Dog leaking yellow smelly fluid in bed: Is it anal glands or marking?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Puku. He may have expressed his anal glands in his sleep. The anal glands are small glands located under the skin on either side of the anus. They express each time the dog defecates to mark its scent. They can occasionally leak at other times releasing a foul smelling brown to gray liquid. If this occurs again, he should see his veterinarian to have them expressed for him. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry to hear that Miggy expressed his anal glands on your bed. How unpleasant! Some dogs will express their anal glands during times of stress or even during extreme relaxation. This occurs more commonly if the material in the glands is more liquid rather than being more paste-like. Infected anal glands do not typically express easily. Try to look at Miggy's hind end and determine if you see a red or open lesion just outside of his anus, as this would indicate an anal sac rupture from an abscess or impaction. If this is the case, Miggy needs veterinary attention. Otherwise, continue closely monitoring Miggy for hind end licking or scooting to determine if his anal glands are full. If he continues not to show any signs that they are full, try taking him to his vet every month or so to have them expressed to prevent future problems.

This sounds like anal sac fluid. It has a nasty fishy odor. The anal sacs are like scent glands and they discharge fluid occasionally. This is normal although most animals do it when they defecate so it’s not on the bedding. Other than having the anal sac surgically removed, which I do not recommend, there is nothing I know of to prevent this. I recommend placing a towel or small blanket on the bed where she lays so you can wash it often and keep your bed clean. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bella.

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!

Poor guy. He either has really loose stool or an anal gland issues. The anal glands are located inside the rectum and can get infected or even rupture, causing leakage of fluid that is very strong and smelly. I would definitely recommend taking him to your vet on tomorrow if possible to get this looked at. Either condition is very treatable through your vet with medications (i.e. antibiotics). For now, it is best to just wipe the area gently with a wet cloth or paper towel. If the area appears to be irriated, you can also apply a cold compress on the area if he will allow it, for 2-5 mins to help soothe the area. Also an epsom salt water solution can help clean the area and provide additional relief. I hope that Frankie's rear end improves soon! Best wishes and take care. : )

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.

That sounds like anal glands and when pets get surprised, they can express these glands. You may want to wash her rectal area and the underside of her tail to get the fluid off her fur. Please feel free to post any additional questions.