# My first anal gland expression!



## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Corona went to the vet a couple weeks ago and my vet showed me how to express anal glands (poor Corona really needed it!). Well, I finally just tried it on Aria, and is it weird that I'm a little excited about it? lol

Anyway, just wanted to say that it's not NEARLY as bad as I expected it to be, and it was actually really easy too. So... don't be a wuss about it, have your vet show you the technique, and help your pooch feel better.


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## TomNakanishi (Mar 16, 2010)

That's great! I'm excited for you too! (Lol, okay so we're both a little weird).


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## -Anna (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm excited for you too (so I guess that makes three of us)! Lucky has really bad anal gland problems and although I've been shown how to do it, I still can't get it right. My poor fiance is stuck with the task... heeheehee


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## Cinch (Mar 23, 2010)

I am just thankful there were no pictures in this thread...


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## sagira (Nov 5, 2009)

I would assume it would be easier to express anal glands on a smaller dog than a large dog. Is it? Not looking forward to doing this. I'm hoping pooping will help express it. I mean, what did dogs do in the wild? Or even at the fringes of our civilizations and towns? Just curious. If I have to do it, I'll do it, but I won't if I don't have to.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

sagira said:


> I mean, what did dogs do in the wild? Or even at the fringes of our civilizations and towns? Just curious.


Survival of the fittest.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I've never done it on any of our dogs. How do you tell if your dog needs it?? I don't think Nia and popcorn needs it. Truffles might though since they both stink all the time.


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## -Anna (Nov 6, 2009)

Michiyo-Fir said:


> How do you tell if your dog needs it??


Lucky "scoots" around on his rear or begins licking around that area. If we don't express them, they end up leaking onto the carpet (or wherever he happens to be sitting). He has severe anal gland problems, however, so I'm not sure if the signs differ for dogs who don't have issues.


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## Terrie (Sep 11, 2009)

When Lexi was on raw, her poops were too small to express the glands. She was licking excessively, it was leaking, and staining her fur around the butt. Our vet expressed them and there was a lot of that stinky liquid. Now she's back on Orijen/Acana(our supplier ran out of Orijen, so we got Acana) and her butt is squeaky clean.

I honestly don't think it needs to be done unless the poops can't do it.


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