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Should your dog have a constant odor, like a foul fish stench, it’s likely your pet’s anal glands. But what are anal glands, what do they do and how can they be treated? The solution is simple — your dog’s anal glands need expressing by a veterinarian, an experienced dog groomer, or by doing it yourself.
What Are Anal Glands?
Dogs have two little egg-shaped sacs on either side of the anus called anal glands. The function of the glands is to produce a fluid with a characteristic odor (the fishy smell) that is specific to each dog. As your dog poops, the anal glands excrete a fluid with a specific odor to your dog. When another dog stops and smells your dog’s poop, or where your dog’s poop sat before you picked it up to dispose of it, the other dog logs that specific smell in their memory. Dogs usually greet each other by smelling each other’s butts and will remember that smell from before.
What is Anal Gland Expression?
Dogs can’t always fully express their anal glands and may need the assistance of a veterinarian. If dogs have an anal gland problem, they will present symptoms of such. The two most common signs of a dog needing their anal glands expressed are scooting across the ground and constantly licking their anus. You might also smell that fishy smell more often and on your furniture, car seats, etc. This is when manual expression can help. During manual expression, the veterinarian will apply Vaseline to their index finger while wearing latex gloves, then insert the finger into the dog’s anus and feel along the side of the anus for the sac. To avoid a mess, it is gently pressed to force the liquid out, which is captured on a paper towel.
Should Your Dog Be in Pain After Anal Gland Expression?
Simple answer: no, your dog should not be in pain after a manual anal gland expression. The process itself may be painful for some dogs and they may be given a sedative during the procedure. But, that pain shouldn’t continue after the procedure.
What Are The Signs Your Dog is in Pain After Their Anal Gland Expression?
If your dog is in pain after their anal gland expression, they may be displaying any of the following symptoms:
- Yelping
- Scooting
- Biting their rear end
- Excessively licking their rear end
- Whining or crying when trying to poop
- Limping
- Hiding
- Snapping
- Reluctance to be touched near their rear end
Why Is Your Dog in Pain After Anal Gland Expression?
Anal Abscess
Anal abscesses, which are a painful infection inside the anal glands, are another reason your dog may be in discomfort following a gland expression. If the gland expression was caused by an abscess, your dog may continue to be suffering from the effects of the infection after your visit to the vet. The abscess builds up pus in the anal sacs which can then burst and result in releasing pus into the anus and rectum. Dogs may even refuse to poop due to this pain. If your dog’s bottom area is red and swollen, you should notify your vet immediately.
Impactation
If a dog has loose stool or diarrhea, the water from this can build up in the anal sacs which then can become filled with inflamed cells. This results in irritation, itching, pain, and even an infection causing impacted anal sacs. When a dog has impacted anal sacs, it can be difficult to tell if the sacs were fully emptied during an expression. They may need a couple more manual expressions to provide relief.
Rectal Tears
It’s possible your dog had a rectal tear or other injuries in that area during the expression which was then aggravated by the manual expression. It’s also possible that the vet who did the procedure caused a tear or injury if they were too rough.
Rectal Polyps or Tumors
Rectal polyps may form after a manual anal gland expression. Rectal polyps are benign growths that appear in the rectal region. It’s possible for them to be malignant if they are large but that is more rare. If your dog is showing signs of pain, scooting, licking their anus, bloody stool, and trouble defecating, they have had rectal polyps.
Anal Sac Abnormalities
Two common anal sac abnormalities are perianal fistulas and folliculitis. Certain breeds like Golden Retrievers are predisposed to perianal fistulas which is when the anal tissue develops sores that smell foul. Folliculitis is when the feces inflame the hair follicles in the anus, which results in a considerable amount of pain in the afflicted dogs. Dogs who suffer from a condition like these may cause them to be in pain and scoot even after an anal gland expression. Your vet should be notified as they may prescribe medication or suggest surgical removal of the anal glands.
