LoveToKnow Dogs:Custom Anal Gland Questions

From LoveToKnow Dogs

Past Questions

Question: Why is there an "iron" smell coming from the behind of our little Yorkie? It comes and goes, but it is strong when it's here. - Posted by: Katie Hale

Answer: Hi Katie,

Although you describe the smell as being like "iron", is there any chance that it smells a bit like fish? If so, this could be a sign that your Yorkie's anal glands need to be expressed. There may even be a slight infection in one of the glands that needs to be addressed. This is where I would begin trying to address the problem and see if that eliminates the smell you've noticed. If this truly is an "iron" smell, it could be due to blood in the stool. A hypothyroid condition might also cause an unusual body odor.

All things considered, it would probably be a good idea to check in with your vet about the situation. Your vet will most likely want to examine your dog to determine the exact cause of the odor and figure out the most effective treatment to relieve it. Even though this may not turn out to be a serious situation, it would be better to investigate it now in case more symptoms develop. Early treatment could prevent the problem from becoming worse.

Thanks for your question, and please let us know what you find out. - posted by:Kelly

Question: My dog is Scooting her butt on the floor. I thought it was a problem with her anal glands, but there are two lumps right under her tail above the rectum not at 5 and 7 o'clock. She doesn't have worms. Any ideas what this could be? - Posted by: Jessica

Answer: Hi Jessica,

I'm sorry to hear about the problems with your dog's rear end. Honestly, I wouldn't rule out anal gland trouble just yet. When an infection or impaction is fairly well advanced, it can actually appear as bulges anywhere around the anal opening or just below the tail.

It would probably be a good idea to let your vet examine these lumps to figure out if they're an anal gland issue or something else. Although it is possible for people to drain their own dog's anal glands, there is a risk of causing a rupture if there happens to be an abscess involved. If those lumps are a little squishy, this could be the case. If they seem firmer, they could be due to an impaction. Either way, I think letting the vet handle it is the best way to go.

Thanks for your question, and if this does turn out to be something other than the anal glands, please let us know. Passing on the information may be helpful to other dog owners whose pets have a similar condition.

Best wishes for your dog's health. - posted by:Kelly

Question: Hi! I read the article about dog anal glands and I have a further question. We have a two-year-old Terrier mix that we adopted from an animal shelter. She has had anal gland issues since the beginning, and we have tried numerous things. We tried changing her to natural dry dog food to help with her stool, and we manually express her glands every seven days. My question is whether there any type of dog food that you can recommend since the natural food doesn't seem to be making a difference? If we do not express her manually every seven days, she leaks some of the fluid out on the carpet, our bed or wherever she is at the moment. The smell is horrible. I want to give her some relief from the unpleasantness of the seven day ritual, so any advice you have would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much! - Posted by: Amy

Answer: Hi Amy, and welcome.

It's sounds like you have a real problem on your hands, but I do have a suggestion that I hope will help. Have you tried adding some plain canned pumpkin to your dog's dry food yet? Plain pumpkin is very high in insoluable fiber, meaning it doesn't break down in the digestive tract. The pumpkin fiber actually works to firm the stool, and firmer stools usually help express the anal glands naturally, a little with each bowel movement.

If you haven't already given the pumpkin a try, add a spoonful to your dog's daily dinner. You should begin to see firmer stools in about a week. You may have to increase the amount of pumpkin a little to get the desired results, but be careful not to overdo it. Just increase in small increments. I'm hopeful this will help the problem, but if it doesn't, you may eventually want to discuss a surgical procedure with your vet. The anal glands can be removed without having an adverse affect on the dog, aside from some tenderness while healing. This shouldn't be the first option, but it has been useful for other dogs with chronic anal gland problems.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find this suggestion helpful. :) - posted by:Kelly

Question: Our bitch had blocked anal glands, but she has also been constipated. We have been feeding her vitalin dog food. What can we do to stop this problem happening again? - Posted by: Debbie

Answer: Hi Debbie,

It's possible that Vitalin is just not the right brand for your dog. You may want to try another brand. In the meantime, adding plain canned pumpkin to your dog's daily dinner can help with a common case of constipation. The pumpkin is high in fiber, so it creates more bulk to move things along. It would be a good idea to consult your vet about this to make sure it won't be harmful in your dog's particular case, but it has worked for many people, including myself with one of my own dogs. If you get the okay, add a spoonful to your dog's bowl at each meal. It will take a couple of days to see results.

