Things you don't want to know: Your dogs anal glands

Disclaimer: The following discussion my be offensive to some humans

Many of you asked about what happened to me at the veterinary clinic and why I yes being so secretive. Well, I just didn't want to offend my readers. And I didn't think people would be so interested. But they are.

Truth is, I am a lady. There are just some things we just don't talk about. But maybe I should. Maybe there is a reason for sharing my experience. There are dogs out there who needs this information. Dear dogs, this is for you.

Stinky? - What's it All About?
OK, so here goes. I was stinky I was embarrssed. I tried to hide this but I couldn't. Sometimes I smelled especially bad in the morning and sometimes I had a rank odor when I rode in the car. It wasn't BO and it wasn't gas. It was something worse.

So, under the guise of visiting the vet for a nail clip, my owner slipped in the fact that I might just need my anal glands looked at. You see, she heard about the problem on the Urban Coonhound website. And she also heard that there was some things that could be done to resolve the issue. If that was the source of my "stink," I needed help.

What the Vet Did
So, as usual, the vet checked me out, pretty much all over. He is very thorough. I don't like that but I know it is for my own good. Then came the "stink" issue. He took one whiff of me and said, "Yep, she's got anal glad problems."

So he took me in back with his assistant. They put on latex gloves (I didn't like that!) and lifted my tail. OH NO! And pretty quickly they squeezed the tissue on the lower part of my anus and that horrible smelly stuff came out. YUCK! Everyone there said, "YUCK!" And then it was over. They gave my hiney a little bath with some nice smelling soap to make sure I was clean.

Then they clipped my nails and brought me back to my owner. YAY! It was all done. They call this "expressing the anal glands"

It really doesn't hurt but it sure is embarrassing.

Here is where the anal glads are found.

What to Do to Prevent Anal Gland Problems
Well, it was decided that having more fiber in my diet would help. So now I am getting plain canned pumpkin on my food every night. I LOVE PUMPKIN! And, this certainly is the season for it!

I am hoping that will prevent problems in the future.

Love, Sweet Smelling Cinnamon

More Information
How to Express Your Dog's Anal Glands