My Dogs anal glands “express” themselves and its wicked! The smell is aweful! The veterinarian explainded that this is normal. .  But what is the purpose of anal glands in dogs? Gross I know LOL

How would you describe the odour of anal gland secretion? The reason I ask is because my cat got really excited and suddenly there were drops of something on the ground. I did not put the two together and I wiped it and it smelled. The smell was stomach turning to say the least. . . This was not a fecal odor, really, but more than one. . funk? EXTREME funk. Was it my cat?

I have a problem with my 2yr old female cat express anal glands. Do anyone know how much it costs to get the anal glands removed? It happens more frequently and it is so serious! Also, what is the liquid that comes out? Does fecal matter in any way? UGH please help.

I must take my dog to the vet once a month for expressing his anal glands internally. Everywhere I look on the web, it tells me that you can learn to do at home, but he never says how. I wonder how, if you tell me how or recommend a place for learning. I have a strong stomach and be able to handle the smell.

…I remarked white fluid from my cats anal glands and I take the cat to the vet, who said this is normal and expressed them. But later the cat start to produce alot of this white fluid. I thought that anal glands stuff (a) have to be brown, and only white due to infection and (b) the cat’s anal glands were recently (1 month ago) expressed by the vet, and yet last night when I picked him up some squirted out. How much volume of anal sac fluid is normal to produce?

Also I have more questions like: How much and how dangerous for the cat is getting these glands removed? And Im curious as to how they lubricate the bowel movement? The gland excretes outside of the anus and coats the bowel movement after it has left the body. My understanding is the purpose is to create a unique scent marker for other animals to mark their territory and the glands are vestigial. Interesting that cat diet affects the colour, but I’ve heard brown alot – this is creamy white and is apparently not infected. Its the volume that I’m so curious about. Apparently the surgery is not uncommon but can have serious consequences if done incorrectly… Thanks!

Recently, we took my yellow lab to the vet and I was perplexed. The vet squeezed my dogs anal glands. He said she was full and they really needed to be done. What is this and why should it be done? What causes a build up of “gunk” in her anal glands? What is the “gunk”?

Well, I didn’t mean that I did it myself. I wouldn’t do it. I let the vet do it. I didn’t know anything about it until I took her last week.

How to Express a Dog’s Anal Glands

Expressing a dog’s anal glands is the unpleasant but often necessary practice of squeezing each gland to expel their contents, which alleviates any pain and discomfort the dog may be experiencing. Express a dog’s anal glands to prevent the formation of certain diseases and conditions with tips from a veterinarian in this video on dog care.