Anal Glands and Your Dog

 Your dog drags his/her booty across your clean carpet, everyone has seen it but why are they doing it? Anal glands have many functions and can cause many issues with our furry friends. Anal glands are glands at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock inside your dog’s anus. These glands naturally express when your dog has a bowel movement, they can express when they are scared, and they can be expressed to mark your dog’s territory.

 Sometimes these glands can get blocked and can’t express on their own. That’s when they must come to the clinic, we express them and check to ensure they aren’t infected. When you notice your dog licking or scooting it can be because of several issues with the anal glands. They can scoot because of chronic skin dermatitis, if they have chronic loose stool, and food/environmental allergies can cause dogs to scoot. If the anal glands remain a chronic problem, they can lead to issues expressing and the dog must come in regularly for us to express them. Which can be unpleasant for both parties!

Small dogs are also prone to anal gland issues, low fiber in dogs’ diets can also affect the emptying of the anal glands. Chronic allergies are a big factor on why dogs scoot, lick and leak anal glands material. When they have allergies, it irritates the rectum and the anal glands. Once they are irritated your dog starts to scoot and lick their hind end which in turn causes dermatitis, the anal glands then not express properly and then it’s a lot of discomfort/pain for your pet. Addressing the root cause of the anal gland issues is the best way to cure/manage the anal glands and help keep your pet comfortable. If you have questions about anal glands, feel free to ask your veterinarian or veterinarian technologist, they can help you narrow down what’s happening with your dog!