EWWW...Anal Gland Expression! A tip from the groomer...

Ahhh, the expression of the anal glands, could there be a more unpleasant task. This is really a hands on task, but I will try to explain it to the best of my ability. There are two main reasons that your dog scoots his bottom across your carpet. One he has tapeworms, which means he has ingested a flea and two, or the sacs are full and causing discomfort. If it is reason 1, you need to treat for fleas and you can by an OTC tapeworm treatment or get some Drocit from your vet. The telltale sign here is mini-rice stuck around your dogs anus. Dried up if dead and looking like cooked moving rice if alive. Now back to the topic at hand. The anal glands are your dogs signature of identification. Ideally, every time he has a bowel movement he deposits a small amount of scent from the glands. Every dog in his path can read that signature and tell a great deal about who has traveled before him. Sometimes due to diet or who knows what the glands will get full and sometimes impacted and can also become infected. The consistency ranges from watery to a thick paste. The color can be a very pale yellow to almost black, there is no normal. Blood however would be a cause for concern and your dog should be seen by a veterinarian. The odor is most foul so you dont want to have your face in the trojectary range. It can be so thick it just sits there or so thin it will shoot across the room. Now, for the hands on part. You will place your thumb and index finger between four and five o'clock and seven and eight o'clock (if the anus were a clock). Holding the base of the tail with the other hand you will squeeze in and up at the same time with the two fingers. If the sacs are empty there will be no resistance at all. If they are full, you can feel a roundness and a tightness. Use a slow constant pressure, when you are successful you will know it. Have a paper towel or washcloth handy. This takes practice and it is not for the faint of heart. GOOD LUCK ,your dog will appreciate it.