anal glands?

Question
My vet said something about expressing anal glands. What are they?

Answer
Anal glands are definitely a part of the grooming process that stinks - both figuratively and literally!

The glands are small and usually pea sized.  They are located on either side of the dog's rectum. They are used to identify that your dog has been there to other dogs.  They also serve to deter attack when your pet is threatened.  The odor of the liquid inside the glands is extremely stinky.

In theory the dog should express his own glands by squeezing a small amount of the fluid out of his rectum every time he has a bowel movement.  Years ago the pet food contained a lot more waste and so the pet dog had big poops.  This was effective in maintaining the health of the glands.  The movement in pet food has swung towards less waste in the dog's nutrition.  So when the dog has less food that is not absorbed by the digestion process, then less food is excreted by the bowel.  This leads to more problems with anal glands.

Smaller dogs tend to have more problems with their glands than their larger counterparts.  But gland problems are seen in all sizes and breeds of dogs.  When a dog "scoots" on his rear end he may be expressing the fluid on his own. They often leave streaks of the foul, brownish fluid.  Dogs will also lick and chew at their rectum to relieve themselves of an uncomfortable build up of fluid.Usually dogs that are very frightened "let their glands go".  This causes a stream of the fluid to shoot out.  I also have one dog that tends to have very full glands all the time.  We say she "poofs" us, because dribbles of glands seem to leak out of her fairly frequently.

If a gland builds up fluid and the pressure is not relieved then severe impaction (hardening of the fluid) can occur.  If this is not relieved then the dog can develop and abscess from the gland to the outside of the dog.  This is an urgent medical situation that sometimes needs surgery to heal.  At the very minimum a course of antibiotics is prescribed and the Vet thoroughly cleans the area.  If the dog begins secreting blood in it's anal gland fluid then it can be an indicator of anal gland cancer.

There are two ways a Groomer or a Vet can express an animals glands.  The method I use is external expression.  I reach beside the rectum from the outside of the dog, and milk the fluid to the surface.  The other way glands can be expressed is by internal expression.  A gloved finger is reached inside the rectum and the fluid is manipulated towards the surface.  I personally believe that a Groomer has no business doing any type of "work" on the inside of a dog.  I feel that is definitely crossing the line of practicing medicine without a license.

The expression of glands by Groomers has mixed endorsement by the Veterinary community.  If the dog has it's glands expressed often it may become dependent on a manual manipulation of the gland to get it expressed.  The dog may loose the ability to express the gland on it's own.  A person that does not do a thorough expression of the glands can cause the dog problems that may require future Vet treatment.  Also there is a potential for injury to the animal if the glands are expressed incorrectly.

I prefer to always check glands.  While the process can be messy and smelly, I think it's part of routine care.  If the glands are empty I leave them alone.  If I am able to express them, I observe the fluid and report to the owner any abnormalities.  If I can't express the fluid in the glands then I encourage the owner to get the pet to the Veterinarian as  this is an urgent situation.  If a gland is never checked then infection, impaction, abscess or cancer may be missed in the early stages.

Sometimes dogs lick and rub at their rectum after grooming.  Expressing the glands can cause the dog to have a "funny"  sensation. Also, any remaining fluid left on the outside of the rectum is tasty to some pets. My tip to remove lingering gland fluid and odor that may be on the dog, you, the furniture or the carpet, is to spray or rub around it with rubbing alcohol or waterless hand cleaner (which contains alcohol).  The alcohol is the best product to remove the obnoxious odor. Sometimes the rectum is irritated for other reasons.  So I usually recommend trying to change one process with each groom until the culprit that is causing the dog to lick is discovered.

An owner can learn to express their own pet's anal glands.  Find a competent professional who will walk you through the process.  The glands do have a tendency to "squirt" during manual expression so wear gloves and close your mouth.  I learned the second part the hard way! :)

So in review, talk to both your Vet and your Groomer about the glands.  Then decide if you you want your Groomer to express them or not. No matter what you decide, please make sure you have the gland status monitored.  This is definitely one place "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care"!

Thank you for your question!