Does my dog's anal gland needs to be surgically removed?

Question

I attempted to empty my dog's anal gland, but nothing came out. He seems to be releasing anal gland fluid (in very small amount that has a very fishy smell) every three to four days or so. I read that some dogs have anal gland that do not close, which can be removed through surgery. Does this mean he need surgery? What is the cost?

Answer 1

It is not really a surgery, the gland can be removed by a vet without any kind of deep anesthesia. Most doctors are so experienced that they can remove the gland without having to go in surgically. I would take him to the vet to see what the docs opinion might be, it may be something more complex. As far as cost, depending on your vet it shouldn’t cost very much since the procedure is so simple.

Answer 2

Anal gland removal DOES require surgery! Anal glad expression DOES NOT(the glands are manually expressed by inserting a finger into the rectum...only a skilled Vet or Vet tech should do this!) If he's expressing them on his own, thats good....consult your Vet, usually surgery is done when your dog/cat anal glands repeatedly fill up and have to manually be expressed by a Vet.

Answer 3

Your vet is the only one who should be making that determination. However, it may be just blocked or even infected and a visit to the vet for emptying and a course of antibiotics could fix it.

Dogs will be releasing the fluid from their anal glands all the time, usually every time they poop. That is normal.

Answer 4

Most dogs express their glands naturally, but some need help. My dog was "scooting" and so I brought her in to the vet. It took 2 pro's and me just to hold her while another vet had to do the expressing. I got scratches and nocked over too! It is not something I would try to do on my own unless I had a much smaller dog .
Other than her unwillingness, the procedure only takes a few minutes and has stopped her scooting for over a year now. It was well worth it (escpecially if you are going in for an annual checkup anyways).

Answer 5

You should have him checked out by a vet. Anal gland removal is a fairly simple surgery but each vet has his/her own criteria and price list for procedures.

Answer 6

no they dont need to be removed they just need to be expressed if you dont know exactly how to do it dont try take him to the vet or atleast a groomer. groomers express anal glands in most breeds routinely as part of bath and brush procedure. but it might be a good idea to ask them to make sure to do it so you dog will be more comfortable. Is you dog scooting his butt around on the floor? And what kind of dog is it?

Answer 7

Take him into the vet and have them expressed properly. expressing them is not a big deal.

Anal glands to express naturally as the dog passes stool. They are normal and natural (even though it smells)

The only reason you should think about having them removed is if they become constantly infected of keep filling up without naturally expressing

Please talk to you vet about it

Answer 8

Only a vet can answer that.. But a dogs anal glands should be expressed monthly..some get full faster than others..some get abscessed... if a dog gets excited or scared they will express some out at that time.. If you are concerned i would have your Vet take a look at them....

Answer 9

good question! My dog seems to have the same problem. I never tried to express the glands tho. I am curious about the answer!

Answer 10

It is usually not necessary to do it unless he has a disease. It is possible you are not doing it quite right as well.

Please take him to the vet for an acurate diagnosis. It could be an infection, impaction or something else. There is surgery for certain problems but we can't tell and the vet can.

Good luck.