mostly vermin and bird diet. This made their stools hard as a rock.

When a dog had a bowel movement, the hard stools expressed the anal glands. Now a days most dogs are fed low quality grain filled processed dog foods. This makes the stools really soft hence preventing the anal glands from getting expressed automatically.

A dog that is suddenly anxious can often times express their anal glands suddenly. This is quite unpleasant for the humans in near proximity.

Anal glands, in my opinion, should be checked if your dog is exhibiting signs of discomfort.
1. Scooting 2. Persistent Licking 3. Bizarre Tail Chasing.

If your dog goes to the groomer regularly, find out if your groomer expresses anal glands. I have found that smaller dogs can't seem to express their anal glands and need help from humans. Your vet is also able to express anal glands AND is able to assess if there are any problems with them as well.

Lastly, if you are concerned about them. I think having the vet or the groomer check them once or twice a year should be proficient.

Thank you for reading :) Sarah