How To Tell If Your Dog's Anal Glands Are ImpactedWhat Are Dogs' Anal Glands? Dogs' anal glands (also known as anal sacs) are two small glands just inside your dog's anus, just below and to either side of the anal opening. These scent glands produce a foul smelling substance which is used to mark a dog's territory, and for communication. You will often see dogs sniffing each other's anuses and feaces in order to glean information. As each dog's scent is unique, your Cocker Spaneil will be able to tell which other dogs have been in the area just by sniffing. 
Each time your dog passes a normal healthy stool, pressure is placed on the anal glands and a small secretion of this foul smelling substance is expelled onto the dog's feaces. This action is usually enough to empty the dog's anal glands unaided. However, if your dog's feaces is soft, or your dog has diahorrea, he will be unable to empty his anal sacs on his own. If this happens, a build-up occurs and, if not expressed, the build-up will thicken and block the anal duct, causing impacted anal glands. This in turn, could lead to infection and extremely painful abscesses. Learn how to clear Cocker Spaniel anal glands here.
So you want to know how to tell if your dogs anal glands are impacted? Have you ever seen a dog dragging his bottom across the floor, or licking his bottom? (More than usual? I hear you say!). If you have, you've probably witnessed one of the symptoms of impacted anal glands. In addition to this very unusual floor display, you will probably notice a foul and distinctive smell that accompanies impacted anal glands. If you see the any of the above signs, or your dog is smelling quite rank, it would be wise to check him immediately for any signs of impacted anal glands. If the area around the gland is slightly swollen and pink it may be an early sign of impaction. The gland will be hard and pealike to the touch. If dog anal glands become impacted, they must be cleaned immediately, which means you will need to express them to empty the glands. If you're not squeamish, you could do this yourself, but if you prefer, your groomer or your vet could do it for you. Although impacted anal glands don't affect the overall health of your dog, as long as they don't become infected, your dog could easily injure his anal area when dragging his bottom over the ground. How To Spot Infected Anal Glands If your dog's anal glands become infected, and he develops an abscess, his anus will become very swollen, a reddish-purple in colour, and pus will have developed in the anal glands. At this stage, it's likely that your dog will be in extreme pain. He will have obvious difficulty walking normally, he may begin to walk 'hunched', and he will continue to scrape his bottom along the ground, and lick himself profusely. Your vet will lance the abscess and he may prescribe a course of antibiotics for your dog for 7 - 14 days.
If your dog has an occasional problem with impacted anal glands, it can be dealt with as and when it occurs. Your vet may suggest a diet with increased fibre content. This will help to bulk up your dog's stool, and the process of defecating will place more pressure on the anal glands, resulting in the glands expressing themselves unaided. However, if this problem occurs more frequently, your vet may recommend surgical removal of the anal glands. This is a fairly straightforward operation which will eliminate the problem of impacted anal glands for life. We hope the information we have given here has been helpful, and has given you an insight into the problems surrounding dogs' anal glands. Please note, our advice is never intended to replace that of your vet's, and if you have any concerns about your dog's health we strongly recommend you speak to your vet. Learn how to clear Cocker Spaniel anal glands to keep him happy, healthy and smelling sweet! Learn more about Cocker Spaniel health here. Search our site!  Custom Search
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