Thanks for your question, and I hope this suggestion proves helpful to you. Best wishes for your dog's health. - posted by:Kelly

Question: How do you know when your dog needs his anal glands cleaned? My little male Yorkie scratches and chews/licks his front paws constantly. Is this a symptom? - Posted by: Shirley

Answer: Hi Shirely,

Your dog's paw licking and biting may indicate he has a yeast infection on his feet. Do they also look a little red and puffy? If so, you should have your vet examine them to try to confirm what is going on. Yeast infections require and antifungal for treatment.

That said, anal gland problems are usually recognized by the following signs.

A lot of licking or chewing around the anus
Dragging the bottom across the floor, aka scooting
Brown staining noticed on bedding and furniture the dog has layed on
A distinctly foul odor come from your dog's behind

We have two articles on the site with a lot of good info on this topic:

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find this info helpful. :) - posted by:Kelly

Question: How often should the anal glands be cleaned? I have a spayed Jack Russell female. - Posted by: Lowell Pridemore

Answer: Hi Lowell, and welcome to the site.

This is a very good question, and an issue that is often misunderstood. Technically, if the glands aren't causing any problems, they do not need to be expressed at all. They express a little on their own whenever a dog defecates. A dog can also release a little fluid when he tenses up during a stressful situation. These are examples of the glands functioning normally.

I'm aware that some groomers perform expressions routinely as part of their service, but I don't agree with the practice wholesale. It's possible to damage the glands and render them less functional, so I believe expressing should only be carried out if there are signs that a dog is having problems. These signs would include swollen glands, spontaneous leakage and irritation at the site. Since some problems are caused by an infection of the glands, it's usually best to let your vet examine your pet and perform the task.

I'd like to recommend the following articles to help you learn more.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find this information helpful. - posted by:Kelly

Question: I have a two-year-old male Maltese. For the past month, I have noticed the hair under his tail by his rectum has a brownish color. Is there any way to stop this? Thanks. - Posted by: Carol

Answer: Hi Carol, and welcome to the site.

This sounds as though your dog's anal glands might be leaking. Have you noticed any other signs of a problem, such as your dog dragging his bottom on the floor, stains on his bedding, a foul odor or excessive licking near the area? Any of these signs might indicate the glands are not expressing properly during defecation causing the fluid to building up in them.

The first thing I would do is schedule a vet appointment to have your dog's anal glands examined and, if need be, expressed. This will release any build up. Depending on what advice your vet gives you, you may need to switch to a higher grade kibble that produces firmer stools. Your vet can help you with that selection.

As for the stained hair, your groomer can trim the hair around the anus to keep the area a little cleaner. This is a common practice with long-coated dogs. Once you've seen how a groomer does it, you may be able to keep the area clipped yourself if your dog is cooperative.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find these suggestions useful. - posted by:Kelly

Question: I am involved in several rescue groups, including private rescue. Up until now, I've only cared for dogs over 100 pounds, and have never run into anal gland build-up. I recently rescued a five pound Pomeranian mix; he's a doll, and I will rehome him after rehabilitation. Despite regular bathing (itchy skin and initial fleas), he emits a musky odor that I've acknowledged as anal gland discharge. I've read extensively on this subject, and took him to a drop-in vet for a lesson in expressing. He's so tiny I'm afraid of doing any damage. The vet inserted her finger, located pea-sized gland and expressed it. Next, I did same on the other side, and although I could not feel the pea, I was able to express some discharge. Due to the Pom's tiny size, the vet recommended inserting just the tip of a Q-tip into his anus while applying pressure externally. Since the odor was returning, I expressed him again this morning (he does not mind in the slightest, and seems to appreciate the help). I'm so afraid of hurting him. There has been no scooting or licking, just the odor. Also having read that high fiber diets help, I have switched to tiny bite adult Nutro. Both the Pom and my 98 pound Lab mix get tons of exercise, but spend a lot of play time in an empty (unsprayed) lot grazing on fairly coarse grass, which I can't help think improves the fiber diet. Their stools are normal, but not firm enough to help express these glands. I'd like to have your thoughts about what else can be done. Sandie PS: What an excellent site! I've earmarked you with my Oregon Humane Society Foster page, and my MARS (Mini Aussie Rescue and Support) daily searches. Thanks for this great service! - Posted by: Sandie Russo

