Should your groomer express your dog’s anal glands?

Dogs have two small sacs, one on each side of the anus. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes them as related to a skunk’s scent glands: they make a small amount of strong-smelling liquid that normally comes out when the dog poops. It is a scent marker, which is part of why dogs sniff each other’s rear ends.

Most of the time the system runs itself. A firm stool presses on the sacs on the way out and empties them. Trouble starts when that doesn’t happen: the fluid thickens, the duct plugs, and the sac becomes impacted. VCA Animal Hospitals describes how an impaction can become infected and then form an abscess, a painful, hot swelling beside the anus.

Merck calls anal sac disease the most common disease of the anal region in dogs and notes that small breeds are predisposed, while large and giant breeds are rarely affected.

Many do, either as part of a full groom or as a listed add-on. The AKC notes that groomers used to treat anal sac expression as a routine part of every grooming visit. The AKC’s point is that this is “in the past”: routine expression is no longer seen as the default, and many groomers will skip it if you ask.

Whether it’s included matters, so ask. If you don’t want it done, say so at drop-off. If you’re not sure whether it was done, look at the invoice or ask. Our look at what’s on a dog grooming menu shows how often extras like this show up as separate line items.

The difference that matters most isn’t how well each method empties the sac. It’s that only the internal route lets someone examine the gland. Merck says vets usually diagnose anal sac disease with a rectal exam, and the AKC quotes a vet who recommends asking for one at the annual checkup as a screening tool for anal sac cancer. VCA notes that older dogs can develop a cancer in the sacs called adenocarcinoma, with signs that look a lot like ordinary anal gland trouble.

A groomer pressing from outside can’t do that check, and isn’t trained or licensed to diagnose anything. What a good groomer can do is notice. The AKC points out that groomers are often the first to spot swelling, growths or other changes around a dog’s rear, and the right response is to tell you so you can see the vet.

The AKC puts it plainly: most dogs don’t need regular manual expression, because their anal sacs are built to empty on their own. It also warns that the sacs are delicate, that unnecessary or overly aggressive expression can damage them, and that repeated manual expression may weaken the muscles around them, making it harder for them to empty naturally.

In other words, a dog with healthy glands gets nothing from having them squeezed every six weeks, and may end up worse off. AKC’s main anal gland guide adds that many dogs never have an anal gland problem in their lives.

Some dogs genuinely do need help. VCA says dogs with recurring problems may benefit from routine expression by veterinary professionals, and the AKC quotes a vet who says such dogs are often expressed every four to eight weeks, often timed with grooming. The key word is need, as decided by a vet who has examined the dog, not a box ticked on a grooming form.

The AKC, VCA, PetMD and Merck list the same signs. If you see these, book a vet visit rather than a grooming add-on:

• Scooting or dragging the rear along the floor (often the first sign, per VCA)
• Licking, biting or chewing at the rear or the base of the tail
• Straining or discomfort when pooping
• A strong, fishy smell that doesn’t wash off
• Reluctance to sit, or snapping when the area is touched
• Swelling, redness or a lump beside the anus
• Blood or pus near the anus or in the stool

Scooting has other causes too, including worms, allergies and skin irritation. The AKC notes that a dog who starts scooting shortly after a groom may simply have skin irritation, since clippers can cause razor burn or small nicks. If it settles in a day or so, that was probably it; if it doesn’t, call the vet. Our post on itching after grooming covers clipper irritation in more detail.

Make it part of your drop-off instructions, the same way you’d describe the cut. Our drop-off script has a slot for it.

• If your dog has never had a problem: “Please don’t express the anal glands unless you see a problem, and tell me if you do.”
• If your vet manages your dog’s glands: “Our vet handles the glands, so please skip them,” or follow your vet’s plan if they’ve said a groomer can do it.
• If you’ve noticed scooting or a smell: skip the groomer add-on and book a vet exam instead.
• Either way: ask the groomer to tell you if they notice swelling, a lump, a bad smell or discharge.

AKC’s home-expression guide is clear that a groomer or owner who can’t empty a gland easily should stop rather than squeeze harder, and that blood or thick, discolored fluid means a vet visit. A careful groomer will stop and tell you. If yours doesn’t, that is a reason to say “no glands” next time.

The causes the vet sources name point to what helps. Merck, VCA and AKC tie anal gland trouble to soft stool, obesity and allergies; PetMD says enough dietary fiber may help some dogs by firming the stool, and that a healthy weight may reduce the risk. Merck lists added fiber as part of treatment.

Don’t start supplements or a new diet on your own, though. PetMD’s advice is to talk to your vet first, since the right change depends on why the stool is soft and whether there is an allergy behind it. For a dog with repeat episodes, the vet may talk about a schedule of expression, medication, or in persistent cases surgery to remove the sacs, which Merck notes carries a risk of fecal incontinence.