Imagine the scene. It’s a beautiful sunny day and you’re in the park for a walk with your dog. You stop to chat with a friend, then notice the kids laughing at something. Eventually you turn around and your dog walks on his butt through the grass. “What are you doing?” ask your dog. Sound familiar? It’s a pretty common sight in dog walking areas and it’s probably his anal glands that are the problem.
What are anal glands?
Anal glands are found on either side of your dog’s anus, just below the surface of the skin. They produce a thick, foul-smelling liquid that dogs use to mark territory and identify themselves. This fluid is usually expressed through muscle twitching and squeezing when your dog has a bowel movement. Above all, this liquid lubricates the droppings on the way out and leaves an identifying business card that other dogs can smell. This is also believed to be the reason why dogs like to sniff each other’s butts when they meet.
Problems with the anal glands
Anal gland problems are common in dogs. Anal gland impaction is the most common condition associated with them. When fluid is not expressed properly, it causes a buildup in the anal gland. As a result, this causes your dog to become irritated, causing him to “scoot” on the floor and frequently lick his butt. This is done in an attempt to relieve the pressure in the glands. Eventually, if the impaction is not relieved, the gland may also become infected and sometimes even burst with an abscess.
Treatment
The early stages of anal gland impaction are usually easily treated by manual expression of the anal glands. To do this, your veterinarian will usually palpate your dog’s buttocks. A slight pressure is exerted on the two glands until all the liquid is expelled.
If the anal glands are too painful to do consciously, sedation or general anesthesia is sometimes needed to express or completely flush out the glands. Depending on the severity of the impaction, treatments may also involve medication such as antibiotics and painkillers, or sometimes instillation of medication directly into the glands.
Prevention
All dogs can be affected by anal gland impaction. Here are some steps we can take to reduce your dog’s risk of being affected:
- Most importantly, keep your dog at a healthy weight. Overweight dogs have more difficulty fully expressing their glands.
- A good diet that contains the right amount of fiber. The fibers give a firm poo. As a result, it puts pressure on the anal glands when your dog goes to the toilet and helps flush them.
- Be careful. Watch for any signs such as scampering or dragging his butt on the floor, or excessive licking around his anus. If there are any signs that worry you, have them checked out by your veterinarian.
If you would like more information on this or any other pet health questions, please contact our team of Registered Veterinary Nurses..