# How often do you have anal glands expressed?



## BeBe67 (May 13, 2015)

How often does your poodle need to have the anal glands expressed?




BeBe


----------



## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

In Beau's case, never.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think my dogs have had them done once in 6 years, by the vet. And Pippin-cat had an infection in his a couple of years ago - he hasn't forgiven the vets yet, and I don't think he ever will!


----------



## peccan (Aug 26, 2014)

*Depends on the dog*. Some manage with rarely, or never, some just truly cannot empty them on their own and secrete the stuff aplenty and need frequent maintenance.

If they feel full (like beans or marbles under the skin) then an emptying is in order. Sulo does some five to six weeks just fine, but I don't let him get very full. I do his myself.


----------



## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

If you feed your dog soft, canned food with very little fibre, the stools will be soft and not stimulate the anal glands. If your dog is fed food with adequate fibre and provides a stiff stool, then no attention to the anal gland is needed. Manual stimulation and expression of these glands can cause inflammation and later problems. Some groomers express these glands as a normal part of grooming. For dogs in cities, fed proprietary dog foods, made by companies intent on profit, this expression is needed. Sadly, the most highest profile dog food companies are the very worst offenders.
Eric


----------



## Beaches (Jan 25, 2014)

My standard, never.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

In fifty years, we've never had a dog that needed to have the anal glands expressed.


----------



## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

Mine has never. I don't recommend it. If there is not a problem with them, then don't empty them. I don't recommend letting the groomer do it either. Seems like if you start messing in that "area" you have to continue to "mess".


----------



## peccan (Aug 26, 2014)

ericwd9 said:


> If you feed your dog soft, canned food with very little fibre, the stools will be soft and not stimulate the anal glands. If your dog is fed food with adequate fibre and provides a stiff stool, then no attention to the anal gland is needed. (...)


Not necessarily the whole truth. My dog has consistently nice and firm, almost hard stool, but for one reason or another, he'll accumulate over time, and that's it. If I didn't express him, he'd build up enough to be in discomfort in about nine, ten weeks. When he was little, I didn't touch his anal glands at all since all the literature I had pretty much read 'no you don't ever need to touch them, only quacks do that, it only makes them overactive and you'll be swimming in butt juice and they'll tear up and get infected you monster'.

So these days, I follow up on the situation and express when I feel his glands are getting full to avoid a situation where they'd be too full to express safely by myself. Now I don't "squeeze'm dry", and I won't touch them unless they're close to 'marbles', and I only give them a soft push since that's all they need. And I'm prepared to take him to a vet if there's any signs of a blocked way or infection.

I have a problem with the idea that if you express a dog, it makes him secrete more, and you will have to keep expressing. As if there wasn't a possibility that a dog could not be simply structurally incapable of expressing himself as much as he produces. As if with a dog population where we --every day!-- see stuff like inadequate tear ducts, obstructed airways, feet so flat that the nails grow nearly horizontally, coats that would eventually make the dog an immobile mess if not maintained with great regularity, wrinkles that will accumulate debris and get infected if not washed and dried regularly, adored tails that depend on genes that might just as well produce a dog with a crooked spine or no anus at all -- as if the anal glands were the only thing in a dog that could not malfunction.


----------



## peccan (Aug 26, 2014)

peccan said:


> rant-o-rant of rantity rant rant


Hindsight addendum: I don't mean to imply disbelief that many (if not most) dogs do just fine without ever needing to have their anal glands touched.


----------



## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Also in the never camp here. Even Tangee who twice had anal gland ruptures, did not need to have them expressed. I think that she was a dog who did not fight bacteria well, and both times that she got infected she was overdue for a bath. When I realized that was the issue, I never let her go more than ten days without a bath again, and she never had a problem with her glands again.


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

It's not so much whether they're hard or soft but more importantly bulky. You want nice, fat, somewhat firm, (but fluffy too)...stools. (I remember this discussion when I was a young mother talking with other young mothers. lol) That _large_ size with relative firmness is what presses against the glands to express them. I use to have to do my Doberman's fairly often. The vet showed me how to do it firmly but gently in a circular motion. But the other dogs, I haven't had much trouble with. My little girl Chihuahua needed them done a couple times and I had no luck getting anything to come out. But the vet had no problem. Go figure...But the Doberman...eek. That was disgusting. Since those dogs, I haven't had any issues so far with scooting or other signs of plugged glands. I wouldn't do it unless needed. And then they must be done or a real problem can arise. 

I think all this grain free craze is silly. (unless your dog has a real issue with grain...like an allergy) Some grain fiber helps bulk up the stool and dogs_ ARE _generally able to digest grain so newer research shows. I certainly don't shy away from some grain as long as it's not being used to replace adequate amounts of meat. Some of the premium foods are well balanced I believe. I get both...some without grain, some with.


----------



## Raven's Mom (Mar 18, 2014)

I previously thought that smaller dogs needed it more often. I ave only had large dogs and have never had one need them expressed. My mother's dog is a Sheltie/Pomeranian cross and has to have it very regularly. I have a friend with smaller dogs who also have them done by the vet.

Hopefully, my spoo will continue to not need any intervention in that area?


----------



## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

In Sunny's case, never. My understanding is that once you start, you pretty much have to do it all the time. With the correct diet, you should not have to.


----------



## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

ericwd9 said:


> If you feed your dog soft, canned food with very little fibre, the stools will be soft and not stimulate the anal glands. If your dog is fed food with adequate fibre and provides a stiff stool, then no attention to the anal gland is needed. Manual stimulation and expression of these glands can cause inflammation and later problems. Some groomers express these glands as a normal part of grooming. For dogs in cities, fed proprietary dog foods, made by companies intent on profit, this expression is needed. Sadly, the most highest profile dog food companies are the very worst offenders.
> Eric


Make sure to tell your groomer to "pass" if you don't want this done, since yes, most groomers do routinely if they feel it is necessary.


----------

