Dog in bath tub, warm water running through spray hose used for washing dog. With right hand, I lift the tail at it's base and with left hand a I gently feel for the glands. If they are full, they will feel roundish and be easy to find. If empty, they can still be felt, but will be a little harder to locate. They are located above the anus, under the tail. About two fingers width across. When you lift the tail, you can feel them very easily. If you actually get closer and take a look, you can see the two small holes that the anal gland fluid will come out of (don't look while squeezing though) On either side, with thumb and forefinger, apply gentle, steady pressure and you will see the resulting yucky stuff come shooting out of the two small holes above the anus. Don't get your face in the line of fire though! I do it by feel alone. Generally it will spray straight out, but some may spray upwards or downwards, so be prepared. As soon as the stuff stops coming out and the glands feel expressed, I grab the spray hose and wash the yuck away, then carry on with a normal bath. See, not that easy to explain, but maybe with a bit of practice and experimenting you will understand how easy the job is to do. I can't imagine taking the dogs out to the vet or groomers to do this. Its just a normal part of grooming and caring for them. If you just can't figure it out, by all means visit a breeder/groomer/vet and ask for instructions. Once you have been shown how, anyone should be able to do this easily. Another thing. They should be done regularly-don't wait until they become impacted or clogged. If a regular and expected part of your dog's grooming, it becomes easier. I would recommend at least once a month! But definetly along with a bath, since this is not the kind of thing you want to do anywhere else Contributed by Judy Wade
The proper placement of the thumb and forefinger is at the 8:00 and 4:00 o'clock positions just below the rectal opening. After getting your thumb and finger on those locations, apply pressure in and up. If done properly, the anal gland fluid will squirt forth. Be ready for this, as it can travel a distance if you are applying pressure correctly. You *really* don't want to get hit with this. Peeeeeuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!! Either have a cloth, towel, rag, tissue or something in your hand to try to catch it as you apply pressure, or do as a lot of us do and perform this task in the bathtub just before bathing. That is my favorite way to do it, as I simply wash it away before filling the tub with the soapy water for Chloe's bath. Once you get the hang of this, it is really not that bad and a trip to the vet is saved. Also, if done properly, the dog does not seem to mind it much at all. Barbara Moore
The vet will express the anal glands for you. Most charge around $5.00, some will do it for free in the course of a regular appointment for something else. You CAN learn to express them yourselves but it is a VERY smell proposition, not to mention if you don't do it right, you can hurt them or create a possible infection. That is something I leave up to my vet. IT IS VERY SMELLY and well worth the money to have him do it. I have never had my Keeshonds have to have their anal glands experessed but I have Hoovers done periodically. I think it might??????have something to do with them being hounds. L. Sullivan has her Lexies expressed almost every month. As I said, I think is is a "hound thing" perhaps. Andi
My vet described it to me as he showed me how to do this in the following way. Picture the center of the face of a clock as the actual center of the (ahem) hole. Then place your thumb and finger on the 4 and the 8 o'clock positions. (Aside to Judy, it does not matter if it is A.M. or P.M., silly ;-) So, yes, you *do* want to be below the center, as well as outwards a little in both directions at these positions, but not *too* far below. I have never heard it said that the proper placement is above. Also, for Teresa who was wondering, the action is not *just* pushing in and up, it is also squeezing your thumb and finger together as you push in and up with that pressure.
I know that all of us would agree that we would pay almost any amount of money to see to our baby's health and well-being and sure, to most of us, it is more than worth a few bucks to avoid this somewhat unpleasant task or to be sure that it is done right. To me tho, it isn't the money that's involved that caused me to learn to do this myself. It was the fact that it was one less trip to the vet, which can be stressful for both dog and owner, or just inconvenient, depending on circumstances. It is also nice to know that I'm not dependent on the vet should my sweetie need relief when he isn't available. Also, if you do this on a regular basis, checking each time you bathe your pet, for instance, it becomes routine maintenance. I like to think that Dash prefers it this way instead of me waiting for him to show signs of having a problem, which must be uncomfortable. I also want to add that this is something that I do strictly by feel, (I've never been able to see the slits either, Barbara) and that you aren't always going to get something out, especially if you're dog hasn't been showing any signs. So if you don't get anything out, don't assume you've done it wrong. Just try again next time. This is one of those things, like nail-clipping, that with patience & perseverance can be learned and is good to know, even if you continue letting someone else do it. (I always let the vet clip Dash's nails when I take him in for something else, simply because he always clips them really short whereas I always take off a millimeter at a time for fear of cutting the vein, but that's another story.) September
Having been initiated into the wonderful world of anal expression just
last weekend (Thisbe expressed herself right on my shirt...YUCK!) I would
add only one thing....
When my vet showed me where the anal glands were, I could feel them
approx. 1/4 inch below the anus at 8 and 4 o'clock (when I tried it myself
before we went to the vet I was a little too close to the heart of the
matter
Express yourself indeed!
Christia
Another hopefully helpfull aside to the above: You will feel the glands
like little "pimples under the skin. I have found that it hurts the dog
less and does not get all over everything if I take a paper towel and
fold in half then sort of cup in my hand to cover the opening. This
will sort of cushion it for the dog. Or, you can use cotton balls, but
they do't offer much protection for you and furniture. I also found
that you can express one and not both, so sometimes must express a
couple of times to get both glands clear. They will feel like that good
ole pimple popping when the dog releases. I also do NOT hold the tail
up to look while I am doing it. I usuall will take my other hand and
press the abdomen up towards the spine alittle whie doing the
expressing. This will relax the muscles and also helps me locate the
glands easier. I have never caused an infection by doing this. You can
bruise the rectum very easily and so, go easy into the night so to
speak. Amy