Anal Glands

Allison came over to the house for a little weekend vacation.  I asked her to teach me how to express our dogs' anal glands.  I think this might require some explanation.  When dogs defecate, their poop creates pressure against a pair of small glands located near the dog's anus.  This pressure releases a small amount of noxious, fishy secretion along with the poop.  This foul odor is like a business card for dogs.  It explains why dogs always greet each other by sniffing each other's butts.  

Normally, the gland is self-draining.  But for many dogs, this unfortunately isn't the case.  Their glands become impacted, which is uncomfortable for the dog.  This is why we sometimes see dogs "scooting" to relieve themselves.  Perhaps it's because domesticated dogs don't eat as much roughage as their ancestors?  Today's dogs often need to have their anal glands manually expressed for them by their friendly neighborhood veterinary attendants.  Lucky for me, my cousin Allison is specially trained in the art of anal gland expression.  So in exchange for a lovely Korean BBQ dinner, Allison took me on as an apprentice.

I have to say, I was pretty nervous.  My first patient was Bambi.  Ironically, it was also her first time.  She was an excellent first patient--very calm, didn't bark or freak out at all.  I wasn't able to express Ace's glands, but Allison assured that I just need more practice.  

Needless to say, it was an interesting and informative weekend.  Quite smelly too.