Tell Us What You Think

Nobody puts "anal glands" on their list of things to learn about when they get a pet. Then your dog scoots across the carpet,licks incessently during the night, or your cat leaves a mystery smell on the couch cushion, and suddenly it's the only thing on your mind.

In this episode, Dr. Angie and JoJo get into all of it: what anal glands actually are, why chronic anal gland problems are often a sign of food or environmental allergies most pet parents never connect, whether those fiber supplements flooding your social feed are worth it, and when a scooting situation turns into a needed vet appointment. Straightforward, a little gross, and genuinely useful.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Anal glands are scent-marking sacs positioned at the 4 and 8 o'clock positions just inside the anus. They're meant to express naturally with each bowel movement.
2. Scooting, excessive rear-end licking, and a persistent foul or fishy odor are the three main signs of a problem.
3. Chronic anal gland problems are frequently a sign of food or environmental allergies. If your pet needs regular expression, the allergy is the thing worth investigating, not just the glands themselves.
4. Groomers routinely expressing anal glands at every visit is not standard of care. If there is no problem, it is unnecessary and can cause irritation over time.
5. Fiber supplements marketed for anal glands work by bulking stool to support natural expression during defecation. They will not clear an existing impaction on their own. Expression first, then support.
6. You can express anal glands at home with gloves, water-based lubricant, and a willing assistant. Your veterinarian or veterinary nurse will show you how.
7. An abscessed anal gland requires veterinary treatment. Antibiotics often need to be instilled directly into the sac.
8. Anal gland removal surgery carries a risk of permanent fecal incontinence. In nearly 20 years of practice, Dr. Angie has not had a single patient require it.

SOUNDBITES

"I wouldn't ever touch them if I didn't need to. If there isn't a problem, why get in there and muck around?" — Dr. Angie

"The marketing is butt to gut, but the product is actually gut to butt." — JoJo

"If your dog is scooting a lot, has a lot of problems with their anal glands, they probably have a food allergy, or maybe an environmental allergy, but more commonly a food allergy." — Dr. Angie

"If anybody has experience with them and you've smelled anal glands, you've never forgotten that." — JoJo

"Even when you give systemic antibiotics, sometimes it's hard to actually make the antibiotic get into that anal sac. And so we like to instill the antibiotics right into the anal sac." — Dr. Angie

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