My dog licks behind, leaves fishy spot. Are anal glands expressed?

His anal glands may be full again. Normally, they are expressed during the act of defecation. You are quite brave to do it on your own! Not many pet parents would do that. If you feel comfortable doing it again, do so but gently. If the problem persists, you will have no choice but to seek veterinary attention. Clinics and veterinary ERs will see patients. If left untreated, Scooby could form an abscess which is very painful and may require sedation to lance and drain. You can consider a product, such as Glandex, to help with anal gland issues. https://www.glandex.com/

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bella. I recommend that she sees her veterinary office to have her glands expressed. Some dogs need to have this done regularly so that glands do not become overly full. I hope this information helps!

Yes, licking is a common behavior after anal gland expression because of the mild irritation that can be caused when you milk the full or impacted [anal glands](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/conditions-of-the-anal-glands) until they are empty. This should passwithin 24 hours, but if it appears overly irritated you can apply a thin layer of Desitin (baby rash cream) to the skin around the rectum. Consider using an e-collar (cone) to prevent excessive licking.

We actually do not scrape feces from the bowel, when we insert a finger into the rectum. This is called a rectal exam and we usually check for masses, blood, moisture content, diarrhea or palpate the prostate or check or empty the anal sacs if they are impacted. The latter will help reduce itching or rubbing of the bum when the anal sacs are impacted.

Sometimes after the anal glands are expressed there will be some residual irritation, especially if they were very full, so Nicco may continue to lick and scoot for the next couple of days. There may be some odor released just from the licking and scooting or if there was a little bit if fluid left in the glands or stuck on the fur. You could start by putting a cone on him so he can't lick and then applying a topical steroid such as hydrocortisone to decrease the irritation. If it continues, or starts to look worse, I would recommend taking him to your veterinarian for an examination.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding River. I suspect he is expressing or leaking fluid from his anal glands. These are two sacs that sit under the skin on either side of the anus. They express fluid each time the dog defecates to mark its scent. Occasionally the glands will become too full and leak or the animal will accidentally express them when startled. I would start by having them expressed at a veterinary hospital. Groomers do not tend to do a thorough job. They will let you know if the contents appears normal or not and make a recommendation on how frequently to have it done. Some dogs will need them expressed regularly. I hope this information helps!

It is likely that your dog possibly has an anal sac impaction or abscess. The licking will actually make it worse. You shoulld take her to a veterinarian where the anal sacs can get inspected and expressed or flushed if necessary. You can help your dog in the future by feeding a teaspoon to table spoon full of canned pumpkin daily in her food which will faclitate eliminating feces.