Vet Says To Leave Anal Glands Alone?

[stormie]

It happens whenever they poo. The idea of anal glands is as a scent marker - on each bowel movement some of the liquid is expressed with their poo, as a calling card. Dogs want to mark their home territory too.

I've seen Orbit's anal glands squirt out when doing a poo in the yard. Feral, I know...

[Erny]

It happens whenever they poo.

Thanks Stormie. That's what I always thought.

[kirst_goldens]

Just my 2 cents ...

don't do it unless u have to, the vet is correct and if done by us thety wont be able to do it naturally

Many groomers - includiung myself dont do it anymore... for above reasons and also that if dont incorrectly there can be many problems like infections and impactions - NOT PRETTY lol

leave them well alone and he will be fine - as for them making the dog smelly its more likely to be diet or skin issues

[Hello Gorgeous]

I've seen Orbit's anal glands squirt out when doing a poo in the yard. Feral, I know...

You know, I've never ever had anal glands problems with any of my dogs ever before and I've never ever caught a fishy whiff either (now I'm curious, but I bet I'm going to regret saying that ) I'm surprised to see and hear more and more about dogs which get their anal glands expressed manually - a lot of my friends who send their dogs to the groomers get it done there.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I've seen Orbit's anal glands squirt out when doing a poo in the yard. Feral, I know...

You know, I've never ever had anal glands problems with any of my dogs ever before and I've never ever caught a fishy whiff either (now I'm curious, but I bet I'm going to regret saying that ) I'm surprised to see and hear more and more about dogs which get their anal glands expressed manually - a lot of my friends who send their dogs to the groomers get it done there.

Hope you don't have cream couches...might be in store for some anal gland karma!!

[Greytmate]

I have heard somewhere that dogs express their anal glands when they poo on their walk, territorial pooing. But not when they poo at home.

That's interesting, because I didn't think that anal gland expression was a conscious, voluntary thing.

I don't think scratching up is entirely conscious either, but dogs do that after territorial type poos.

I don't have any more information, it is something I heard years ago that the release from the gland is associated with territorial marking and that dogs that didn't poo out of the yard were more prone to blockage. I can't even remember if it was a study, but I do remember it seemed a credible source.

And I did have the experience of my own dog who at first would never poo in public or mark territory and the vet emptying the glands. Then we never had a problem after she started pooing in public, although she was never a dog to be territorial about it in the way that some dogs are.

It could be a coincidence. Just worth mentioning seeing as we are discussing the topic and its possible causes.

If I owned a dog today that never pooed in public, and it needed to have its anal glands expressed, I would try to train it to poo in public and see if that worked, rather than putting my hands anywhere near my dog's bum as a first resort. Wouldn't you?

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

I have heard somewhere that dogs express their anal glands when they poo on their walk, territorial pooing. But not when they poo at home.

That's interesting, because I didn't think that anal gland expression was a conscious, voluntary thing.

I don't think scratching up is entirely conscious either, but dogs do that after territorial type poos.

I don't have any more information, it is something I heard years ago that the release from the gland is associated with territorial marking and that dogs that didn't poo out of the yard were more prone to blockage. I can't even remember if it was a study, but I do remember it seemed a credible source.

And I did have the experience of my own dog who at first would never poo in public or mark territory and the vet emptying the glands. Then we never had a problem after she started pooing in public, although she was never a dog to be territorial about it in the way that some dogs are.

It could be a coincidence. Just worth mentioning seeing as we are discussing the topic and its possible causes.

If I owned a dog today that never pooed in public, and it needed to have its anal glands expressed, I would try to train it to poo in public and see if that worked, rather than putting my hands anywhere near my dog's bum as a first resort. Wouldn't you?

this does sound logical. all my dogs have pooed in public and no ag problems

[Erny]

this does sound logical. all my dogs have pooed in public and no ag problems

I'm afraid I'm a complete non-believer at this stage.

Scratching up is a conscious or sub-conscious instinctive action.

So is marking.

My dog doesn't mark inside his own yard but he does outside his yard.

I cannot believe that a dog has muscle control over anal glands and can decide when they'll express or not. If the faeces are what actions the anal glands (which we all know they do - hence necessity for a healthy diet) how can a dog tell itself that this next poop is not to action the anal glands? It isn't logical to me.

But I'd be open to reading up on credible sources if you remember where you read this up, Greytmate.

Edited June 28, 2010 by Erny

[jaegertheweim]

I am pleased to say that we have not smelled stinky fish butt since my original post. Hoping it was just a one-off / infrequent issue

[Crisovar]

But yes, we'd much prefer you didn't do them yourself cause us vets and nurses would much rather stink our clinics out for doing it and also hope that you all get abscesses cause they're our favourite thing to deal with. And of course, because we want to suck as much money out of you as possible

Exactly!! there is nothing like anal gland abscesses to give you that job satisfaction, every clinic should aim for at least 6 - 10 a week to keep profit margins up and staff happy.

There is nothing like the perfume of dogs ass up your sinuses at 8am, that's why we do it, we love it.

[mackiemad]

I'll bet the vet's don't want you to do.

They, or some of them will prefer to have your money for the work they have to do when the

anal glands get impacted and abscess.

sorry, haven't read the rest of the thread but his comment is just plain nasty.

i don't think i've met a vet who leaves a problem so that it will be worth more money later and i think the insinuate such a thing is horrid.

as for anal glands, my boy can get a sensitive tum and if it is quite bad then i will express his anal glands when he is feeling a bit better because is gets very tense and hold on- there is always a huge build-up a day or two after he ha had a funny tummy time. my vet did it once and suggested that i feel it nd that, if he hadn't been toileting as normal for more than a day or two, and he seemed tense in the bottom then to do it, but that he really shouldn't need it done often. i've since done it twice in 3 years. but his diet is more stable now and he doesn't have stomach issues as often either so that helps too-more fibre and oils now mean less issues.