All You Ever Wanted To Know About Anal Glands But Were Afraid To Ask

Ever wonder why Spot keeps scooting his rear end outside on the lawn or worse yet, your carpet? Perhaps you’ve noticed that Fluffy keeps dancing around the house, pausing every so often to lick her backside. What about Rover’s flatulence that could melt the paint right off of your walls! While worms are usually blamed for this strange animal behavior, in most cases, full anal sacs are the cause.

There are two anal sacs located on each side of your pet’s rectum. These sacs contain a very fowl smelling liquid that pets use to identify themselves or to mark their territory. This is why pets, at the dismay of their owners, like to sniff each other’s rear ends to say hello.

A small amount of anal fluid is released through tiny openings in the rectum each time your pet has a bowel movement.

Sometimes the openings in the rectum can become clogged or the glands produce more fluid than the sacs can comfortably hold. The result is itching or a feeling of fullness in or around the rectum. Clogged or very full anal sacs seem to be more common in smaller breeds. The sacs typically need pressure from firm stools to release the fluid properly. Giving your pet human food can cause stools to be loose or unusually soft which makes it more likely for fluid to build up.

It is usually a good idea to express your dog’s anal glands while it is being bathed to remove any odor that remains on the coat or tush area. Oh yes, don’t forget to stand back! Sometimes the sacs will spray out when being expressed and the sight or smell is not a pretty one. It is a good idea to have this procedure done by a trained professional such as a vet or a qualified groomer to avoid any damage that could be done to the very sensitive rectal area.

Information is provided as a public service by Donna Parrish of Classy Canines pet grooming (941)504-4689