# expressing the anal glands



## Mo-Jo

is it necessary to express the anal glands?


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## ImPeCcAbLePiT$

Im sorry..."express the anal glands?" lol. That is a first for me.


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## Mo-Jo

yes, i heard cats, and dogs anal sac gets filled up with nasties. and your supposed to empty them out. supposedly they would empty out when the dogs poops or so i heard. but i'm not sure if pitbulls are prone to getting their sac filled. in anycase i'd like to make sure if it's necessary to do it manually to prevent any health issues.


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## redog

heres a good link that includes a how-to video
http://www.gopitbull.com/health-nutrition/20010-question-performance-kennels.html


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## ThaLadyPit

Having worked as a vet tech and a groomer, one will say it's the other's job to do this. But that's besides the point... yes, it is necessary to do this whenever you bathe the dog, or if you're not comfortable, have the vet do it at the next checkup. You'll be able to tell when it's really in need as the dog will drag it's butt on the ground. A lot of misinformed people think this is a sign that the dog has worms. Now, you have to watch and be sure that the dog didn't eat something they weren't supposed to and have a piece of string or something still stuck inside with part of it hanging out of their anus. This will cause them to drag their butt on the ground too, trying to "wipe" it off. It will stink to high heaven, kind of a mix between a fish smell and fecies. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## Scratch

it only becomes *necessary* if the dog cannot do this on its own via a B/M or scooting. vets and groomers opt to do them,mostly per an O's request. a dog that gets enough fiber in its diet should be able to do this naturally. adding canned pumpkin will increase its fiber intake.
if it *appears *the dog needs to have it done: scoots its rear end, smells 
nasty, expresses small amounts of the anal sac exudate, then get them expressed. 
but no typically it is NOT a necessary procedure to have done unless symptoms indicate otherwise.


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## ThaLadyPit

Scratch is right, but like I said, having worked as a vet tech and a groomer, I've always done it during bath time, esp with my own dogs to prevent any complications. Yes, they should be able to do it on their own, but I just incorporate it into bath time. Hope that helps.


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## melrosdog

I wouldnt do it unless needed. I recently read an article that was saying expressing the anal glands when not needed causes trauma to the glands and then they keep needing to be expressed manually. This was an article writen by a vet. It was really interesting, I wish I could find it to share. It taked about how some dogs really do need to have it done because of a defect in their anatomy, but others never had a problem until it was done routinly by a vet or groomer. This is actually how my shih tzu started having problems. Took him to be groomed and the groomer expressed his glands. He never needed it done before but now needs it done almost monthly.


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## beccaboo

if they can do it on their own as most can- let them. doing it for them will make the muscles weaker and then it will be your job permanently... and as nasty as that stuff is- i would rather they do it themselves than me ANYDAY


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## smokey_joe

Sounds like a fun Saturday.


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## chrisandpits

Umm....smokey_joe, I am so sorry to hear that your saturdays are that terrible that this sounds more fun!!!! lol.


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## cEElint

i do it to both of my dogs.... only when their butt starts stinking like fish, thats how i know it needs to be done

i'd let it go naturally, but Daisy sits and licks her butt expressing it herself on the couch and it smells horrible.. luckily i keep blankets spread out to keep dog hair clean up easy, so they get the stank, not the couch.. lol


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## FloorCandy

Ideally the anal glands are expressed when the dog takes a poo. However, sometimes the poop is not hard enough and it does not get naturally expressed, this is when you often see the dog scooting its butt on the floor, or overgrooming the area. The general consensus I have found on this matter, and this is coming from experience with english bulldogs who cannot groom their own rears in many cases, and therefore have a somewhat higher occurance than normal of anal gland issues in some instances, is that the more you do it manually, the less likely it is to continue normally on its own. Often people get kind of screwed by groomers, especially those just starting out, like at the chain stores, and they just do every dogs' anal glands. Dogs that require frequent grooming, like yorkies and bichons etc, will often seem to have a higher occurance of needing them expressed manually, but it is speculated that this is a result of the groomer doing it. It is difficult to find difinitive info on this subject, as it is not life-threatening, so I dont think a lot of formal research goes into it. I can tell you that growing up our mutt dogs with short fur never needed this done, and the idea of it was pretty unheard of to us. I never even smelled anal gland stink until I got Thrall. Luckily I do not have to express his, as the vet advised me to let nature do it as long as it's getting emptied naturally. However, sometimes he will flail around on the couch and I smell that fishy poo stench and have to wash the couch cover lol. The vet showed me how to do it in case I have to do it on my own, but so far I don't think I have had to on my dogs, but I have helped others and the stink is really the worst part, it's pretty simple.

Some ways to promote natural emptying:
-Feed good quality food, as this often produces healthier stools.
-If your dog is having loose stools for a longer period of time, like if you move and the water changes, food changes, or being treated for an illness, you can give your dog a couple spoonfulls of pumpkin. This is not the regular pie filling, you have to get the natural pumpkin with no sweetening, spices, of other additives. I usually find it in the grocery store near the pie filling, but it says 100% natural pumpkin.
-Many dog treats can loosen stool, because their ingredients have a lot of coloring and flavoring added. Try to avoid "sweets" for your dog. Give natural treats, my dogs are crazy for carrots and green bean, and I often make doggie brownies (no chocolate) with organic oats, ground carrots, and various other healthy yummies. Lady even loved celery lol. The ruffage often passes right through, and you make out chunks of veggies in the poo lol. Plus its very low fat.


