Unfortunately, sometimes the ducts that lead from the sacs to the outside become clogged. The sacs then become distended because the secretions cannot exit. This is irritating to the dog, and he may rub his anal area on the floor in an attempt to relieve the pressure in the area.

What about cats? Do they have anal glands also?

Indeed they do, but instead of scooting when the glands become impacted, they lick. They may lick themselves bald near the rectum, at the top and bottom of the tail and on the back of the rear legs. Or they may wriggle the skin on their back, sometimes followed by a mad dash through the house.

If your pet is exhibiting signs of discomfort related to anal sac impaction, we can express the glands, that is, empty them out by applying pressure to the rectal area. Although this is not a pleasant experience for your pet or anyone else, it can almost always be performed without sedation. When you bring your pet in for anal sac expression, be sure to bring a stool sample, so that we can check for tapeworms, another potential cause of scooting. For those pets that have to have the sacs emptied often, surgery can be performed to completely remove the sacs and permanently solve the problem.