Anal Glands in Dogs

The anal glands–also called anal sacs–are actually considered scent glands. Ever seen two dogs sniff each other’s behinds as a way of greeting? This peculiar sniffing helps dogs gather a brief bio on their pup pals: age, sex, and overall health. That’s because tiny sebaceous (sweat) glands line the inside of your pet’s anal glands, and produce an oily–and foul-smelling–fluid. The smelly excretions produced by dog anal glands are useful for identification, but they need to express regularly in order to remain healthy.

So, why do dogs’ anal glands fill up? Full anal glands aren’t ideal, since the glands should be emptying on their own with regular, healthy-sized bowel movements. If they don’t empty regularly, uncomfortable symptoms of impaction can rear their ugly head, and your pet will need immediate support.

Do all dogs have anal glands? The answer is yes–in fact, both dogs and cats have two small glands inside the anus. They sit low on either side of the anal cavity at the 4 and 8 o’clock positions, and can range from pea to grape size (depending on the size of the animal). Anal glands are aren’t visible from the outside, but can be carefully accessed by your veterinarian or someone trained in anal gland expression.

The image below helps to demonstrate where dog anal glands are from an outside perspective:

While many small dogs are prone to anal gland issues, any dog can be affected by anal gland complications. So how do you know if your dog needs glands expressed, or if they’re suffering from some form of anal gland issue?

Here are some basic signs to watch for:

Scooting is your dog’s way of trying to relieve discomfort caused by anal gland issues, such as aching, itching, or pressure in the anal area. When your dog scoots, they’ll drag their butt across a textured surface to find relief. Scooting can be one of the first signs of anal gland distress, and can be miserable for your pet and messy for your carpet!

Having their glands expressed isn’t always the most pleasant experience for your dog, and some pain after manual expression can be normal. If the pain persists for longer than 24 hours, your pet may have an anal abscess (a pocket of infected tissue). An abscess can act as a blockage, preventing the anal glands from emptying on their own and leading to infected glands and further complications.

Why is your dog bleeding from its butt? If you notice bleeding from the rear end or bloody stools from your dog, hemorrhoids could be to blame. This could be especially true if your pet is dealing with new or worsening constipation–whether it’s due to anal gland impaction, a lack of dietary fiber, dog hemorrhoids, or a combination of all three. In extreme cases, a ruptured anal gland in dogs could be the cause, a ruptured abscess, or other severe complications like damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

Much like scooting, tail and posterior licking can be signs that your dog is dealing with discomfort in that area. This could be due to itching, pain, and throbbing due to the dog’s anal gland infection and inflammation.

Has your dog recently become constipated? A lack of dietary fiber, stress, lack of hydration, and poor diet can lead to constipation–but so can an anal gland impaction. When the anal glands become full or inflamed (and aren’t being emptied on a regular basis), they can grow large enough to narrow the anal cavity. This makes it more difficult for stool to pass through, leading to painful constipation and straining during bowel movements.

On the other hand, if your dog is dealing with diarrhea, this could be a likely cause of anal gland issues. When your dog’s stools aren’t bulky enough to express the glands–in the case of diarrhea or soft stool–the glands will remain unemptied and more likely to become infected or impacted.

If you or your veterinarian suspect that anal glands are the source of your pet’s uncomfortable symptoms, it could be due to one of the following conditions:

Signs of a ruptured anal gland in dogs can be scary for pet parents. A rupture could cause blood to appear in the stool, or leak from the anal area between bowel movements. This condition can be extremely painful for your pup, and may cause even the calmest animals to become aggressive if you go near their tail or rear end.

When the anal glands don’t empty on a regular basis, a buildup of fluid from sebaceous glands can lead to infected dog glands. No matter the cause of your dog’s anal gland impaction, infection can occur once the glands have remained full for too long without being expressed.

An abscess occurs in the anal glands as a result of infection. Abscesses occur when an infection goes untreated, causing a mass of pus-filled tissue that can block your dog’s anal canal or cause other painful complications. When an abscess ruptures, you can expect symptoms similar to a ruptured anal gland.

When filled with fluid, they can become swollen anal glands in dogs. This enlargement can lead to a narrowed (or obstructed) GI tract and, as a result, impaction. If anal gland impaction is to blame, it will be tough for your dog to pass stool without pain or discomfort.

Inflammation is your body’s response to an invading toxin or allergen, and your dog’s system works the same way! If your dog has been exposed to an allergen–whether it be dietary or environmental–their immune system triggers inflammation to fend off potentially harmful pathogens. Inflammation includes redness and swelling, which can affect the anal glands. When swelling occurs, this can lead to impaction and other related complications in the GI tract.

Generally speaking, it’s possible that all of the conditions listed above can be interconnected–or happen simultaneously. That’s why you’ll notice similarities between symptoms, and may see your dog showing the same coping behaviors with each condition.

Cleaning a dog’s anal glands doesn’t have to be scary for you or your pet, and many of the treatments can happen in your dog’s familiar home space. In addition to the anal gland treatments recommended by your vet, there are plenty of helpful habits to practice at home:

Daily gut health maintenance can make a big difference in your dog’s anal gland health, and supplements can help! Choose an anal gland supplement for dogs that includes probiotics and prebiotics to support GI function. The addition of fiber can also help improve your dog’s bowel movements and motility, while ingredients like Quercetin can promote a healthy inflammatory response to allergens. There are even advanced anal gland supplements for cases of more persistent gland issues.

Your dog’s gut motility–movement of food through the GI tract–can be greatly improved by exercise. By that token, it’s expected that dogs with a sedentary lifestyle will struggle more with bowel movements. Keeping your dog active is beneficial for every aspect of your pet’s health, and may even help support more healthy anal gland function.

For cases of anal gland abscesses, you can use a wet, warm rag to encourage drainage. Placing the compress over your dog’s bottom (specifically, the anus and surrounding area) for 10-15 minutes twice daily can encourage the abscess to drain on its own before it can cause further complications.

In addition to a warm compress, you can also keep the area clean and soothed with hygienic wipes or a medicated anal gland spray. Some sprays can also help ease the symptoms of dog hemorrhoids and other discomfort caused by anal gland issues.

If your pet has recently been sick, they’ll be relying on you to help get them healthy again–and that includes supporting their gut health!

Diarrhea can occur when your dog’s dealing with a food intolerance, parasites, or other illnesses–and can have a major impact on anal gland health. Adding fiber can help to bulk the stool up during an illness, and help restore healthy stool formation and regularity.

Some dogs will be prescribed antibiotics to battle bacterial infections. Antibiotics can be helpful in eradicating illness-causing bacteria, but they’ll kill off the ‘good’ bacteria, too. Good bacteria is essential in your dog’s gut microbiome–without it, gut function and even immune response can be compromised. Adding probiotics (good bacteria) and prebiotics (food for good bacteria) to your dog’s diet after antibiotics can help improve gut health and, by extension, healthy anal gland function.