What Groomers do to Your Dog's Anal Glands.

Have you noticed when your dog is scared he will suddenly shoot this foul smelling odor all over you and whatever else is around? These are ‘anal sacs’ or ‘sent sacs’, these are commonly used to mark territory and the foul smelling liquid is expelled through defecation. These glands are expressed when your dog poops and also can be expressed manually at the groomers. These glands need to be expressed on a regular basis in order to prevent impacted glands that can lead to infection or impaction. If your dog has soft stools this can add to the glands not being released properly. Many groomers add this to their standard process during grooming as a value added service. Groomers should not express your dog’s anal glands if they are not full or the dog is not having trouble passing the liquid out of the glands himself. If the groomer routinely expresses your dogs anal glands within very short periods of time this could hinder the dogs ability to express the anal glands himself. The following are signs your dog is having problems with his anal glands.

There are several signs that your pet may need his anal glands expressed. A common, often misunderstood sign is scooting, or dragging the rear end on the ground. This is often believed to be a sign of intestinal parasites, however it is most often an attempt to relieve the discomfort of full anal glands. Many pets will excessively chew or lick at their hind end which can cause the glands to express a small amount of material and a foul odor may be noticed. Some pets will circle and chew at their tail, others may sit abruptly at times, which may be followed by scooting, licking, or chewing. These are all signs that the glands are full enough that they are causing the pet to be uncomfortable. If the pet is not given relief, complications can occur, sometimes in a short period of time. It's important to remember that individual pets will show different signs and watching for any sign of discomfort is important. 

This is a great article to cover what we’ve always been wondering. Why do groomers express our dog’s anal glands? Read More

Please contact your trusted Frisco pet groomer to ask them how they express your dog's anal glands and the frequency. Read more on the internal and external methods of anal expression.