Anal glands and grooming...

For the groomers out there.... can you tell me if there if you can "check" the anal glands without actually "expressing" them? I am asking because at Petco, where I take Lily to be groomed, it says on their website, that 'checking' anal glands is INCLUDED in a "full groom".... yet they charge me $10 for expressing them.

Is there a way to "check" to see if these glands need to be emptied? If so, I would like to know myself, so 'I' can check, if it is not too difficult. And if not, I would like to know why they are charging me extra? Thanks for any replies.

Do they charge you automatically $10 or do they only express the glands if asked by owner then charge?

You can tell if the glands are full just by touching. If you're not squeamish, not many would want to do this, just lift you dogs tail feel under the dogs anus and you'll feel two little pea size lumps, it's under and a bit on the sides of the anus. If you feel them it means they are full. But most dogs can express them themselves during a bowel movement. I don't express any glands unless the owner asks and even then if it doesn't express easily I don't force it. I'll notify the owner and let them know that the dog should be brought to a vet so they can do it internally.

Plus I don't charge for it....I really don't like doing them but know to some of my clients with dogs who needs them done monthly that it's cheaper for them to come to me to get them done then go to the vets. I don't charge because I really don't like it being part of my full grooming.

Like Giny said they are located beside the anus at 8 and 10 o'clock. They will feel like lumps, some the size of peas, sometimes they are even larger.

If anal glands need to be done and the owner wants the glands done we do this as part of the groom- no additional charge. I don't think that an additional charge on top of the groom is needed. A nail trim is included in a full groom and so should the anal glands. The only time we charge for anals is when a dog comes in for an expression only.

Giny... I asked the groomer if her anal glands might need to be emptied and she said she would check and if they did there would be a $10 extra charge.

Saintgirl... they are both located on the same side? 8 and 10 o'clock? that seems odd... I might try to check to make sure she is not having issues with that...

Thanks so much for the replies....

No, they are not located on the same side. One located at the 8 o'clock position and one located at the 10 position.

This image might help to locate them. They are both underneath on each sides of the anus.
http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2097735/scan0002-main_Full.jpg

Anal glads are included in my shop and EVERY small dog that gets in the bath tub gets them checked.

Giny,
Thanks for the image of anal gland location.... I couldn't for the life of me understand what Saintgirl meant by 8 and 10 o'clock position... I think she must have meant 8 and 4 ??... since 8 and 10 are on the same side of the clock? or am I missing something here?..

LOL!!! I don't know what I was thinking!! Yes, I meant 8 and 4! For some reason or another 8 and 10 was typed out and when I read your response I retyped the same! Can you tell I need some serious time off to recharge? lol!

I can usually just feel and see if they're full or not. Ilsa gets full anal gland on anything but EVO... so let's just say I'm glad I'm feeding EVO right now!

That's really weird, I've been working at Petco for awhile and if someone gets the bath special (24.99 for small dogs 29.99 for large dogs) it includes a bath, conditioner, brush, ears cleaned, anals done and nails trimmed.

I'm also in training as a groomer so i'll usually go ahead and do a paw trim and a sanitary as well if the owner allows me to and wont charge anything for it.

8:20 !

Has anyone seen "Toby's new trick" on the Stanley Steemer commercial? Ruger does the same thing. That's when I know he needs a bath and his anal glands emptied, which I personally take care of.

I also clip his nails and fur, clean his eyes and ears. It's just part of having a dog.

At my Sister's shop she will check if asked, and some breeds (springer/Cockers) will sometimes get a gentle squeeze as they can have a tendancy to have issues. No extra charge for this. As Giny mentioned no force is used as this can cause scare tissue to build up and the dog having to have them expressed manually. If the dog does not express with a very gentle squeeze the owner is advised to see a Vet. Sometimes diet can help a great deal.

Most dogs empty them when they have a bowel movement but in the case where a dog might have an issue our vet doesn't charge for this. One sign that the anals need to be emptied is the dog scooting his/her bum on the floor, grass, carpet or wherever.

My Beagle Nutmeg has to have her anal glands expressed almost monthly sometimes more than once a month. I wish I knew what caused it.

I cannot express them myself. She sets to bawling as soon as I touch her tail. Its unnerving. But when the vet does it she doesnt care. He internally cleans them out. She is so bad that she needs antibiodics. She gets a shot from the vet then and some pills. She actually begins to smell

She doesnt do the "butt rub thing" so I have to keep an eye on her anal glands or she can get really sick. which is actually how I discovered her problem.

I wish my vet just charged me $10 for an anal clean

I realize that groomers are taught to express the Anal glands as a service but I really wish that it would not be done as a matter of course.

Anal glands very rarely require manual expression unless a dog has loose stools or some other chronic problem and in either case, the Vet is the best one to perform expression.

One of my dogs died after an anal gland expression gone wrong and another (Amos) ended up in Emerg. with a ruptured gland simply because I forgot to mention to his groomer NOT to touch his butt. Even though I had been very specific with her every other time I took him in.

The only groomers that I recommend now are those who will not express unless expressly requested. Someone mentioned diet being a factor in how anal glands function and that is absolutely true.

Zoe had to have her anal glands removed. They would get full, impacted and infected in a matter of hours. None of my other dogs have a problem and their anal glands are never touched.

I don't think they should ever be done unless the client requests it or you have permission to do it. I, too, have heard you should leave them alone or then you HAVE to do them all the time.

This is soo true.

Our first poodle had a problem with her glands all the time... she had to go to the vet to have them expressed so many times and she hate like ONE or something cheap from the grocery store.

But now with these three who all eat good food we have never once had to have them expressed.

Diet does make a huge difference.

i express glands in the price of the groom for most of my clients