ASK THE VET: Hosting Dr. Tina

Question: In the last week, my 1 year old poodle has been scooting/dragging his rear end on the rug and leaving a foul odour on furniture. Other than this, we have not noticed any other changes in his behaviour. He is still energetic, eats, urinates and defecates normally—but where is that awful odour coming from?

The pungent odour you smell is from his anal glands. Dogs (and cats) have two small sacs just inside the muscle wall around their rectum. The walls of these sacs contain anal glands that produce pheromone-rich malodourous secretions into these sacs. The pheromones secreted are your dog’s unique “scent fingerprint” used for communication with other dogs and territory marking.

The anal sacs normally express (through a small duct) its secretions when dogs have bowel movements. When the sacs do not empty on a regular basis, impaction (clogging of the emptying duct) or infection (leading to an abscess) can occur.

Dogs with anal gland issues can be seen scooting, dragging their rear end or licking the affected area. In worse situations, the anal area can also appear red and swollen, it can be painful/cause discomfort and/or bloody pus can be seen draining from either side of the anus.

From your description, it sounds like your dog is exhibiting a mild case of anal sac impaction. Ask your veterinarian to check your dog’s anal sacs. They may need to be manually emptied or “expressed”. Depending on how full they are and the how the discharge from the sacs look, your veterinarian may discuss regular times his anal sacs need to be expressed. Short-term antibiotics may be required if the discharge expressed from the anal sacs is indicative of a brewing infection. Do not worry. Anal sac disorders are common, but are usually easily controlled.

Just for the record, the gentleman who asked this question thought the comic above was hilarious and appropriate to illustrate the discussion. Its use was not intended to offend anyone. Hope it made you chuckle—Have a great day :D!!