Answer: Hello Sandie,

I'm glad you're finding the site so helpful, and thank you for bookmarking us. As for my thoughts about the current anal gland problems, I'd like to recommend that you try adding plain canned pumpkin to the Pom's daily diet. Pumpkin is rich in insoluable fiber, and feeding it is a natural and healthy way to firm stools. Begin by adding two tablespoons to his daily dinner and see if this does the job. You can increase or decrease the pumpkin slightly as needed until the stools reach the ideal consistency to provide a little more expression as they pass by the glands. Hopefully you'll notice an improvement in a very short time.

Thanks for your question, and keep up the good work with the rescue. :) - posted by:Kelly

Question: We have a three-year-old Spoodle. Over the last few months, we have noticed three times a wet, discoloured, hobbible smelling stain where she had been sleeping. We have been trying to monitor what it is, whether it's vomit/urine/diarrhea etc. Today I noticed it again, and when I checked her I found that her anal area was wet. I now think it may be a discharge from her rectum or anal glands. Can you advise if this is likely to be the case and how it can be treated?? - Posted by: Kathryn

Answer: Hello Kathryn,

I agree with you, this is most likely discharge from your dog's anal glands. This can happen when the glands haven't been expressing properly when your dog defecates. There can also be excessive fluid build up when a gland is infected, so this is another possibility.

My best advice is to ask your vet to examine the glands to determine their health. The vet may choose to express the glands at that visit to drain them of excess fluid. Based on the condition of that fluid, your vet may prescribe an antibiotic if he/she believes there's an infection.

At home, you can follow up by adding more fiber to your dog's diet to firm the stools so they can help the glands evacuate properly on a regular basis. The easiest way to do this is by adding two tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin to your dog's daily dinner. Pumpkin is very high in insoluable fiber, and most dogs love the taste.

Thanks for your question, and I hope these suggestions help you remedy your current situation. - posted by:Kelly

Question: My 3 year old Westie occasionally has a problem with leakage from his butt. He is usually relaxing on the couch or floor and will sudddenly get up and move away from the area leaving a small stain of brown or clear liquid that has a strong odor of gas or feces. This happens 1-3 times per week. What could this be? He does no licking or scooting, and has regular bowel movements daily. He seems like he is embarassed, so I try not to make a big deal of it. What are your suggestions? Thank you Kerry - Posted by: Kerrry

Answer: Hi Kerry

This definitely sounds like anal gland fluid, and your dog is likely not expressing properly during bowel movements which leads to overly full glands.

I suggest you ask your vet to express the glands this time so he/she can make sure there is no infection present. After this, you can easily express them yourself as needed by following the instructions in our article on Dog Anal Glands.

Your dog may benefit from more fiber in his diet. I would suggest adding a tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin to his dinner each night. Dogs love the flavor, and it's a great source of insoluble fiber.

Thanks for your question! - posted by:Kelly

Question: my dog has a swollen red "ball" about the size of a small cherry tomato protruding from his anus; he continues to lick the area and is trying to push the object out; I'm guessing its a swollen anal gland due in part to the area and the foul smell from his passing gas; I have attempted to massage the area at 4 & 8 O'clock and gently squeezed the object but did not notice anything coming out nor any noxious smell...please advise. Dave - Posted by: dave jenkins

Answer: Hi Dave,

I'm not a vet, but this sounds like something you should ask your vet to look at. Without seeing it, I'm only guessing, but your dog could have anything from an abscess to a hemorrhoid to a prolapsed rectum. Whatever it may be, your vet will be able to take care of it for you, and I'm sure your dog will be relieved.

Thanks for your question. - posted by:Kelly

Question: Thanks, Kelly, for the answer to how often you should express a dog's anal glands. The articles were helpful. Happy New Year! - Posted by: Jay

Answer: Glad we could help Jay. Happy New Year to you too! - posted by:Kelly

Question: How often should dog's anal glands be expressed? - Posted by: Jay

Answer: Hi Jay,

I'm a firm believer in leaving the glands alone unless there appears to be a problem. I think you'll find the information in the following articles very useful.

Thanks for your question, and don't hesitate to come back if you have more. - posted by:Kelly