Does your dog scoot across the carpet? I nicknamed it "doing the brown round eye" aka scooting around in a circle on the brown eye aka rearhole.
If they do, do you know what they are really doing?
They are trying to open their anal glands which lubricates and stimulates a
tootsie roll poop bowel movement. DO NOT LET THEM DO THIS ON YOUR CARPET. Why you ask? Read on..........
Dog anal glands are two small glands located on either side of your dog's rectal opening. Each gland holds a small amount of a
noxious smelling liquid brown substance that your pet uses as something of a doggie calling card. (Noxious is not the word - this is the grossest vile gosh-awful smell in the world).
Whenever your dog urinates or defecates, the anal glands receive a small amount of pressure, and a tiny bit of the fluid is released, along with your dog's custom blended scent. Your dog can also express a little of his personal essence when he meets a fellow canine. Have you ever noticed that when two dogs meet, they often raise their tails on high alert? This action applies the pressure to the dog anal glands, and this leads to the traditional butt sniffing we humans cannot seem to fathom. However, to our dogs this behavior is as normal as shaking hands when you meet someone new. By sniffing, the dogs learn to identify each other by their scents. Equate it with exchanging business cards, and you have the idea.
Many dogs never seem to have a problem with their anal glands, but the opportunity for infection to take hold is always there. When the anal glands are not sufficiently expressed, bacteria is given the chance to build up, and this can lead to numerous problems. Your dog can develop an infection, which if left untreated can progress into an abscess. The abscess can then rupture through the skin, leading to further complications.
It's believed that dog anal gland problems can be linked to the quality of pet food a dog receives. Inexpensive brands of dog food use a lot of cereal fillers, which tend to make soft stools. The soft stool isn't able to press firmly enough against the dog's anal glands to provide the necessary pressure to express them, and there the trouble begins. Higher quality dog foods that produce a firmer, more compact stool actually aid the expressing of dog anal glands and, therefore, may be a better food choice for your pet. And there are some dogs who just plain have the problem and no type of food will help. This is the case of one of my granddogs. We have to take her in to express her glands every few months.
So how do you know when there is a problem? If your dog's anal glands fail to properly express, they may actually become impacted, making your dog very uncomfortable. Watch for these signs:
•Your dog begins scooting or dragging his rear across the floor.
•Your dog keeps licking or chewing near his rectum.
•Your dog's stools have become soft and mushy.
•You'll likely notice a foul or "fishy" odor coming from your dog's rear.
If you are noticing one or more of these signs, it may be a good idea to take your dog in for a check up with his vet. The dog anal glands may actually need to be manually expressed, a job best left to the professionals.
But if you are anything like me, I figured I could handle it all on my own. I am forewarning you now - if you think their 'scent' is gross, then expressing the anal glands will not be in your list of things to do. The smell is beyond disgusting. Be prepared to puke. Be prepared to hold that smell days and days and days after. There is nothing that will get rid of it either. Believe, skunk smell doesn't even last as long. Leave it to the experts. Trust me.
