Looking After Your Dog's Anal Glands

Written by Shopify API

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Posted on February 09 2017

The anal glands are located on either side of the anus and contain a foul smelling oily liquid which is normally emptied when your pet defecates. This is used as a scent marker for the animal. Problems can occur when these glands get full and your pet is unable to empty them for themselves. Signs of full anal glands can manifest in the pet scooting (rubbing) its bottom along the floor, a fishy type of smell coming from the bottom and sometimes a brownish stain where the pet has rubbed itself to try and relieve the itching.

What causes Anal Gland issues?

  • Loose stools – your pet needs a firm stool to enable the glands to be emptied fully.
  • Allergies – these can cause the pet to be itchy and constant licking or scooting can cause an infection.
  • Constipation – if your pet is passing too hard of a stool then this can stop the glands from emptying fully.
  • Overfeeding – this can cause too much waste to build up in the system.
  • Obesity – lack of muscle tone and too much body fat can cause the pet not to be able to empty the glands fully
  • Food Intolerance – this can cause looser stools which in turn doesn’t enable the glands to empty.
We recommend feeding a food that produces a firm and well formed stool. We would recommend to try a grain free diet such as our Sensitive Range.