Injection Pain
Some dogs may be given an injection medication in the anal sacs if they have impacted or hard stools as that can result in causing difficulty for manual expression. The injection site may continue to hurt for a few days after the expression.
What Should You Do if Your Dog is in Pain After Anal Gland Expression?
When your dog is in pain you want to be able to comfort them. There are a few steps you can take but always consult with your veterinarian before making changes such as to their diet or adding supplements.
Antibiotic Creams
Antibiotic creams can help to keep the anal gland condition your dog is suffering from getting worse.
- FIRST-AID SOLUTION FOR BETTER WOUND CARE: Keep Blue Butter wound treatment gel on hand for all your pet's first aid and skin care needs. Forticept utilizes unique technology to power Blue Butter anti itch gel for the best way to treat cuts, scrapes promote the healing of wounds, sores, rashes, and resolve various skin infections, including canine pyoderma, acne, yeast infection, ringworm. Blue Butter is an effective dogs wound treatment.
- PROMOTES HEALING: Blue Butter hot spot treatment gel effectively disinfects wounds and creates an optimal environment for ultimate healing. Blue Butter dogs wound care ointment helps prevent skin infections in acute wounds. Safe to use for continues applications on any area of the skin. Starts working after the very first application.
- COMPLETELY SAFE AND NON-TOXIC: Blue Butter is a safer alternative to antibiotics and steroids for proper wound management. The non-toxic pH-balanced formula is safe for the entire family, from newborns to elderly adults, in addition, it is safe enough to use around sensitive areas like ears, nose, and mouth.
- GENTLE NONE IRRITATING WOUND DRESSING: Blue Butter has no alcohol, iodine, or any other ingredients that would cause burning, stinging or irritation during application. Veterinars recommende for dogs wound care and ringworm treatment. Effective wound treatment for dog.
- CLINICALLY PROVEN AND VETERINARY DOCTORS RECOMMENDED: Blue Butter uses similar active ingredients, to what is currently being used in numerous veterinary clinics and animal hospitals, helping veterinarians, and pet owners, successfully manage complex skin and wound infections.
Elizabethan Collar
An Elizabethan collar or similar can keep your dog from licking or biting their inflamed bottom area and prevent the problem from getting worse or causing an infection.
- 【GREAT PROTECTOR】- Size 4 (Neck:9.3-10.7", for SMALL dogs). Pet cone is great for protecting your pet from injuries, rashes and post surgery wounds. Help to prevent pets from biting and licking their injured area or surgical site. Promote recovering from surgery or wounds. Make the recovery process more pleasant
- 【BREATHABLE 3D STRUCTURE】- The soft cone for dogs is made of Sandwich Mesh. Thanks to its unique 3D structure, the dog cone is breathable and elastic, not only lightweight but also easy to clean. Available in 9 different sizes for a perfect fit
- 【EXTRA SOFT】- Soft dog cone collar is much more comfortable than a hard plastic cone. So pets can sleep easily, and dog surgery collar will not mark or scrape your furniture. Moreover, the cone do not block your pet’s vision, they can eat, drink and play as normal
- 【HOW TO MEASURE】- ①Neck Circumference: Use a soft tape measure to wrap it around the dog's neck tightly enough that you can't put your fingers inside. ②Depth: Measure the distance from the neck to the snout
- 💗 NOTE: If your dog's measurements are on the higher end of the listed range, we recommend you choose one size larger for more protected area. Please allow 0.4-0.8 inches, varies by hand measurement.
Diet Changes
To keep your dog from being constipated and aggravating their anal glands adding extra fiber can make sure their stool is healthy and soft. Foods you can add to their diet include pumpkin, sweet potato, and apples.
Stool Supplements
You can also purchase over-the-counter stool supplements to regulate their stool.
- VET-RECOMMENDED TO SUPPORT OVERALL DIGESTIVE TRACT HEALTH: Solid Stool Max Strength helps your dog have a perfect poop, every time. Powerful ingredients like probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, and enzymes support the digestive system & overall stool quality, and help ease occasional digestive upset. These chews also help your dog with properly digesting food and absorbing essential nutrients.
