My dog keeps licking herself. Does she need her anal glands expressed?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Aspen. I'm sorry she is potentially having issues again with her anal sacs. Unfortunately, some dogs have continual issues. I'd try giving her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) with each meal. This will put more fiber into her diet, solidifying her feces more, and hopefully encouraging the sacs to express when the feces is pushed passed them. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry Bella isn't doing well! Yes, licking her back end can be a sign something is wrong, such as impacted or infected anal sacs. Those could be preventing her from passing feces. Certainly you can try adding a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree to see if that helps, but if she still hasn't passed feces by Monday morning, I would take her into the vet. I hope this helps!

It sounds like an anal gland issue. I would recommend taking him back in and letting your veterinarian express them. Then you can add pumpkin to Parker's food daily to try and bulk up his stool. This will help express his anal glands better. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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 him 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. Surgery is also an option to remove the anal glands. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Psyllium is ok to give but as both pumpkin and psyllium are high in soluble fibre it may not add much additional benefit. Generally in persistent anal gland cases, a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibres (bran/whole grains) are recommended

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.

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/