Almost EVERY time Sabaka rides in the car, he emits that horrible anal gland stuff that stinks to high heaven! Today I could even see the little drops of browness on the towel he was sitting on. (We dare not take him anywhere without a towel or a blanket and a can of Febreeze!) It looked a little bit like 2-3 drops of coffee.

Is this a normal-for-him reaction to the excitement of a trip in the car or do you think he has anal gland issues? I find myself not wanting to take him places because I know he's going to reek up my car!

I know our previous dog Taylor had to have her anal glands expressed a few times. We knew it was coming when she stunk to high heaven. Not sure if it's normal though with huskies...we haven't had any issues with these 2.

Dogs willtypically express anal glands when they go poop. However, sometimes pets can also express their anal glands with excitement. If Sabaka's anal glands are secreting when he's excited, he may have a slight overactive anal gland, and would typically need some help by getting it expressed one a month or so. If that doesn't help, you may need to consult with your vet.

I'm with claudia, if he is having issues in the car then the glands are to full. I hear its an easy but smelly job and if u get ur vet to show u once you can do it at home. I would start there and see if he is still having issues after the expressing.
I think I would take jacks screaming in the car over that smell, sorry!

I have noticed this more over the past couple months, but we have been going to more kid's sporting events over the past couple months, too. So he goes in the car 2-3 times a week and he still gets excited knowing that there are fun people who pet him and "oooo and aaaah" over him once we get to the fields! He's a rock star!

I think I probably should go have them looked at. Oh. my. word... I do NOT want to have to make "anal gland expressing" a monthly event!!!!! I read your comments to my husband and he said, "Oh yeah, that'll be your job since you like gross things."

Hey, there's "gross" and then there's "anal gland gross"....

jbealer wrote:

I think I would take jacks screaming in the car over that smell, sorry!

YES!! Jack's "song" is beautiful compared to this smell!

I feel your pain Lisa...but thankfully to a lesser extent. My boy does NOT have anal gland issues but he does sometimes express them in the house. His anal glands expressed on my kitchen rug about a week ago just minutes after he'd pooped outside and was in the kitchen impatiently waiting for me to prepare his dinner. Eww! In the 4 years we've had him his anal glands have expressed themselves inside the house 3 other times. We've had the vet express his anal glands in the past and they are always pretty much empty or almost empty so we know it's not that they're full or that he's not expressing them naturally when he has a bowel movement. Hopefully Sabaka is similar and doesn't need regular expressions. My chi girls need their glands expressed a bit more frequently which I do myself at home once every 2-3 months. Dakota's never needed it.

I'd have Sabaka taken in to have his expressed that way you'll know whether or not they're full. If you take him in for an expression and they're empty or almost empty like my boy's then you'll know he doesn't have an issue with expression at least. Better to have them express in the house or car and have a little mild discomfort and cleanup than have to go through an impacted anal gland...ugh, that's the worst!

I've read about it but have never had the issue. I take Libby to get groomed 2 times a year and it is included in the spa package if needed. They wash her, nails, blow dry her and comb her out, anal glands, teeth, ect. for $35. worth it for me and it helps get rid of the excess coat blowing. There is no way I could try it at home, she hates when i even brush her butt area. I've never had the smell or leakage issue, only if she farts, then she looks around like what was that? Cant help but laugh. Good Luck.

Sorry I am bumping this old post. I deal with this every 6 months or so with maggie. She is getting her expressed tomorrow. Most medium to large dogs don't have this issue. I heard it is not uncommon in malamutes and huskies. usually your vet will do it for you. You can do it yourself but I can't even bathe maggie myself. lol

Since this was originally posted, Sabaka has had his anal glands checked and they were full but normal. The vet and I both believe that he expresses a little out of excitement. Even after freshly expressed he still emitted the nasty smell the next time he was in the car. I have even tried to notice if it is better if he poos right before we get in the car and I can't say I notice a difference. He will occasionally not do it I just haven't noticed if there is some circumstance that makes it happen or not happen.

Happy to hear that Sabaka's rear-end passed inspection.

And yes, expressed anal glands are no joking matter! My parent's miniature schnauzers do this in their house on a frequent basis! Maybe they should take them into the vet for a closer look...

