How to clean your dog’s anal glands.

The anal glands don’t really have a purpose in dogs. They’re under the skin just inside the anal opening of your dog. The fluid that builds up can be very unpleasant and can cause problems and infection in the dog. You should ask your vet before attempting to express your dog’s anal sacs for the first time. The process can cause impacted anal glands and sometimes can rupture the sacs. Also, expressing the anal sacs too often can lead to impacted anal glands, and not caring for them enough may lead to infection.

If you're not entirely sure you want to express your dog's anal glands yourself, go ahead and hire trained staff at your veterinary office or a professional to do it. If you’re ready than here is how to clean a dog's anal glands yourself.

You should express the anal glands regularly during bath time. The anal glands or sacs are located just inside the anal sphincter muscle at the bottom left and right, just inside the anal opening. These glands are about the size of a kidney bean normally. When they become full they can enlarge to the size of grapes.

Wear latex gloves. Wet the glove or work in the water and insert the index finger gently just inside the dog's anal opening. This is uncomfortable for the dog, so do this slowly and gently. Use the thumb of the same hand and place it on the outside of the anal opening at bottom left. You should feel the anal gland between your fingers. Gently pinch the anal gland between your fingers and the accumulated secretion should squirt out. You should be able to feel the anal sack shrink in size as you're gently squeezing. Move your fingers to the bottom right position and gently squeeze in the same way.

Repeat this regularly during bath time to keep your dog's anal glands in optimal health. If you can feel the swollen or hardened sacs and the fluid cannot be expressed, then you will need to have your veterinarian do it. The secretion may have thickened and hardened too much to remove yourself.

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