anal gland

Question
hi katie..mixed yellow lab/german shepard,sr.age was a stray. what is the anal gland & what is the purpose?why the smell, why the scooting on this part.why does the dr. check this gland? thank you for your time  

Answer
The anal gland is usually more of a concern for smaller dogs and is squeezed when grooming is done, but sometimes it can become impacted in older, larger dogs, thus the scooting and smell.  The Vet will check the gland and do necessary adjustments to unimpact it, like squeezing it.  It is not advisable for anyone who does not know how to squeeze it to do so, as  you could seriously hurt or infect the dogs anus.  The vet should be consulted if this becomes more of a problem.  Good Luck