# Cleaning and Removing anal glands?



## Steph_L (Jul 20, 2015)

I saw a korea vet last week for Daisy's rabies vaccine and they told me I need to clean her anal glands every 10 days. I've heard you only do it if they're stinky. Any comments?

They also said that if they spay her they will remove her anal glands which I don't think is necessary. None of my dogs before had theirs removed. Is it a small dog thing? I'm probably having the Army veterinarian do it but there is a wait list because the surgeon travels between bases.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

I definitely would not have the anal glands removed without a history of serious issues. Get a new vet! Early spaying for females can lead to urine leaking. You definitely don't want that. 
Also I would not spay her yet---she needs to wait until the growth plates (bones) are much more developed. It can take up to a year. If you wait this longer time frame you must be VERY careful as a bitch can conceive if she is mated---even at a fairly early age. It can take only a few minutes too. You definitely don't want that! 
I would suggest you read some of the suggestions here on SM & let your vet know that you are informed & stick to your decision.


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## Steph_L (Jul 20, 2015)

I honestly never even heard of removing them. The vet we see isn't necessarily incompetent BUT I will say there is a big difference in animal care standards between the U.S. and Korea. I think removing them is for the "benefit" of the owner with no thought of the animal taken into consideration. She's already on the wait list to be spayed by the Army veterinarian and the list takes months to get to you so she'll probably be over 6 months. We haven't even had a consultation yet. 

The korean vet is good for an ER (only one with English speaking staff), heartworm preventative, and vaccines. I don't think we will see them if she's actually sick and it isn't an emergency or for her spaying.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Some dogs do need them removed, but it is not a routine surgery & it is a very painful surgery/recovery for the dog. Kitzi has an issue with only the right side. Lisi has no issues at all. I give Kitzi a product I got from Crystal, but my vet said one can also use ground flax seeds---only a very tiny amount daily on food---if they have issues (this can cause gas in some dogs).


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## Pooh's mommy (Aug 31, 2014)

Steph_L said:


> I saw a korea vet last week for Daisy's rabies vaccine and they told me I need to clean her anal glands every 10 days. I've heard you only do it if they're stinky. Any comments?
> 
> They also said that if they spay her they will remove her anal glands which I don't think is necessary. None of my dogs before had theirs removed. Is it a small dog thing? I'm probably having the Army veterinarian do it but there is a wait list because the surgeon travels between bases.


Oh no! ..."every 10 days"????
Please get a second opinion!!!

And please do not even consider a surgery that is not medically necessary ...and No! it is not a "small dog thing".

I'm no expert on anal glands but we are well known at my vet because Pooh does have ongoing issues with hers. 
I will share what I have learned but please research this for yourself. Hopefully others will chime in with their experiences.


Mostly anal glands do not need attention unless their is a problem which you will then know about by the smell and the fact that your fluff will be very uncomfortable and bite at the area and scoot around on the floor.
An occasional stinky whiff may even just be a normal indication that things are working properly and no need to rush to get them expressed.

I for one, do not let anyone(other than the vet) express my Pooh because over expression or too frequent expressions can cause problems and make the glands weak and fail to work properly. A knowledgeable vet will check them for fullness...a groomer will usually just routinely express unless you ask them not to.
As for surgery...If it ain't broke.....Don't fix it!!!!!!!!!!

If there is a problem My vet and I agree that surgery would be the last resort.
Only for a tumor or an infection or abscess that has been treated unsuccessfully. Flushing should first be tried and medications. Never just for the sake of removing them for convenience! Or during a spay! :w00t:

If and when surgery is necessary if should only be performed under the best of circumstances and by a highly qualified surgeon. This is not a surgery to be performed by someone who is inexperienced. It is a very risky surgery and the outcome may be worse than the original problem.

The nerves that control the anal sphincters(muscles that close and open the rectum) run very close and through the soft tissues near the anal sacs. Extra care must be done not to damage this area because it can lead to fecal incontinence, loss of bowel movement control or constant fecal leakage from the relaxed rectum.
There is a high risk of infection after surgery (because this is a area that is hard to keep clean) and a possible loss of muscle tone.

I'm sorry if this was more info than you were wanting :blink:

I have talked alot to my vet about this because my girl does have anal issues. She has to go in routinely. She only has one working anal gland that has to be expressed because she can not express it on her own.
But surgery will only be a last resort for us. I choose to take her in when she needs an expression, the cost is not that much and she feels so much better afterwards. The risks of the surgery are just too great especially is your vet is just suggesting that it could be done for convenience.

Is there another vet in the area that you could use?


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## Kathleen (Aug 4, 2011)

I agree with what Cindy said - they should only be expressed if there is a problem, and it can cause harm otherwise. They can stop working on their own.
Here is an article that might help:
Vets and Groomers, Be Aware of Pet Anal Gland Problems


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

I totally agree with the others..anal glands do not need to be expressed unless there is a problem..I don't know why most groomers and some vets think dogs have to have their anal glands expressed on a regular basis:angry: I would never remove the anal glands except as a last resort, e.g. continuous infection..


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## Steph_L (Jul 20, 2015)

Thanks for all the info. It all supports what I was thinking. My groomer state side never did it with my Newfoundland and he never had problems. Daisy doesn't either. By "small dog problem" I mean I was just curious if small dogs are more prone to problems with their anal glands. 

Living in Korea is definitely an experience. Now that Daisy is done with her puppy vaccines and we can schedule her next ones in advance I will be using the military vet. The problem before was they didn't have any openings for at least 6 weeks and she needed to stay on schedule. She's already on their wait list to be spayed when she's old enough. 

My mom always says "if is smells like B.S then it probably is" haha


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## lydiatug (Feb 21, 2012)

Georgie has anal gland problems as well, as they are very small. We started having them expressed at the vet every 30 days, which turned into every week. I finally took her to a holistic vet who explained that the walls of the glands were very thick due to excessive expressing, and the fluid very thick...not good. She put her on an essential oil suppository, and now we are back to every 30 days, walls thin and pliable, and fluid thin and easy to express. They are usually only half full these days and she is expressing on her own every few days to a week, so there is marked improvement. 

There are other options to try before resorting to surgery, which can also cause complications.


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## LOVE_BABY (May 5, 2015)

Steph_L said:


> I saw a korea vet last week for Daisy's rabies vaccine and they told me I need to clean her anal glands every 10 days. I've heard you only do it if they're stinky. Any comments?
> 
> They also said that if they spay her they will remove her anal glands which I don't think is necessary. None of my dogs before had theirs removed. Is it a small dog thing? I'm probably having the Army veterinarian do it but there is a wait list because the surgeon travels between bases.



I've heard it is better/healthier for a dog not to have their anal glands expelled /squeeze at all especially if there is not any 'smelly' problem. I have never expelled Baby's glands myself nor has anyone else done that to him. He only very rarely smells a bit 'funky' in that area. I've heard that normal bowel movements & exercise should 'express the glands naturally' & that expressing/squeezing the gland can actually _weaken_ it and cause problems. Don't remember where I heard this but I did hear/read it somewhere. If I find the source I will post a link. I didn't' know any vets remove the anal glands, I've never heard of that for dogs only for skunks lol.


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## Gabbee15 (Jan 8, 2015)

Never had any anal glands removed with either of the girls or my previous dogs. No problems. I always tell a new groomer not to do it (some of them do it automatically). You could actually cause problems. Bad advice! You are a smart lady to question that vet.


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