Anal Glands - Puppy Anal Glands, How to Clean your Puppy's Anal Glands, Information on Anal Glands
Anal Glands - Puppy Anal Glands
Anal glands are two, very small secretion
glands that are located just to the outside and bottom of a Puppy’s anus. These
glands were used to allow a puppy or cat to mark its territory by secreting a
thick, mucous substance that has a very strong and unpleasant odor. Most puppies
no longer do this, but the anal sacs or glands still remain. In normal
conditions the glands empty when the puppy has a bowel movement with the
contraction of the anus forcing the mucous material from the glands. In some
puppy’s the anal glands become stopped up and do not drain with a bowel movement
or with natural friction, resulting in a painful condition known as an
impaction. These impacted glands may cause the puppy to stop and constantly lick
at the area, or may, more commonly, cause the puppy to "scoot" across the floor,
grass or carpet. Scooting is actually rubbing their bottom against the floor in
an attempt to empty the glands and reduce the pressure. If this works, what is
left is a nasty, smelly, foul substance all over your rug or floor that is often
mistaken for fecal material, when in fact it is mucous from the anal glands.
Often people believe that this scooting behavior is seen when the puppy has
worms, and although that occasionally may be the case it is far more likely to
be problems with blocked or impacted anal glands.
The reason that it is very important to check anal glands if your puppy has a
history of scooting on the ground or if it is a problem with the breed is
because they can rupture and cause infections and problems that can be serious.
If the gland does not empty correctly, it can continue to fill, eventually
bursting through the interior wall of the anus or through the outer skin. As can
be imagined this is a particularly bad area for infections, plus the rupture may
continue to get worse as the puppy has natural bowel movements. If it becomes
painful the puppy may not want to go to the bathroom, leading to more impactions
and possible problems. Often a ruptured anal sac or gland will first be noticed
by a bloody discharge from the anus immediately after a bowel movement.
Excessive licking of the area is also a sign that this has progressed beyond a
simple impaction.
There are two different ways to empty or clear a Puppy’s anal sac. The first way
is the simplest and should always be the first to try. Use disposable gloves or
surgical gloves on your hands, as this can be messy and very foul smelling.
Start by getting a clean cloth and soaking it in clear, warm water. Apply the
warm cloth like a compress on the anus, holding the tail up and away from the
area. You may wish to do this a few times to soften any material that may be
caked or dried on the surface opening of the glands. Using the thumb and index
finger gently push the bottom section of the anus, at about the four and seven
o'clock positions towards the center. You should feel two hard, roundish lumps
just under the skin that are the anal glands. With very gentle pressure a fairly
liquid, gel like material should be pushed out of the openings just to the
outside of the anus. A tissue can be used to wipe this secretion away. If the
discharge is very thick and highly sticky or paste like in consistency it is
likely that the glands will need to be emptied several times to get all the
material out.
If, after a couple of attempts, no secretion or a very heavy paste-like
substance is all that comes out, you should either move to a more internal
option or contact your vet and have him or her perform this procedure. If you
wish to do it yourself, you will need a small amount of lubricant such as
Vaseline. Lubricate the index finger of a gloved hand with a small amount of
Vaseline or other safe lubricant. Insert the finger gently into the anus and
locate the anal sac on one side. Using a pincher like motion press the thumb and
forefinger together, starting at the outside edge of the anal gland and moving
towards the inside edge. This should release all material, but if it does not
immediately stop and make and appointment with the vet. Continuing to try to
drain the glands yourself can result in a rupture that is much more serious than
leaving the glands impacted until the next day when you can get a vet's
appointment.
It is very important to avoid using this second technique on small and toy
puppy’s as most adult fingers as simply too large and will cause pain and
discomfort. A vet or groomer that has practice in working with small and toy
breeds is the best individual to perform this procedure on these tiny puppies.
Puppies may be fine for a few days and then start scooting again, even if you
have just emptied the anal glands. This is not uncommon and the procedure may
have to be repeated every three or four days until they have been fully emptied.
The good news is that most puppies, once they understand what you are doing,
will stand patiently while the procedure is done since they know they will feel
much better when it is over.
Most vets recommend that puppies with anal gland problems or a history of
impactions will benefit from a high fiber diet. The more fiber that the puppy
eats the bulkier the stool and the more pressure is naturally exerted on the
anal glands. This may mean changing your Puppy’s food brand and will definitely
mean changing from a canned food to a kibble and high fiber dry food. Some
natural diets may also be very high in fiber, so talk to your vet about diet
options if this is a concern.
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