Anal gland expression has become routine. A dog scoots, someone squeezes the glands, and a month later it happens again. Some dogs get it done at every grooming.
I don't recommend it. It hurts dogs a lot, and doing it on a schedule damages the glands. No dog in nature has its glands squeezed. Dogs release them on their own.
So when a dog scoots, I don't look at the glands first. I look at his walk, his bowl and his stool.
Why dogs scoot
- The walk and the bowl. The biggest causes, by far. Too few walks, and food like Marie biscuits and packed food. Constipation from too little walking brings anal trouble with it.
- Worms. Scooting with digestive trouble, low appetite, weight loss or worms in the poop. Scooting with itching and dry skin points to worms and a bad gut together. This is when I deworm, on signs, not on a calendar. Read deworming.
- A rash near the rear. Don't let him lick it into a wound.
- Something growing there. A lump near the anus is a vet visit.
- Gas and constipation. A dog who keeps licking his rear is uncomfortable. Look for bloating, discomfort when walking or sitting, straining, fewer poops.
- Fear. A frightened dog keeps his lower body tight, so gas can't pass and builds up.
- Cleaning. Some dogs scoot simply to clean themselves, and it means nothing.
Many dogs scoot because they are trying to empty the glands themselves. That is the body doing its job.
What to fix, in order
1. The bowl. No Marie biscuits, no packed food, no kibble. A simple home-cooked bowl: soft-boiled meat, organ, a small share of kani rice. The kitchen builds it for his weight.
2. The walk. A long walk 45 to 60 minutes after his meal, so he can poop properly. Then a structured walk every day.
3. Then watch the stool. That tells you whether the first two are working.
Getting the stool right
- Constipated: add a little fibre. Cooked pumpkin sets the stool: a little more for more fibre, less to bring it back.
- Too much bone constipates. Cut the bones for a while, add a little rice and more boneless meat.
- Too much fibre loosens the stool. Pumpkin on top of isabgol is a common way to give a dog diarrhoea or bloating.
- Heaps of vegetables cause gas and constipation, carrot and sweet potato especially, and fibre that changes every day gives a stool that changes every day.
- Painkillers and some other medicines constipate. Tell your vet if he has started one.
For loose stools and mucus, read loose stools. For straining, read constipation.
If your vet has been cleaning them
Tell the vet the dog is recovering: a better walk, a better bowl. Then ask whether the cleaning is still needed.
When it needs a vet
A gland that is infected or blocked is the one case for a vet to treat, and to empty if it has to. Never at home, and never on a schedule.
See a vet if:
- he is scooting and crying in pain, and not pooping even on a stool softener
- he has passed no poop for several days, especially if he is on medicines
- there is a lump or mass near the anus
- there is pus or swelling at the gland
- there is a strong fishy smell from the rear, which can mean infection or impaction
- he is off his food with a fever
What I'd want to know first
- How often he scoots, since when, and whether he licks his rear.
- Whether he is constipated, how often he poops, and whether it hurts him.
- His walks, and his full diet, biscuits, bones and vegetables included.
- His last deworming, any worms seen, and any rash at the rear.
- How often the glands have been expressed, and why.
This is what I teach about the gut and the walk. It is not a diagnosis. A swollen, painful or infected gland needs a vet.