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Casper posing!

Just inside the anal opening your dog has anal glands, which have two sacs on either side of the anus. Normally, these sacs discharge a fluid right before the dog goes to the bathroom. The fluid acts as a lubricant and promotes a nice, easy bowel movement.

On occasion, the glands become clogged which causes discomfort. A dog with clogged anal glands will drag his butt across the floor in an attempt to relieve the discomfort. The clogged glands may also cause constipation. Some dogs never have a problem with their anal glands and for others, it's a chronic problem.

We will express the clogged fluid by gently squeezing the anus on both sides of the glands. Expression of anal gland fluid should only be done by someone with experience because if done incorrectly, the fluid can be forced backwards, further impacting the glands.