Thankfully, Brewer has only done this on a couple occassions <crosses fingers>

Schnauzer get them all the time. Its something to do with the breed. my parents have a Schnauzer mix, he does the butt scoot, ew. So glad sabaka's is okay. Maggie's is always fine, I just have to clean it out every 6 months, it sucks.

Well a stinky subject for sure lol, my lab was beginning to smell kind of "fishy" when she walked by me, so she was due in the vet so I had them express them, they were full and the vet said that was the smell I was smelling, it was gross. No problems yet with Balon, however he goes to the vet tomorrow so I am having him checked! lol

Our vet recommended a higher protein diet to expel more when pooping. The firmer the poop, the better the expression

Balonsmom wrote:

Well a stinky subject for sure lol, my lab was beginning to smell kind of "fishy" when she walked by me, so she was due in the vet so I had them express them, they were full and the vet said that was the smell I was smelling, it was gross. No problems yet with Balon, however he goes to the vet tomorrow so I am having him checked! lol

yep the fishy butt smell=expressing. It is really a very gross smell now you know it. Welcome to the stinky butt club. Maggie's poops are firm and gets high protein also

Not gonna lie guys, I just get it done at the vet. I would vomit if I tried myself. Lol

Sabaka has nice, firm poo, too. Our first husky had a very sensitive stomach so at times we went through long periods of soft to runny stools. She would have to have her's expressed for her comfort, I suppose. I'm with you, Megan, expressing anal glands is one of the many reasons I have a vet!

I don't think Sabaka's are overly full or even not getting self-expressed. He's just expressing it out of excitement or something. It's nasty...

I have to do Rogue's glands (I'm guessing it's because she's smaller? whatevs) pretty routinely and maybe I'm weird but it doesn't bother me at all. Not any worse than a poopy diaper. I just stick her in the tub, turn the faucet on, express, and rinse and shampoo and rinse haha.

I have to express anal glands all the time at work lol yummy. it's not exactly my favorite part of my job to say the least.

Ugh, I think Kody's having butt problems! Just now hubby calls me over and tells me smell his behind. Said it smelled fishy. Yep, definitely smells fishy! I think it's time for a trip to the groomers (his first) to get those things expressed

Ugghhh... Melissa, so sorry! I hate that smell!

Brother Sabaka STILL expresses his in the car occasionally! I think it's just something I have to live with. I'm guessing if you get Brother Kody's cute hiney "worked on" his smell will go away.

<3 Kody!

ewww melissa!! maggie is getting the outside cleaned and grommed before we move! I am having a clean dog before she is an indoor dog again. Her outdoor dog stuff for a year has made her "one with nature" lol

Looks like I've joined the stinky butt club!

My foster, Maddie, has expressed hers 3 times since I've had her for the past month and a half. I took her to the vet after the 2nd one (because I didn't know what the first one was) and she said it wasn't full. So, looks like she only releases after she gets excited/scared. She's a long haired husky mix, so it gets stuck in her fur too. Yuck. I'm really paranoid about the 'dog smell' in the house, so this just sucks lol.

FWIW, her poops are firm too! Weird... She's on the Salmon TOTW.

Lucian hasn't done this at all, thankfully, but my calico cat Sadie does. It smells SO bad. 9 times out of 10 it will happen when I pick her up. Doesn't happen every time though. It has to be the worst thing I have ever smelled. It smells way worse than her poop.

So I'm bumping this thread again... Sigh. Juneau is now working her way up to the President's position in the stinky butt club. lol

I took Juneau to the vet a few weeks ago to get them expressed due to the fish smell. Yep, one of them was full. The vet tech couldn't do it, so we had to have the Dr. come in and do it. She has left her butt alone and has passed the sniff test (my nose, not hers lol).


Now, reel forward to a few weeks later... I smell the fish smell again. She is licking her butt (thankfully not scooting on my carpet). Do I have to have her keep getting them expressed every few weeks? It seems uncommon to do it that often... Or maybe the Dr. didn't get all of it out?

Info: Eats TOTW - Salmon.
Two pills, once a day - Fish Oil & Vit E.
Poops: 2-3 times a day. Firm.
Age: 1 yr, 6 months.

I don't mind taking her in. It's only $19 at the vet. If I have to keep doing this though, I will probably end up getting them removed so we won't have to worry about an infection/abscess.

So... Advice? Do I need to switch her food? Add something that has fiber? She doesn't do this when she is 'excited', it just happens when she's laying around the house.

Thank woo in advance.