Anal glands (also called anal sacs) are small glands on the side of a dog’s bottom.
They are in a roughly 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock position, and are used as a form of scent identification/marking by dogs and cats. It is actually these glands that dogs are smelling when they sniff each others bottoms.
When your dog is scrapping its bottom on the ground, it is generally due to anal gland issues.
In most cases, we can simply squeeze the glands to empty them, which solves the problem for the dog. In some cases, pets need them expressed on a more frequent basis such as fortnightly or monthly.
If the glands develop recurrent infections or severe problems, we can remove them surgically.
We can also see anal gland tumours, so any problems with glands are best off being dealt with early by a vet.