Is your dog scooting along the floor? Does your cat lick their rear area a lot?
You probably need to get your pet’s anal glands expressed. Anal glands are scent glands located in between the rectum muscles and are usually naturally expressed through passing stool. Unfortunately, many dogs and some cats’ anal glands can become impacted, and cannot be expressed by themselves. These sacs begin to fill up with an overload of secretion.
If you don’t treat impacted anal glands right away, they could form an abscess and get you a costly bill at the vet! It’s very painful for the pet as well. There are many causes for anal gland problems. If your dog is overweight or has sensitive skin or allergies, they have a higher chance of having issues expressing them naturally.
Watch for scooting, excessive licking of the rectum, vocalizing pain as they defecate, blood or puss on their stool, etc. These can be a strong indication of an underlying anal gland issue.
Come see us at Parkgate Animal Hospital to discuss with the doctor the best way to deal with them!
