Why does my dog keep getting impacted anal glands and licking?

Every pet is different and some pets may need their glands expressed every few weeks. Most however will be less frequent. This can be a problem in any dog but it is more common in small dogs. There is a supplement called glandex which many pets respond well to. You may also try feeding her a higher fiber diet. Lastly, sometimes frequent anal gland issues can be a sign of allergies. You may talk with your veterinarian about ways to diagnose an allergy and if this seems to be indicated. The itchy ear could also support an allergy diagnosis but it could be unrelated. I recommend to look into diagnosing allergies, Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Anal glands are sometimes difficult to determine what causes them to fill up quickly and why they don't empty on their own. What we typically recommend is switching the diet completely to a different brand / formula and adding in supplementation for the anal glands such as Glandex (which can be purchased online). I've known Glandex to reduce the time between anal gland expressions by months and sometimes the diet switch alone makes a big difference. Try this for a few months and if the problem persists after, I would speak with your veterinarian about other options. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is a supplement called Glandex and one called No Scoot that many of my clients love for anal gland problems. In some cases it can decrease how often they need to be expressed. I would discuss with her veterinarian if either of these may be compatible with her diet.

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!

No one knows for certain what causes recurrent anal gland inflammation and irritation - sometimes allergies seem to play a role, and certain dog breeds seem to have more issues than others. There are some supplements that you can try, and sometimes adding fiber to the diet can help as well. If Pixie is not on a regular schedule to have her glands expressed that might help. If the problem is severe with recurrent anal gland infections surgery to remove the anal glands is sometimes recommended.

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/

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.