Why does my dog express their anal glands when stretching?
Dogs can accidentally leak or express their anal glands during big stretches or sudden movements, releasing foul-smelling fluid onto people or furniture. This startling occurrence catches owners off guard and leaves them dealing with a sudden, unpleasant mess.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Scrubbing intensely and taking bleach bathsDid this help you?
- 2Giving dogs daily fiber supplements to help naturally express glands through firmer stoolsDid this help you?
- 3taking the cat to the vetDid this help you?
- 4Consulting a veterinarianDid this help you?
- 5Taking the dog to the vet for regular manual expressions every couple of monthsDid this help you?
- 6Switching to grain-free food and eliminating junk food treatsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Suddenly, liquid dribbled on my face.”source ↗
“That’s when I was jarred backed into a terrible reality where my Akita had just expressed her anals glands onto my face.”source ↗
“My dog often expresses his accidentally when he does a big stretch. It's gone in my face once before when he used to share our bed. I really feel for you!”source ↗
“My dog does this. He annoyingly really does it when I pick him up as a weapon of mass destruction.”source ↗
“My 7 month old springer spaniel has started expressing her anal glands inside every couple of days. She doesn’t scoot or seem to be bothered, we just suddenly smell the horrid odor coming from her behind.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 11How to stop your dog from causing embarrassing scenes in public
- 2Why does my cat keep having anal gland issues?
- 6Why does my dog carry water in their mouth and spill it everywhere?
- 19Why does my puppy keep peeing on the sofa and bed?
- 3Freaking out seeing worms in puppy stool after deworming
- 7House-trained dog won't go to the bathroom outside after moving