veterinaryrambles:

As anyone who has ever been in a room with expressed canine anal glands, or expressed them yourself, it is a truly singular odor.  I doodled this a couple years ago to commemorate its unique bouquet.

The purpose of anal glands is to supply odor to an animal’s feces, which can serve as a means of communication between cohorts (*sniff* “Hey, Rover was here!”).  Normally the passage of feces facilitates gland expression, keeping them at a small size.  But in dogs with soft stools or small anal gland openings, the glands may not be naturally expressed, leading to them becoming overly full and uncomfortable.  The most common sign of a dog with anal gland issues is scooting their rear end on the ground, which may occur at any time or after a bowel movement.   These dogs typically need anal gland expression every few weeks to every few months.  In extreme cases anal glands can become infected, leading to abscesses, infection and even fistulas, where the abscess ruptures the skin over it, leaving a draining tract.  Not pleasant!

Jun 24th / 37 notes