Anal Glands

Never heard of anal glands??  Well, you are in for a treat today!  Haha!  Ok, so it’s not usually a favorite topic; but if you have a pet, especially a dog, they’re something you need to know about. 

Anal glands are scent glands.  They are located between the muscle layers of the rectum, and when all is working correctly, they are naturally expressed through ducts each time a dog defecates.  This is another way for a dog to “mark their territory” and leave a signal to other dogs that may pass by. 

Cats have anal glands too, but it is fairly rare for them to have issues with them.  Unfortunately, it is very common for dogs to have problems with their anal glands.  The most common issue is when the glands become impacted.  This means that they are not being naturally expressed when the dog poops.  Impaction is very uncomfortable, and if the pressure is not relieved, it will lead to infection, and in turn, abscessed anal glands.  Infections will need to be treated with antibiotics and pain medications.  If they are not treated in time, the anal gland may abscess and rupture through the dog’s skin.  These abscesses are messy, smelly, and painful.  They may require surgical repair and drain placement.

So you know that funny little thing you’ve seen your dog doing where he’s scooting his butt across the grass...or heaven forbid, your white carpet in the living room?  This is actually an indication that his anal glands are full or impacted.  Other signs may include excessive licking of their rectum, straining or vocalizing when defecating, swelling under the skin next to the rectum, and blood or pus in their stools.  At this point, you definitely need to take a trip to the vet clinic! 

At the vet clinic, a GLOVED vet or technician will manually express the glands by inserting a finger into the dog’s rectum and gently squeezing until the gland is emptied out.  This is known as “internally” expressing the gland.

If you take your dog to a groomer, they may be “externally” expressing your pet’s anal glands.  However, it should be noted that frequent and unneeded anal gland expression (especially externally) can actually cause future anal gland problems.  This is because the squeezing that’s done during expression can lead to inflammation, which can result in scar tissue, further narrowing an already narrowed anal gland duct. 

Factors that increase a dog’s chances of anal gland problems may include chronic bacterial skin infections, skin mite infestations, food allergies, environmental allergies, obesity, and hypothyroidism.  However, some dogs have none of these issues but still have anal gland issues for no obvious reason. 

If your dog is one of the unlucky ones to suffer from this condition, help them by working with your veterinarian to figure out and manage an underlying cause.  Once that is accomplished, continue to seek veterinary assistance when your pet needs his anal glands expressed.  Your vet will be careful to make sure the procedure is done correctly, but not “overdone”. 

This is one procedure where you may just want to hang out in the waiting room!