Dog Health Anal Gland

"Dog health anal gland is something that every dog owner needs to check. The anal gland can become infected and possibly rupture if it isn't draining properly. If an owner sees a problem, the gland can be expressed by applying gentle pressure. "

Canine anal sacs (also called glands or pouches) are believed to be another way dogs mark territory. The glands secrete some liquid with every stool and also when stressed or frightened. The liquid is known for its odor. You may have noticed that when two dogs greet each other they smell the anus. They are actually smelling the liquid from the canine anal sacs.

Problems with the dog health anal gland occur when the liquid gets trapped inside the gland. This can occur because the gland is making more liquid than can leave the ducts which allow the liquid to pass or your dog's stools aren't hard enough to put the necessary pressure on the gland.

Picture of Canine Anal Sacs

Source: Hill's Pet Nutrition (see references below)

Dog Health Anal Gland Basics

Location: The glands are located at the 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions around the anus.

Size: The glands are about the size of a pea

Appearance: They skin where the glands are located should look as if there is swelling underneath. If the skin area is reddish or purple, then you should see a veterinarian since these are signs of infection.

Symptoms: Beyond any swelling, your dog might scoot its anus across the floor to relieve the pain and pressure. Fever is a sign of an abscess or severe infection.

Canine Anal Sac Infection (Sacculitis): As mentioned above, you can tell if there is infection if your dog appears in pain. If liquid can leave the gland it will smell, and have a yellow color or it may look like it contains some blood.

Canine anal sac abscess: An abscess occurs when the liquid cannot escape and becomes trapped in the gland. You may see red or purple in the area of the gland. Without treatment the gland could rupture.

Home Treatment for Dog Health Anal Gland

Helping your dog empty the anal sacs is something you can do at home. Wear latex gloves. To keep the area clean consider doing this in a bathtub. Hold your dog's tail up with one hand and then with the other gently apply pressure to the skin on both sides of one gland. Repeat for the other.

If this doesn't work after two tries, then bring your dog to your veterinarian. Don't be shy to ask your vet for a lesson on how to express the anal glands next time.

Helping Maintain Dog Health Anal Gland

There are several things to help prevent this problem from happening again:

1. Avoid Table Scraps: Your dog's stool (feces) needs to be firm to trigger the glands to release liquid. Table scraps make the stool soft.

2. Add Fiber to the Diet: Fiber helps stools become firm. Consider a change to a higher fiber commercial diet or before you do, try a fiber supplement made for dogs such as PetAlive Natural Moves.

3. Consider Natural Supplement that Support the Glands: There are several herbs that are associated with supporting the health of the glands. One product to research that contains ingredients specifically to support anal gland health in dogs is AnalGlandz.

References:

The pictures in this section are reprinted with permission by the copyright owner,  Hill's Pet Nutrition, from the Atlas of Veterinary Clinical Anatomy.

Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook

Washington State University
School of Veterinary Medicine