The advice they give mechanics is good: don’t force it. Squeezing too hard can rupture the sac under the skin, and that is a mess. These patients need to have some liquid infused into the sacs to loosen up the stuff. Then there are the patients where the secretion has become dry and thick and it takes more pressure to express it than is safe to apply. One had to glove up and insert a finger into the rectum to get a grip. Then are the dogs where the sacs cannot be easily felt or grasped because the dog is too fat. Unfortunately, when you just have your one dog and don’t really know what you are doing, it can be pretty challenging to get the hang of it. If one were working in a dog-grooming parlor doing it all day, most people could develop the skill. In the dogs where they don’t, a “milking” action, as you describe usually empties the glands. Actually most dogs don’t need attention - the sacs express spontaneously at the end of each bowel movement. I agree that draining anal sacs is not rocket science for most dogs. You’ve got to add some odor neutralizer, something a little like this: When it all gets emptied in one spot, it is mighty stinky. When the dog succeeds in squeezing a little out by scooting, it gets smeared on his hiney and you can smell him a mile away. A few drops are supposed to last weeks outside. One thing I failed to mention: this stuff stinks powerfully, much worse than mere feces. Our pets have their territories marked by the fences and sidewalks. They are not a necessary structure, as their only purpose is to provide a scent territorial marker. Conservative care with warm compresses and antibiotics is often all that is required.ĭogs who have continual or recurring problems can have the sacs surgically removed. This is a painful and nasty mess, but is generally salvageable. Worst case scenario is rupture of the sac. Sometimes the secretion gets thicker and harder over time, making it harder to empty. If the dog is very fat, this may require a rectal examination to complete. In order to relieve the dog’s discomfort, a groomer or veterinary technician (OR a veterinarian, like me) empties the sacs by squeezing. This (NOT worms) is the most common cause of butt-scooting. They are trying to empty the sacs and relieve that discomfort. That’s why these dogs scoot around on their butts.
This stretches the sacs, which creates pressure, which creates discomfort. When the sacs don’t empty, the secretion accumulates. This is most common in dogs with generally poor muscle tone: very small dogs, very old dogs, and very fat dogs. The more common problem is the dog who doesn’t spontaneously expel his anal sacs. The volume is more impressive when the Shepherd lets go. Any dog or cat experiencing an extreme "butt-pucker" moment (like… looking at me) may squirt the secretion onto the floor. The exception would be the large and frightened German Shepherd (aka "anal glands with teeth"). In dogs and cats, they don’t generally squirt the stuff across the room.
The skunk has a special expelling mechanism. In skunks and ferrets, the anal sacs become more specialized as the main musk glands. The pheromones (hormone-like chemicals) act as a scent territorial marker.
They fall freely and land on top of the waste-pile. At the end of each bowel movement, the animal gives things one last squeeze and this empties a few drops from the sac. Their secretions accumulate in the anal sacs. The actual anal glands are very tiny and surround the anus. Believe me, that is not nearly as funny as you think it is when it really happens in the exam room.ĭogs and cats both have these things. I believe this may be to avoid the aural confusion between "anal sacs" and "anal sex". Sometimes people call them "anal glands" instead of "anal sacs". Had I known how much of my life would be involved with anal sacs, I might well have made a different career choice.
Not only do horses not have anal sacs, at that time I wasn’t aware that these particular disgusting anatomical structures even existed. I really thought that I’d be doing nothing but horse-work. When I was starting veterinary school, I visualized myself as "the boy-wonder equine surgeon". Warning: This post describes disgusting bodily functions.
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