# Has your dog had their anal glands expressed?



## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

I had no idea about anal glands until Wednesday when I took her to the vet. The poor thing has a uti and had to have her anal glands expressed cause vet said they were impacted. Her bum area looks sore and she has been sitting a lot and looks very uncomforable. Is this normal? He said he had to use KY jelly.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Andy did when he got older. But they gave him some kind of "butt cream" which really helped him, with the imflammation and stuff. I wouldn't use KY...can't they lick down there?? I dunno exactly what the stuff was they gave us, we just always referred to it as butt cream hahaha. But I think it was for something else, but they also prescribed it for that problem. Don't they have something they can give her?? Like for animals... :huh:


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## DenaBear07 (Aug 7, 2007)

poochie2 said:


> I had no idea about anal glands until Wednesday when I took her to the vet. The poor thing has a uti and had to have her anal glands expressed cause vet said they were impacted. Her bum area looks sore and she has been sitting a lot and looks very uncomforable. Is this normal? He said he had to use KY jelly.


 
I'm not sure what you're referring to as far as normalcy goes, but I'll tell you the following. 

Most dogs express their anal glands when they have a bowel movement. They secrete a liquid substance that helps with lubrication, and are thought to play some role in dog to dog identification. The two glands sit at about 4 & 6 o'clock positions just inside the anus. Think of them like.....grapes. Ideally, the pressure from the feces helps empty these glands when the dog has a bowel movement. Some dogs need more help emptying them than others. Ask a couple of doctors why some dogs' anal glands don't empty without human intervention, and you'll get several different answers: the dog is overweight; the dog's diet lacks fiber; the dog's stool is not hard enough. 

Some dogs never need to have help expressing their anal glands, while others need them emptied almost every week. Impacted anal glands are something we see at the vet relatively frequently, but then again, the clients have brought their dogs to us because there IS a problem. We usually have at least 3 patients a day that need to have their anal glands expressed, but the glands are not necessary impacted. 

Early signs your dog needs his or her anal glands expressed:
- _scooting_ (the dog is in a sitting position, and using the front legs, pulls himself forward)
- _chewing/licking near the tail_

HOpe to have helped.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

London doesn't empty her anal glands on her own so when she used to go to the groomer (every 3 months or so) they would empty them. Now that I do my own grooming, I just had the vet do it a few weeks ago as she said they were very full.

I haven't had the vet check Preston's, so I'm not sure about his but he doesn't really act like he needs them emptied.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

My Abbey has constant anal gland problems. I had to take her in last week and I honestly can't believe the vet charged me $75!!!!!!!!!!!! The last time I took her in with one of my other dogs appointments and he expressed them for free...:innocent:

I used to take my bichon in regularly several years ago and a tech would do it for $12. Things are a changin'....


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## Morkie4 (Oct 13, 2006)

Of the four, only Kallie has to have her anal glands expressed and for soreness I would NOT use the KY jelly.........I use balsam for babies and only use a tiny bit and then hold her for a while so it starts working to sooth the bum............then she is good to go. Anal glands that are full are very uncomfortable and I imagine they could become painful if not emptied. I have to do Kallie's every 10 days.


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## nekkidfish (Aug 25, 2009)

I had the vet express Poppy's anal glands a few weeks after he came he, after finding Poppy scooting. My vet said that we may never have to do it again, or we might need to do it once a month. He said that sometimes toy breed dogs do not have the 'umph' that bigger dogs do to be able to excreet the glands on their own.

I don't know if they used any sort of lotion or cream, but I know they didn't send anything home with me.

HUGz! Jules


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