Anal gland expression is one thing you can do for your pet in the comfort of your home. However, if you're like the majority of our clients at Cashua Veterinary Care, you'll most likely attempt it once and then leave it to our vet or one of her assistants. That's no problem for us, since we know what it entails and that it's a necessity for the comfort of your pet.
About the Anal Glands
Your dog has two pea-size sacs just inside of his or her anus. Their purpose is to excrete a substance that marks his scent on his stools each time he defecates. They also lubricate hard stools. Unfortunately, these glands are prone to impaction and sometime require manual expression.
Anal Gland Expression: A Dirty Job Someone Has to Do
The anal glands serve as an evolutionary territory marker. This secretion not only tells other dogs that he has been here, but what sex he is, how old he is, and how healthy he is.
Problems arise if the sacs don't empty properly and become impacted. If your dog has begun to bite at his butt or scoot it along the ground, he may have impacted anal glands. When this happens, the glands need to be manually expressed. As this is a dirty job, a lot of pet owners don’t want to do it themselves and prefer to leave it to a professional.
Does Your Pet Need Veterinary Care?
We provide proactive care here at Cashua Veterinary Care by taking the time to palpate each anal sac as part of every routine examination and express it if necessary. However, if you would like a lesson in anal gland expression, our vet will be glad to demonstrate it next time you bring your dog in to our Florence, SC practice.