- PROVIDE MAXIMUM SUPPORT FOR THEIR GUT, IMMUNE, AND BOWEL HEALTH: These easy-to-give chews contain key functional ingredients to help ease tummy troubles and grow healthy gut microbiomes, so your dog can feel their best. Our unique blend of natural soluble and insoluble fibers work together with other natural ingredients to improve their stool quality, helping them feel more comfortable when it’s time to go. Plus, your dog will absolutely love the delicious natural chicken flavor!
- MADE WITH NATURAL & PREMIUM INGREDIENTS LIKE PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS, and FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES: Probiotics are natural “good” bacteria that help maintain proper gut flora, assist in the absorption of essential nutrients, and support a healthy immune system. Prebiotics (our premium dried fermentation biomass) actively support beneficial bacteria to modulate the gut microbiome. Fructooligosaccharides support GI health and act as prebiotics, which are food for “good” bacteria in the gut.
- PET HONESTY PLEDGE: A taste your pet will love & results you can trust. Made with the most effective natural + other premium ingredients. Formulated without corn, wheat, or soy. No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.
- MADE IN THE U.S.A. | NASC MEMBER COMPANY: All PetHonesty products are made in the US with US and globally sourced ingredients and are produced in a GMP compliant facility that meets the highest safety standards so you can rest assured you're giving your pet the best quality product possible! PetHonesty is also a NASC member company meaning it’s met the highest quality and compliance standards for pet supplements.
Medication
Depending on the cause of your dog being in pain, your vet may recommend pain relief medication. This will usually include pain from razor burns or injections.
- FAST ACTING - Vetality Aspirin for Dogs gets to work fast to relieve your furry friend's symptoms, helping her feel like herself again in no time
- TASTY LIVER FLAVOR - Dogs love the delicious liver flavor of our chewable aspirin tablets - so you don't need to stress about getting your pup to actually take the medicine that will help get him feeling better
- POWERFUL FORMULATION - Vetality Aspirin works quickly to provide powerful relief for pain, inflammation, and fever reduction
- EASY TO DOSE - For Small Dogs between 10 and 50 pounds administer 1 chewable every twelve (12) hours - for larger dogs please purchase the aspirin for Large Dogs
- FEEL GOOD AGAIN - Keep a bottle of Vetality Canine Aspirin on hand so you and your dog are ready no matter what your adventures throw your way
Warm Compress or Heating Pad
A heating pad can provide necessary relief to the pain your dog may be in. You can purchase either a heating pad meant for pets or just use the one in your closet that has an auto shut-off feature.
- ❤【Temperature Adjustable Function】Controlling the temperature of electric dog heating pad with the LED controller, it can adjust the temperature easily with 6 temperature settings ( 86-131℉/30-55℃) to accommodate your pets.
- ❤【Pet Heating Pad with Timer】The electric pads for cats with timer function provide auto shut-off range from 4 to 24 hours, conserve energy and prevent burns caused by excessive heating. The timer LED will be shifted down one level to tell you how much time is left.
- ❤【Safety and Secure Structure】7-layer protective structure with UL-certified heating wire protect pets from burns. Soft PVC envelope with waterproof and flame-retardant function. Built-in intelligent temperature sensor in the heating pad to prevent overheating to protect pets. Don’t let your pets lay on the pet heating pad without a plush cover.
- ❤【Unique Heating Pad Design】Protect pets from chewing wires with dual resistant cord protection to ensure safety. Ultra-soft, machine-washable cover for comfort and convenience. If the inner pad becomes dirty, you just need to wipe the inner pad with a damp cloth instead of soaking it in water.
- ❤【Good for Pet's Health】Toozey pet heating pad can warm newborn pets, pregnant pets and ease joint pressure and pain of older, arthritic animals. It has applications beyond the winter months.
If your dog is showing any signs of being in pain after their anal gland expression, it’s best to consult with your vet.
