Anal glands expression

How much does it cost to express your dog’s anal glands?

Paw image Anal glands expression costs £20.00 per pet treatment

You caught your dog doing the booty scoot on the carpet and now you're wondering why they do it and how you can get it to stop. It is likely that your dog's anal glands need attention. Impacted anal glands can be very sore and need to be manually expressed. Despite it is a simple procedure, it requires experience and knowledge of veterinary anatomy. No sedation is required.
If ignored, impacted anal sacs might become infected and abscessed, requiring treatment with antibiotics. If the abscessed glands rupture, they may need surgery to repair, and your dog might also need pain medication to aid their recovery.

What are the signs of impacted or infected anal glands?

While dog scooting could be one possible symptom of anal gland problems, this behavior could have other causes, such as parasites or digestive problems. Or, it could simply be an itchy butt. Typically, a dog with impacted anal glands will scoot more than once or twice, and can also usually be seen licking their rear end. Redness or swelling around the sphincter is an indication that the glands are becoming infected. You can also notice blood or puss in your dog's stool or traces of it left behind on the carpet after they've finished scooting.

Some tips to prevent and reduce the recurrence of impacted anal glands:

  • Make sure your dog is getting enough fibers in their diet so that they're producing healthy stool.
  • Supplement your dog's diet with fish oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce the irritation around impacted glands, or choose a food enriched with fish oil.
  • If your dog is overweight, try taking steps to help them reach and maintain a healthy weight.

So the next time you see your dog scooting or licking their rear end, be sure to pay close attention to what's going on back there.