An important step in dog grooming and health care is making sure your dog’s anal glands are expressed on a regular basis. Every dog has two small glands just inside their anus, which produce a secretion that has a unique odor the dog uses for marking their territory and communicating with other animals. These glands are normally expressed each time your pet has a normal bowel movement. However, if your dog has soft stool or diarrhea, the anal sacs may not empty on their own. This causes impacted anal glands, which may lead to infection and painful abscesses for your pet.
Warning signs of impacted anal glands include your dog having a swollen anus, dragging or scooting their bum on the floor, licking or biting their tail and anus as well as a foul smell. If you notice these signs, your dog’s anal glands may need to be expressed manually by a groomer, veterinarian, or even yourself. If this becomes a chronic problem, your pet may be placed on a high fiber diet or have the glands removed surgically. While impacted anal glands do not affect the overall health of the dog, they do cause your pet extreme discomfort, which is why it is best to have the dog’s anal glands expressed.Still bored? Click to continue: Eww, WTF is in My Food?!