Anal gland problems in dogs are common but can be easily treated either by your vet or at home. But if the prospect of manually expressing anal glands fills you with dread, don’t worry! This guide explains all about anal glands in dogs and takes you step-by-step through anal gland expression.

What are Anal Glands?

Anal glands (or anal sacs) are two small pockets found either side of your dog’s anus (bottom) with two openings. They’re the size of a small grape. They produce a strong scented substance which is deposited in your dog’s bowel movements (when they have a poo).

They’re used for scent and territorial marking. The scent, which lasts a long time in the environment, is one way dogs communicate with each other. Dogs may also empty their anal glands when they are in distress.

How to Tell if Your Dog’s Anal Glands are Full?

In healthy dogs, the anal glands are emptied when a dog has a bowel movement, but sometimes they don’t empty properly and become blocked. One reason they fill up is that the ducts are too narrow. A dog’s full anal glands may also be caused by their poo being too loose.

Full anal sacs can occur after a bout of diarrhoea - anal sac problems aren’t linked to constipation, so if you notice your dog straining, it’s down to the irritation around their anus. Some dogs have anal glands that just don’t empty normally, and full anal glands may keep recurring causing them discomfort.

If full anal glands are left, they can become infected, and abscesses can form and burst. Your vet can show you how to check your dog’s anal glands.

Symptoms of Blocked Anal Glands in Dogs

When a dog is unable to empty their anal sacs, the glands can sometimes become blocked or impacted. Anal sac impaction in dogs means that a dog’s anal glands need to be manually emptied. If you’re not confident about expressing them at home, you can ask your vet to show you, or they can do it for you.

Dogs with blocked anal glands may:

• Lick their anal area excessively
• Become irritable and restless
• Have a smelly bottom (a recognisable foul smell!)
• Sit down abruptly or suddenly look at their back end
• Start scooting (dragging their bottom along the ground)

If symptoms of anal gland problems continue, ask your vet to check if your dog needs anal gland treatment. Sometimes a tumour, known as an anal sac carcinoma, can have the same anal gland symptoms in dogs as a full or infected anal gland.

Signs of Anal Gland Infection

Anal gland infections in dogs often occur after chronic anal gland blockage. Your dog will be very uncomfortable and won’t like their back end being touched. Swollen anal glands in your dog or redness in that area are signs of inflammation and infection. If your dog’s anal glands are leaking, this may also indicate an infection.

An anal gland abscess may form and burst, releasing a foul-smelling discharge containing blood or pus. When this happens, your dog’s symptoms may ease. However, anal gland infections should be treated by your vet who may prescribe antibiotics or flush the anal glands with saline or antiseptic solution. Surgery to drain the abscess may also be needed.

How to Express a Dog’s Anal Glands

Your vet or vet nurse will be happy to express your dog’s anal glands. Never attempt to express your dog’s anal glands without first being shown how to do it - it can be smelly, messy and unpleasant for both the dog and the person expressing them! To express anal glands at home make sure you have paper towels, disposable medical gloves and some tasty treats for your dog to distract them while you express their anal glands.

Remember, squeezing too strongly may result in a ruptured anal gland causing your dog pain and they won’t let you near their anal glands again....

Here’s a quick guide:

• Small dogs can be placed on a grooming table (or similar), but large dogs can be on the ground. It may help to have someone hold the dog and keep them relaxed while another expresses the anal glands.
• Wearing old clothes (best to be prepared) and latex gloves, place your thumb and index finger at either side of the anus, and locate the anal glands - these will be at 4 and 8 o’clock positions around the anus, will be the size of a small grape and feel puffy.
• Have paper towels at the ready to catch any anal gland secretions and gently squeeze the anal glands with your thumb and index finger to empty them - aim to squeeze in pulses so that the fluid comes out in slow drips. Don’t squeeze too hard!
• A brown fluid with an anal gland smell will be expressed. Express both anal glands and praise your dog. Check for any signs of infection – if the fluid is green, yellow, or white, contact your vet as this is a sign of a more serious problem.
• Use warm water and a clean cloth to wash down your dog to remove any traces of the smelly fluid.
• Throw the paper towels away, put any other cloths in the washing machine and thoroughly wash your hands. And don’t forget to reward your dog with a treat!
• Large dogs may have their anal sacs deeper inside their bodies so may need a gloved finger inserted inside your dog’s anus to access them. This is best left to a veterinary professional!

How to Prevent a Dog’s Anal Gland Problems

The cause of anal gland problems in dogs may be due to diet, small anal sacs, external anal sphincter dysfunction, loose poo, or segments of tapeworm lodged in anal sac openings. Problems may also be caused by blockage of the anal sac ducts from skin disease around the anal opening due to an allergy.

Make sure your dog is fed a high-quality food. Increasing the amount of fibre in your dog’s diet may ease your dog’s anal gland symptoms. Regularly expressing the anal glands will also help. If your dog is on the portly side, they’ll need to go on a diet as the condition is seen more often in overweight dogs.

Some dogs go through life never needing their anal sacs emptied and if they don’t show any signs of anal gland problems, it’s best to leave them alone. However, if your dog shows any symptoms of blocked anal glands, or signs of infection, ask your vet for advice. You can also ask them to show you how to carry out manual expression so you can empty the anal sacs at home.

Recurrence of anal gland problems is very common so being able to express your dog’s anal glands on a regular basis may save frequent vet appointments.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis - www.vetstream.com/treat/canis 

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.