Anal sac disease is a condition in dogs that occurs when the two anal glands, located one on each side of the rectum, repeatedly become infected, abscessed, or impacted with fluids that are normally expressed in small amounts during defecation.
When the anal glands fail to empty, most dogs simply rub their hind ends along the ground (scooting) thereby squeezing and emptying the glands. If unsuccessful, they may become uncomfortable, begin straining, and start excessive licking and biting of the anal area.
There are basically three main ways to address a dog's anal sac disease. In some cases, a dog's anal glands can be expressed manually either by a vet or the dog owner. For glands that become chronically infected the only other alternative may be to have the glands surgically removed. The thirst option is to address the issue by altering the dog's diet.
This first form of managed care is to manually drain the dog's Anal Sacs. This can be done by squeezing the sacs together and pushing out the liquid. This may result in a foul order following the draining of the fluid or pus. However it also means relief to your dog. A less invasive form of managed care is to adjust your dog’s diet.