Anal Gland Problems: Scooting, Smell and What to Do

Few things send an owner to the shop for dewormer faster than a dog dragging its bottom across the floor. It is a reasonable assumption, and occasionally it is the right one. Far more often the problem is the anal glands, and a dog dewormed three times for it is a dog that has been uncomfortable for three months while nothing was done about the actual cause.

The better news is that this is usually straightforward to sort out, once you know what you are looking at.

What they are

Two small sacs sitting either side of the anus, producing a strongly scented fluid used for marking. Normally a small amount is expressed each time the dog passes a firm stool, and nobody notices.

Problems begin when that stops happening.

The stages of trouble

Impaction

The fluid thickens and the sac cannot empty. Uncomfortable rather than acutely painful. This is the scooting, licking stage.

Infection

Bacteria multiply in the retained fluid. More painful, and the dog objects to the area being touched.

Abscess

A swelling develops beside the anus, and can burst through the skin leaving an open, bleeding wound. Very painful and needs veterinary treatment immediately. Owners often think the dog has been bitten.

Signs

• Scooting along the ground
• Licking or biting at the rear repeatedly
• A strong, distinctly fishy smell
• Turning suddenly to look at the rear
• Difficulty or discomfort passing stool
• A visible swelling or red lump beside the anus
• Sitting down abruptly or reluctance to sit at all

Why some dogs get it and others never do

• Soft stool. Firm stool presses the glands empty; chronically soft stool does not. This is the single biggest factor, and it links gland problems to diet and to any cause of ongoing loose stool
• Being overweight, which changes the anatomy around the sacs
• Small breeds, which are affected disproportionately
• Allergies and skin disease, which inflame the area
• Individual anatomy. Some dogs are simply built in a way that drains poorly and will need help throughout life

Should you express them yourself?

Generally no, and this is where well-meaning owners cause harm.

Expressing glands that do not need it causes inflammation, which causes swelling, which impairs natural drainage, which creates the problem you were trying to prevent. Routine expression as a matter of course is not recommended for dogs with no history of trouble.

Done incorrectly it is also painful and can rupture the sac. Groomers often offer it, and for a dog with a genuine recurring problem that is reasonable; for a dog without one, it is a service that can create a customer.

If your dog needs them expressed regularly, have a vet or nurse show you, or have it done properly, and understand why it is happening rather than simply repeating it every six weeks forever.

When to see a vet

• Persistent scooting or licking
• Any swelling, redness or lump beside the anus
• An open, bleeding or discharging area there
• Obvious pain, or objection to the area being touched
• Difficulty passing stool
• Recurring problems, which need the underlying cause investigated rather than the glands emptied again

Abscesses need draining, flushing, antibiotics and pain relief. Left alone they burst, which is painful and leaves a wound that takes considerably longer to heal.

Reducing recurrence

• Firm up the stool. Adequate dietary fibre helps, and your vet can advise on how for your dog. This is the most effective long-term measure
• Get the weight right, which changes the local anatomy for the better
• Treat underlying allergies or skin disease
• Investigate chronic soft stool rather than accepting it as normal for that dog

For dogs with severe, repeated problems that do not respond to any of this, surgical removal of the sacs exists as a last resort. It is not undertaken lightly, since the area is delicate, but it is available for the small number of dogs who genuinely need it.

Not everything back there is glands

Scooting can also come from tapeworm segments, allergies, a perianal mass, or faeces matted into the fur. That is another reason repeated home expression is a poor default: it treats one possibility and ignores the rest.

Anal gland problems are minor, cheap and quick to deal with at the scooting stage, and become an abscess needing draining and antibiotics if left. The gap between the two is usually a few weeks and an owner deworming instead, because that costs less than a consultation and feels like doing something.

Consultations and treatment are covered on Skeepy Pet HMO plans at any vet clinic in Nigeria, so having someone look at the actual cause is cheaper than continuing to guess at it.