Anal Glands Randomly Expressing

[minimax]

Molly's leaked continually when hers were infected and the smell was more like infection rather than silvery fish. Don't ask me what silvery fish is but that's the way I perceive the normal smell! :laugh:

When I say continually, I mean leaking little bits all the time, not just expressing them a couple of times a day. She also licked the area constantly. But then, she was a cat and they tend to be more focused on grooming than dogs.

Scarily enough I know exactly what you mean. I say it's a metallic sardine smell, but silvery fish is much more eloquent! And it's not smelling any different or infected so I guess that's a good sign (or as good as leaking stinky butts can be!)

She does it more after dinner so maybe I'll try and get her in the habit of pooping after dinner to clear the pipes, so to speak, and see if that helps any.

Otherwise, a chiro visit will be on the cards, or a butt plug :laugh:

[~Anne~]

:laugh:

[giraffez]

my dogs have firm poo every day but every visit to the vet (annually) the vet checks and needs to express the anal glands. They don't have the fish smell but one of my boys is constantly licking his butt so I suspect the glands are blocked. No scooting either.

I've seen youtube videos on how to express the glands but can never get anything out. When my vet does it, they stick their fingers in (with gloves) to get to it. I don't know whether i should leave it alone or get it expressed.

[luv mini schnauzers]

Hi all. I have mini schnauzers and one of them from puppy always leaked. I now express her weekly , very easy at bath time and have no more issues. The older she got the better the glands got . The vet showed me what to do. Luv your dog , gotta luv anal glands too. Good luck

[halfthewords]

Only one of mine needs expressing, and of course it's the dog who insists on sleeping on the bed. :laugh: I do it once a month or so, haven't had a leaking problem in years. Worst smell!

[minimax]

Funnily enough tonight the other pug who doesn't normally randomly express decided to leak on OH's lap, then turned around and gave her this 'wtf did you do to make that smell' look

[dancinbcs]

Most dogs don't need them expressed. The more you express them, the more they need to be expressed.

The glands are there for a purpose and are best left alone. It is 100% normal for anal glands to leak fluid some times. It's when they don't that they become a problem and become impacted but for some bizarre reason dog owners have switched this around and they now routinely express them because they express easily by themselves

We tend to notice the anal glands of little dogs more because they're often on our laps or sitting beside us on furniture.

Do yourself and your dogs a favour and ,are sure they have nice healthy poos that will keep the glands expressed well enough and accept they will also spontaneously express through fear, excitement, marking and just because.

On another note, they're not actually glands. They're sac like.

How often is normal though? She does it several times a night while she's chilling out on the lounge.

We had to get them expressed the first time because she was scooting constantly, same for the second time and that's when the vet said they were unusually "deep set" and that's possibly why they weren't being cleared out properly when she poops.

Wouldn't pumpkin or psyllium just make her poops softer and bulkier, but not firmer to actually help the anal glands?

Stick with the bones. If my boy doesn't have bones every day he has problems. He also had leaking glands that were matting the coat under his tail and it is almost impossible to remove setting like glue. Vet was perplexed as to why it was happening but decided to assume it was an infection. He needed two rounds of ABs but it cleared the problem up and we have had no more trouble since.

[minimax]

You know things are bad when "anal glanding" has become a common verb in your vocabulary

Can dogs anal gland intentionally? (see, just used it as a verb without realising, :laugh: ) I swear Max is doing it when she wants something. Last night she did it on my shoulder when we we were watching TV and she wanted dinner, so of course I had to get up and get changed because it dripped all down the arm of my (brand new) shirt

This morning she did it on my pillow so now I need to burn my pillow.

I think it's time for a chiro visit. Any recommendations for chiros? I've DOL searched a bit and it seems everyne recommends the same few, so I'm happy to check them out, but they are mostly used by people with larger dogs - are there people who specialise/prefer to work with larger dogs and or would they all be ok with a pug?

[~Anne~]

Yes, they can express the anal sac intentionally and they do to mark territory and perhaps for other reasons. I am not sure just how controlled the action is though. Dogs can also defecate and urinate, as you already know, on demand to mark territory.

Edited August 18, 2013 by ~Anne~

[giraffez]

my dogs dont rub their butt on the floor but i still get them checked out every year as part of the annual check up. Its always full and vet expresses it. Can i actually do this myself?

I add sweet potato in their diet and they almost have it every day. On top of that, they get fruit. Their stool is nice and firm but still their anal glands tend to fill up so a bit confused.

Edited August 18, 2013 by giraffez

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Dogs' anal sacs are the same evolutionary thing as skunk anal sacs of threat repellent.

Skunks can fire at will. Some dogs probably can too.

I'm thinking - ten minutes in isolation after a skunking might undo the back chaining for dinner that minimax's skunk dog has learned.

PS just gotta link one of Rozzie's latest immense lols in here...

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/201801-thread-of-immense-lols/page__view__findpost__p__6278687

Edited August 18, 2013 by Mrs Rusty Bucket

[minimax]

Dogs' anal sacs are the same evolutionary thing as skunk anal sacs of threat repellent.

Skunks can fire at will. Some dogs probably can too.

I'm thinking - ten minutes in isolation after a skunking might undo the back chaining for dinner that minimax's skunk dog has learned.

PS just gotta link one of Rozzie's latest immense lols in here...

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/201801-thread-of-immense-lols/page__view__findpost__p__6278687

Oh don't worry, she doesn't actually get dinner after stinking on me! She gets me up so I can get changed, but she gets ignored because I'm so annoyed with her.

I'm more concerned that there is something physically wrong with her. Lately she's also been having pooping issues - "running away from her poop" as it's coming out, like it hurts or she isn't too sure what's happening back there, so maybe a vet visit is in order.

[CrazyCresties]

Daisy had ongoing anal gland issues. She is raw fed, has nice firm bulky poo's, but they just don't express naturally. The vet said in smaller dogs they can often be in an position that isn't conducive to being naturally expressed. She also does the "running away from her poop" thing.

I was expressing them myself for a while, every few weeks, but she was regularly getting irritated by them and started licking and chewing her butt. A course of AB's helped a bit, but then they flared up again so she had them flushed and packed under sedation and they have been soooo much better since then! I would be very reluctant to go for the removal option, but the flush and pack has really helped her :)

Good luck with Max!

[kayla1]

Annie's anal sacs leak when she is very relaxed, usually when she is on my lap. Happens nearly everyday. She has been checked and there is no problem. I just make sure to cover my lap with an old towel if I have good clothes on. :laugh: