Why are my dog's anal glands still smelly & scooting after expression?

Question

Parents are visiting with their dog who has anal gland problems. Glandex in food daily. Dog was stinky and scooting. Took him to my vet. Vet did anal gland expression. They recommended additional very expensive procedure under anesthesia. Basic anal gland expression helped for a few days. Now he's smelly. Do they need to do expensive flush version now? Would antibiotics or anything help for now while they're on vacation? Should I try a different vet?

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. It's not normal for the glands to fill up again after just a few days, so without being able to examine him in person, I'm not sure why he would be smelly again. Antibiotics or other meds will only be helpful if there is an infection present - you can call and ask your veterinarian for clarification about this if it wasn't clear at your visit. Some dogs with chronically irritated or leaky anal glands will respond well to a high-fiber diet, or to a prescription hypoallergenic food like Purina HA or Hills z/d. Otherwise, the only real option to permanently resolve the problem is having the anal glands surgically removed. I'm not sure what the anesthetic procedure would be that you're referring to (unless it's surgery to remove the glands), so you might ask your veterinarian to clarify this for you as well.

Why are my dog's anal glands still smelly & scooting after expression?

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