My dog's anal glands are full, fishy smell, why no expression?

I have seen a few dogs like Bella. Many times there will be an underlying cause such as allergies that cause this but not always. I would recommend a food trial with a prescription diet made by Royal Canin called Ultamino. You will feed her ONLY this diet for 2 months. She cannot eat ANYTHING else, no treats, bread crusts...absolutely nothing. At the end of the food trial, if her anal glands are not bothering her, then you know its a food allergy. If they are still bothering her, then its not a food allergy. If you haven't tried this yet, its worthwhile. Sometimes a short dose of anti-inflammatory or steroids can also help wth residual inflammation. Her doctor can prescribe these medications if they seem warranted. Best of luck with Bella!

I am so sorry Bella is having issues with her anal glands. You can always add some canned pumpkin to Bella's food to see if that helps bulk up her stool a little bit so she can express her anal glands easier. Some dogs do need frequent expressions every 1-2 weeks. I would discuss doing an anal gland infusion with antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory to help with some inflammation in her anal glands. She may or may not need to be sedated for the infusion. Some dogs can tolerate it very well while others (typically when there is an infection) cannot tolerate it well and will need to be sedated. I hope her anal gland issues resolve soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

These are two little glands inside the dog's rectum. They naturally fill with a material that ranges from thin, light colored liquid to a thick paste. When a dog defecated, this material is released -- most of the time not all of the liquid is release but over the course of each defecation, enough is released that the glands do not overfill. With some dogs though, this process does not occur as easily. This can be due to the material being too thick to be expressed, the stool being too soft or diarrhea which does not apply enough force to the gland to express the fluids or due to an underlying disease process. The most common cause of recurrently full anal glands is an underlying allergy problem. Dogs with skin sensitivity or allergies often have anal glands that need to be emptied on a routine basis. If the glands become too full, the material can become infected or the gland can rupture. In this case, the area will heal but antibiotics are typically needed. After the anal glands are expressed, the area can continue to feel irritating for a few days. In some cases though, the glands may not have been completely emptied. This is often the case if the glands are emptied at a groomers as they empty them from the outside and are not trained to empty them rectally as a vet would. Most dogs do not need their glands emptied for any medical purpose but if the glands were randomly checked, they could be moderately full. This does not indicate a need to express the material though. The reason I bring this up is because I have found that if we begin emptying the glands for the dog, it creates a cyclic effect where we continue to have to empty them. If the dog is scooting, this is an indication to have them checked.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Anal gland excretions do smell a bit fishy- that is normal. It can take a few hours for the smell to eventually dissipate, however, it you take a little mild baby shampoo or mild soap on a moist towel and rub his behind gently with it after expressions, this can greatly reduce the smell immediately afterwards. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

What you are smelling may be anal gland secretions. If one or both of the anal glands are very full they will sometimes "overflow" and then you have them exit the anus. This is a very bad sort of fishy smell. Next time you visit your vet for his vaccinations, you should have the vet examine them and empty them if necessary. If you think he has problems pooping or if he cries when pooping or if he scoots his behind on the floor, then they may be infected or impacted and need to be checked by your veterinarian.

Sometimes dog will express there glands while licking them or going to the restroom. I would not be concerned as long as Rhea is not scooting or constantly licking her rectum. If you feel like she is irritated by her glands I would have a doctor check them. Groomers typically express the glands from the outside where vets will express from the inside which sometimes is a better option. I hope that helps! thanks for using pet coach

Hello, sorry to hear about Tinkerbell. She may actually have impacted anal glands. These are glands around her anus that produce a foul smell and some dogs, particularly small breed dogs, may be unable to express thes glands on their own. Often, they require digital expression of these glands. If they become too full, they may bother your pet or even become infected. I would recommend having Tinkerbell evaluated by her veterinarian soon or even your local groomer to have her anal glands expressed. If you look under her tail around her anus an notice any evidence of bleeding or pus like discahrge, then have her seen by a veterinarian sooner as she may have had developed an infection. Hope this helps and best of luck.