Anal Glands
What are these?
Two glands located on either side of the anus. They produce a strong-smelling substance which is usually expressed with bowel movements and can become full or impacted which may call for them to be expressed. Anal Glands secretions are used by a dog to mark its territory.
Associated Problems?
Dog's anal glands can get impacted. Certain breeds and obese dogs are more prone to this condition than others.
Signs of impacted glands can include:
- Scooting or dragging the butt on the floor
- Excessive tail chasing
- Excessive biting or licking of the tail or anus
- Swollen anus
Solution?
In case of impacted anal glands, they need to be expressed manually.
You can do this yourself or enlist the help of your veterinarian or a professional groomer. Impacted anal sacs that aren't expressed can eventually lead to infection and abscess. A dog with chronically impacted anal glands may be put on a high-fibre diet to bulk up his stools and help natural expression, or, in extreme cases, he may need to have his anal glands removed.
How to implement?
- Put a finger on each side of the rectum on the outside edges of the anal sacs.
- Press towards the rectum, up and inward to trap the sacs.
- If a fluid is not expressed then you need assistance from your veterinarian.
Precautions
If the secretion is thickened your veterinarian may need to give a sedative and pass a catheter into the duct of the gland. The anal sac is filled with water and worked until the secretion can be removed. Often times the sacs are then filled with an antibiotic ointment to kill the infection
Links
http://www.dr-dan.com/analsac.htm
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