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## ThaLadyPit

Thanks for that tidbit of info, FC! I guess, looking back, I was miseducated during my training as a groomer, and the last vet I worked for, just did it on request, so there was no official training there as far as the anal glands were concerned. But, definately something to reconsider for when I get my next dog.


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## FloorCandy

ThaLadyPit said:


> Thanks for that tidbit of info, FC! I guess, looking back, I was miseducated during my training as a groomer, and the last vet I worked for, just did it on request, so there was no official training there as far as the anal glands were concerned. But, definately something to reconsider for when I get my next dog.


I think that because learning to be a groomer is fairly unregulated, meaning you can learn on the job in an apprentice format, or you can go to a school which has the curriculum being laid down by the owner of the school, not a state board or anything, that sometimes people are taught things presented as a norm in the business, when it was really just the personal choice of someone who taught his trade, and passed the info down to others, and the chain began. I think some groomers along the line somewhere realized the value of repeat business, and created an extra reason for people to come back. These groomers passed on their training, and maybe told their students some fake reason for it needing to be done, and telling clients they are doing them a favor. Students, and unsuspecting clients wouldn't know the difference, if you are taking the dog to the groomer, chances are that washing and grooming is not really your thing, and so the idea of expressing anal glands yourself is definitely not welcome lol. In short it was a basic way for unscrupulous groomers to nickle and dime wealthy clients, maybe the dog doesnt need a wash or cut, but they come back in between for nail clips, new pretty bows, and anal glands. Maybe the groomer who taught the guy who taught the guy who taught the guy who taught you was a sheister, and he just passed on bad info, its not a life or death thing, and if people dont want to pay a few bucks to get it done if it's needed, they can just have their vet show them how to do it themselves.

Having someone squeeze bad smelling goo out of your dog's butt is quite a luxury lol. I wouldnt worry about having done it for clients if I were you  You had the intention of doing them a favor. I personally do not go to groomers because I believe I can learn to do these things myself (I'd feel differently if I had show poodles or something like that I'm sure, but I mean basic maintenance). My stepdad left his dog behind when he left my mom, I really didn't want to groom him myself, and I considered going to a groomer, but there was no way I was spending $50 or more when I have plenty of time and supplies. It took me a bit to get up the nerve, but last week I took the plunge, sure he has a couple bald spots where I was getting the hang of the clippers lol, he's a dog, he doesnt care. He's happy the mats and dingleberries are gone. Where there's a will theres a way, I am not super smart, if I can learn to these things so can others, if they decided to go to you for grooming, and never researched or thought to ask about anal glands, then its totally not your fault. Plus, like I said, I havent found any stone cold scientific evidence that expressing them manually really to leads reliance on that method, it just seems to be the general feel of the subject right now in the dog world, and new evidence could come forth one day saying it has no effect, so that would mean you did all those people a favor.


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## ThaLadyPit

Well, yeah, to put it simply.. the woman who trained me is the one that taught me about expressing the AGs. I'd have to check back thru my grooming books from school, but I don't remember it covering it in there. I do remember it being covered in my vet tech courses though. I've not done any grooming since I worked at PetSmart back in '06, aside from my mom's long haired chihuahua a couple times, and I didn't bother with the AGs then either. I really would rather not do it b/c the smell makes me gag, but if it's necessary, then I'll do it instead of paying someone else to do it. My motto is, why pay for something when you can do it yourself!? Lol. Thanks for the encouraging words, and the insight. It's always appreciated!


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## DueceAddicTed

I find this a bit hmmm cause I was never taught to express anal glands at grooming school. I can if I want to cause I already knew how cause of the cats I handle. But as far as the dogs my instructor said it herself ... its best for the dogs to do it themselves, and only do it if the dog has a history of needing them expressed because of weakened muscles or other.
I admit I kind of took offense to blaming a groomer since I am also one loll. But I'm tired and moody anyway. I know some vets who do over kill on anals and it annoys me. At my job we have a cat who expresses his on the rug by scooting and I keep telling my boss he does not need his expressed as that is what he is doing but NOOOOO she takes him to get expressed at the vet cause I refuse to do it for that very reason FC, over doing it when he is doing it himself. I will only do it on a dog who's impacted thats it .... Thank goodness its been years since I have had to cause * vomits * .......


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## beccaboo

omg i know. reeks to high heaven. i had a mini schnauser back in the day n had to do his. ugh i jus puked in my mouth a lil bit. thankfully neither of my pooches have an issue with it n i sure as heck m not tryina do it for em!!! and bev n ronnie- ya'll are the poo. i dunno what i'd do tryina groom long haired diva pooches...  ahahaha


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## NinaThePitbull




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