Many mammals have scent glands. The skunk is the most infamous. These are natural in the dog and cat, but we humans don't like them. Anatomically there are glands on either side of the anus, with a sac to hold the secretions and a duct to allow those secretions to the outside. In nature, their function is to leave the animal's scent whenever they have a bowel movement.
Wolves and their territories have been studied. It has been theorized that they defecate in certain areas to make sure that intruders know that they are in another animal's territory. Of course they utilize urinary marking as well. I wonder if dogs hike on a tire so that when the car leaves it increases their territory??? Sorry, just a random thought......... When you see a dog scratching and kicking the dirt after going to the bathroom, looking like they are trying to cover it up, they may actually leaving more scent from the glands between the footpads.
OK, enough of the nature stuff. What's the big stink about them anyway? The human owners have a few issues with these things. "He's scooting across the yard (or more importantly my carpet) on his rear end." "He can't stop licking." "When he gets nervous we smell this putrid smell." "I think he is constipated, because he strains a lot." All of these things can be attributable to those little sacs. They can get infected, impacted, inflamed, full, abscessed, etc. There are different things that may be done when one of these things happens. We can feel the sacs and express them to relieve some irritation. Some pets need it weekly and some never. There are different ways to express them and some patients are easy to do by simply squeezing on either side of the anus and milking the substance out. A better way to do it, and with some patients, the only way, is to insert a finger to actually feel the sac it self and express the substance out through the duct. I can't speak for all Veterinarians, but I use an exam glove. If it is an ongoing problem we may flush the material out of the sac and instill medication into the sac to help. There may be a problem with the bowel movements being too soft to help express them naturally. If there is a bacterial infection or abscess, then antibiotics will be given. There are even instances where we will remove the Glands and Sacs surgically, to be rid of them permanently. I've only removed the Anal Sacs/Glands on one cat, but it is a much more common procedure in the dog. Every patient and situation is different in the underlying causes, as well as treatments.
There are other things that can cause these same symptoms. Tapeworms, that are spread to our pets when they swallow a flea or eat a rodent, can cause itching which can lead to scooting or licking as well. You are as likely to see Tapeworm segments on the pet (look like rice or sesame seeds when dry) than a lab will under the microscope. Some Food allergies will cause the perianal irritation leading to itchiness. I have seen a few dogs with bladder problems cause similar signs, whether an infection or bladder stones. It isn't uncommon for female dogs to have an anatomical problem with the vulva that can cause extreme irritation. I'll admit, that sometimes it can be hard to tell which problem came first after they have been scooting in the driveway. Uncommonly, we can see cancer in that area.
Take home message: Feed a quality pet food and stay away from the table food, people food, leftovers, special treats, or whatever you decide to call it. The more normal the food.... the more normal the stool.... the more normal the Anal Sacs. Keep the weight down. Fat dogs & cats have more problems. If your groomer is expressing them, but you're still seeing the symptoms, get it examined. It could be that the sacs aren't getting emptied completely or we may be dealing with another cause. You know your pet. Talk to your pet's vet and decide which is the best course of action.
We deal with icky things a lot. One of my equine clinicians at UT, Dr. Dallas Goble, called all small animal practitioners, "Anal Gland Squeezers". That's why this is such a Glamorous Profession!
Wolves and their territories have been studied. It has been theorized that they defecate in certain areas to make sure that intruders know that they are in another animal's territory. Of course they utilize urinary marking as well. I wonder if dogs hike on a tire so that when the car leaves it increases their territory??? Sorry, just a random thought......... When you see a dog scratching and kicking the dirt after going to the bathroom, looking like they are trying to cover it up, they may actually leaving more scent from the glands between the footpads.
OK, enough of the nature stuff. What's the big stink about them anyway? The human owners have a few issues with these things. "He's scooting across the yard (or more importantly my carpet) on his rear end." "He can't stop licking." "When he gets nervous we smell this putrid smell." "I think he is constipated, because he strains a lot." All of these things can be attributable to those little sacs. They can get infected, impacted, inflamed, full, abscessed, etc. There are different things that may be done when one of these things happens. We can feel the sacs and express them to relieve some irritation. Some pets need it weekly and some never. There are different ways to express them and some patients are easy to do by simply squeezing on either side of the anus and milking the substance out. A better way to do it, and with some patients, the only way, is to insert a finger to actually feel the sac it self and express the substance out through the duct. I can't speak for all Veterinarians, but I use an exam glove. If it is an ongoing problem we may flush the material out of the sac and instill medication into the sac to help. There may be a problem with the bowel movements being too soft to help express them naturally. If there is a bacterial infection or abscess, then antibiotics will be given. There are even instances where we will remove the Glands and Sacs surgically, to be rid of them permanently. I've only removed the Anal Sacs/Glands on one cat, but it is a much more common procedure in the dog. Every patient and situation is different in the underlying causes, as well as treatments.
There are other things that can cause these same symptoms. Tapeworms, that are spread to our pets when they swallow a flea or eat a rodent, can cause itching which can lead to scooting or licking as well. You are as likely to see Tapeworm segments on the pet (look like rice or sesame seeds when dry) than a lab will under the microscope. Some Food allergies will cause the perianal irritation leading to itchiness. I have seen a few dogs with bladder problems cause similar signs, whether an infection or bladder stones. It isn't uncommon for female dogs to have an anatomical problem with the vulva that can cause extreme irritation. I'll admit, that sometimes it can be hard to tell which problem came first after they have been scooting in the driveway. Uncommonly, we can see cancer in that area.
Take home message: Feed a quality pet food and stay away from the table food, people food, leftovers, special treats, or whatever you decide to call it. The more normal the food.... the more normal the stool.... the more normal the Anal Sacs. Keep the weight down. Fat dogs & cats have more problems. If your groomer is expressing them, but you're still seeing the symptoms, get it examined. It could be that the sacs aren't getting emptied completely or we may be dealing with another cause. You know your pet. Talk to your pet's vet and decide which is the best course of action.
We deal with icky things a lot. One of my equine clinicians at UT, Dr. Dallas Goble, called all small animal practitioners, "Anal Gland Squeezers". That's why this is such a Glamorous Profession!
Location of Anal Sacs
Anal Sac Abcess
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