anal glands

A groomer usually does them externally which really doesn't work well and doesn't totally express them.  That's an onerous task but I do it myself and I do it internally.  Have your vet show you how to do it -- KY Jelly and gloves may make it easier.
 
Do it as often as it needs to be done.  But you might also give him more bulk in his food-- like increasing the fiber with some pumpkin or adding veggies (cooked and mashed) to his food help mine enormously.  Dogfood companies keep talking about getting those 'nice little poops' and then the poop isn't big enough to express the glands naturally as the dog goes and they get sore.

Agreed. Emma has gone from weekly expressions to about every four weeks with lots of extra veggies to bulk things up. Her poops are still tiny, compared to dogs who are fed crap, but they're much, much firmer (I know this, because I work in a grooming salon and end up cleaning quite a significant amount of poop

hey im a vet tech...i do this a lot. i would have a tech express them whenever your dog is having difficulty with her bowels...we use latex gloves and vaseline..i wouldnt use KY...if you want to learn how to do it yourself i can explain it as best i can!!

How do you do it?  I dont think Ill be ble to bring myself but then again if I actualy knew what was involved I may not be so scared.

Amy, internal expression involves a finger, and a latex glove. It's pretty difficult to do on Emma, since it also involves a mouth full of teeth. Basically, you get your finger behind the gland and push it out.

I do external expression, and take her to the vet for internal, if they get bad. That way, I can hold her head and let somebody else do the dirty work.

I want to Pet Co. today and have them squeeze Jake's anal glands.  She didn't even charge me.  A lot came out too, so maybe now he will stop scooting.  I don't feel comfortable squeezing his gland internally, so I will leave that for the vet.  I just wanted to make sure I wasn't have his glands squeezed externally too much.  He had them squeezed April 2nd and then today.  I just don't want his glands to get irritated if they get squeezed often.

So you have to stick your finger in there and then push back out? 

This is for Shelly and loveukaykay -- the irritation comes if the glands are NOT expressed.  Altho, doing them externally never seems (and this is MY opinion) to really do a satisfactory job of really emptying them, and I think it's harder on the dog because they have to pull so hard.
 
It's not a pleasant task to do it internally, BUT it is one of those things I do because I love my dogs and I don't want them to have to endure a stranger (even if it is a vet or vet tech) do something uncomfortable that I might be able to do more gently and more lovingly.
 
The best written description I've seen is in Giffen & Carlson's "Dog Owners Home VEterinary Handbook" and the little tiny diagram is worth 10000 words. 
 
The glands are inside of the skin of the butt but inside the anus/intestinal tract.  If you look at the anus as a 'clock' face the glands are at just about 4:00 and 8:00 (or where the hour hand would be at 4:30 and 7:30 on some dogs and in this age of digital clocks that may be an archaic description).
 
"push it back out" isn't the right way to say it.  Each of these glands lays flat inside the top if the intestine at the anus maybe 1/2" (depending on the dog) inside -- at the top of the gland (the gland is about the size of a large pea or the top of your thumb depending on the dog) is a tiny opening angled toward the anal opening.  Sorry to be graphic but the point is that as the poop comes 'out' it should press against these glands and express them EVERY time the dog poops. 
 
It is, essentially, on of the big things that makes poop stink.  It is that dogs UNIQUE particular 'mark'.
 
So to express them internally you put the end of one finger inside CAREFULLY and gently, find the gland and go below it.  Press your thumb against the finger (thumb on the outside, finger inside) and pull 'up' towards the opening gently to squeeze the junk out. 
 
The trick is to not hurt the dog -- don't rush, don't make sudden moves, and hopefully your dog TRUSTS you and lets you help them.  No dog enjoys it -- no guardian enjoys it either.  But you give them a lot of relief.  You can tell as soon as you touch them how 'full' they are -- and some times if it really needs to be done, it has caused a painful stretching of that gland. 
 
Some dogs need it more than others.  but it's like I said, it's one of those things better SHOWN (like as in have your vet show you HOW to do it) than just told, but it's also one of those things I simply do because I love my dogs enough to help them with an unpleasant task.  I know *I* will be gentle.  I trust ME more than I trust anyone else.    I've seen dogs absolutely freaked and hurt having a vet do this (particularly a vet with big hands), or an uncaring tech who tries to hurry because it's unpleasant. 
 
I've only had two dogs who required it often -- most only sporadically. 

when u express ag's u massage them. they feel like tiny grapes if u can't seem to find them, that means they are too small to be noticed get papertowels it will squirt out...and clean up the rectal area with baby wipes or witch hazel

How do you know if your dog needs this done?

Wow, Callie, that was a GREAT description! I've had the vet show me how, multiple times. I could not figure out how to describe it so well. I've done it, but I've been bitten in the process, so I just do Em's extrenally, for maintenance, and take her to Dr Morris for those internal jobs. His hands are significantly larger than mine, but she does better with two people there.

Stacy, if they need to be done, the dogs typically have an itchy butt. They'll "scoot" across the floor, and often chew at the base of their tail.

Teenie actually empties hers externally. With her mouth. YUCK!

I don't know if I can picture Teenie doing this since I don't quite get it but it does not sound at all attractive!  Ick!

Thank you Callie!!!  I dont know why Im just finding this... anyway thank you so much... great description!
 
Bailey went to the vet today for being sick (ended up being parasites) and I asked the vet to check them.  She got a lot out... I will do it later on if needed. 

Definitely a 'bath' thing -- One of those where you take the baggie of treats to the tub with you -- the first time is scarey, ain't fun ... but once you've done it, and put yourself in the dog's place you'll think "I never want a 'stranger' to EVER do this for my dog!!  How scared they must get.  Glad your vet got the job done -- often doing it externally just don't 'hack' it.