How do you know if your dog needs glands expressed?

It is easy to identify if your dog needs glands expressed because they themselves make it clear to you by their body language. It is a very common problem amongst animals like dogs and cats.

This happens when some of their discharge is left in their anus, blocking the whole anal cavity. This leads to filling up of discharge in the anal gland leading to discomfort and periodic leakage and infection. This kind of situation might look a little weird and agitate, but it can actually lead to something bad.

In dogs, there are two glands that are present in the anus. So with every poop, these sacs present in anus get emptied with a dense smelly fluid. If this does not happen then the fluid can get clogged in the sacs and cause extreme discomfort.

Signs your dog needs glands expressed

There are a lot of signs and symptoms that show that your dog needs glands expressed. Not all dogs show the same symptoms and the severity of the symptoms can vary, but these symptoms mentioned below are common amongst dogs. So knowing about these symptoms can help you in helping your beloved pet.

1. Licking

When your dog is constantly trying to lick or chew its own rear then it means it is trying to express the gland itself. This can be a result of clogged anal sacs. If this licking becomes more common and the body movement of your dog has become very swift then maybe it is the time that you express your dog’s glands or take it to a vet because once the process starts, the skin around the anus can start to swell and also cause some kind of rash.

2. Odor

This is the most common problem that happens after the anal sacs are blocked with the odor causing fluid. If your dog’s glands are not expressed then you won’t be able to breathe around it because of the immense odor that is too hard to tolerate. Even when your dog poops, the poop will also smell terrible because of a little amount of fluid that gets discharged during the session, making it hard to live in the same house as your dog. That’s when you know that the glands should be expressed as soon as possible to relieve yourself and your dog from discomfort.

3. More Discomfort

Once the glands are blocked, there is nothing but discomfort. It will become hard for your dog to pass stool. It will start showing weird behavior and signs of disapproval. The anus will start to get irritated at such an extent that it won’t be able to touch it anywhere. And if the problem becomes too much then a rash will develop. This rash can cause an urge to itch all the time and that’s when your dog will start to rub or drag its anus against a wall or a floor. Nobody wants to see their pet like that right?

What to do?


Expressing a dog’s glands is not very hard once you know the procedure. But remember to see a veterinarian before attempting to do it yourself as they can give you a professional advice. But it is recommended that you see a vet in a situation like that. A vet can express your dog’s glands in no time. Observe the vet carefully so that if such thing occurs again, you are prepared to do it yourself because this is a basic and very common problem among dogs and other canines. Having a knowledge of it goes a long way.