Dog anal gland expression cost: treating the symptom vs the cause
Anal gland issues are one of the most common, uncomfortable, and smelly reasons for a vet visit. While the cost of expression is relatively low, usually between $30 and $60, depending on whether it is done by a vet or a nurse during a consult, the recurring nature of the problem is the real frustration.
Biologically, anal glands should express themselves naturally every time a dog passes a firm stool. If you are constantly paying for manual expression, you aren't just dealing with a hygiene issue; you are dealing with a gut health and inflammation issue.
Why the glands fail to empty
The anal sacs are two small reservoirs located at 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock inside the anus, lined with sebaceous glands that produce a foul-smelling liquid. In a healthy dog, a firm, bulky stool applies pressure to these sacs, emptying them mechanically.
When stools are consistently soft or lack volume (often due to diet), the glands don't empty. The fluid thickens, the ducts become blocked, and impaction occurs. This leads to the classic "scooting" behaviour. Paying for expression clears the blockage temporarily, but unless you improve the stool quality, they will simply fill up again.
The risk of chronic inflammation
Relying on manual expression as a long term solution can sometimes backfire. Frequent manipulation of the glands can cause trauma and scar tissue, making natural expression even harder.
Furthermore, if the material inside isn't cleared, it can become infected, leading to an anal gland abscess which is a painful surgical emergency. The goal should be to "firm up from the inside" using fibre or bone content in the diet, rather than relying on external squeezing.
Track the gut inputs
Solving anal gland issues requires data on digestion. Elita Blueprint helps you identify the dietary cause. By logging your dog’s stool consistency and frequency alongside their diet inputs, you can see patterns. Did the glands flare up after a week of softer stools? Did adding psyllium husk or bone broth improve the situation? We hold the history of their gut health, allowing you to correlate diet changes with gland health so you can stop the cycle of vet visits.
Stop the scooting
Chronic anal gland issues are often a sign of gut imbalance. Use Elita Blueprint to track stool quality and diet, and look out for our upcoming at-home gut microbiome testing kits to benchmark their digestive health with their own personalised data.
