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.