Dog anal glands are found just below and either side of the anus. Dog's use the anal glands for marking their territory and leaving their unique smell.

In most dogs, the anal gland cleans itself, and does not require routine attention, but occasionally the glands can get blocked or impacted, causing the dog to lick at its anus or drag its rear across the ground, sometimes called scooting.

This will often empty the glands. If the anal glands remain clogged, infection can set in very quickly and abscesses can form. A good diet is essential in maintaining healthy dog anal glands Since it is the pressure applied by a normal, solid bowel movement that expresses the glands and keeps them functioning correctly. Diarrhea and soft stools, resulting from an inadequate diet, may not apply enough pressure to completely empty them.

Each Anal Gland constantly produces a secretion with a very strong odor that is unique to your dog. Along with urine, the anal secretion is in fact, your dog's odor signature to other dogs.

Dogs identify each other by their sense of smell. They mark their territory with urine, which usually does not change much in odor. But the stool's odor does vary with diet, so the anal glands secrete a small amount of fluid, along with the stool, with each normal bowel movement, marking it with the dog's own odor.

If impacted dog anal glands are a constant problem, you need to pay attention to the dog's diet and try to eliminate diarrhea and soft stools. Find a dog food that your dog can digest easily, is of good quality and gives your dog all the nutrients he needs.

Make inspecting your dog's anal glands part of his grooming program. If you have to express them yourself, it is quite easy to learn how to clean dog anal glands and can save you time and hundreds of dollars in vet bills, but don't clean dog anal glands unnecessarily.

Natural anal gland remedies can be bought that encourage natural emptying of the anal glands.They can act as an aid to manual extraction of impacted or congested anal glands while cleaning the anal area and preventing infection and abscesses. This remedy also brings pain relief and reduces inflammation and it is a disinfectant solution to prevent bacterial growth.