If your dog is still leaking after their anal glands were expressed, a small smear or fishy odor right afterward may be leftover material on the fur or a little fluid that was not fully removed. Gently clean the area, stop your dog from licking, and watch for fresh discharge.
Do not squeeze the glands again at home, especially if your dog seems painful. Call the clinic that performed the expression if the leaking continues, returns, or comes with scooting or licking. Seek prompt veterinary care for swelling, marked pain, blood, pus, trouble passing stool, low appetite, or unusual tiredness. These signs can occur with impaction, inflammation, infection, or an abscess. [1][2]
What to Do Right Now
- Clean the fur and nearby skin gently with a soft cloth dampened with warm water, then pat the area dry. If the skin is broken or very irritated, ask your veterinarian before applying any cleanser.
- Prevent repeated licking or chewing so the skin does not become more irritated.
- Note the discharge color, amount, texture, and odor. A photo can help your veterinarian if the fluid stops before the visit.
- Watch your dog’s comfort, appetite, energy, and bowel movements.
- Contact your veterinarian if fresh leakage continues or quickly returns.
A one-time spot without pain, swelling, scooting, or ongoing discharge may be residue. Fresh fluid that keeps appearing deserves a recheck. Expression can relieve pressure, but it does not treat every cause of anal sac disease.
Why Leakage Can Continue
Your dog has two anal sacs, one on each side of the anus. They store a strong-smelling fluid that usually empties through small ducts during a bowel movement. The sacs can also release when a dog is frightened, stressed, or excited. [2]
Residual Fluid or Incomplete Emptying
Some odor or oily material can remain on the fur after an expression. Thick material can also be difficult to remove completely. If the smell fades after gentle cleaning and there is no new discharge, the problem may have been surface residue.
If fluid keeps appearing, do not assume the glands simply need to be squeezed harder. The duct may be obstructed, the material may be too thick to empty normally, or the tissue may be inflamed. Repeated squeezing can be painful and may further irritate the area.
Impaction, Inflammation, Infection, or Abscess
An impacted anal sac contains retained material that cannot empty normally. That retention can be followed by inflammation, called anal sacculitis, or by infection. An abscess is a pocket of infection that can swell and sometimes rupture through the skin beside the anus. [1]
Watch for redness, swelling, a firm lump, pain when sitting, scooting, licking, tail clamping, or difficulty passing stool. Blood, pus, or a draining wound beside the anus needs veterinary attention. Some dogs hide discomfort, so a sudden behavior change can be important even when the discharge looks small. [1][2]
Stool, Skin, Weight, and Anatomy
Anal sac disease is not always caused by one missed expression. Cornell lists allergies, individual anatomy, chronic diarrhea or constipation, obesity, and low-fiber diets among possible risk factors. [2] A cross-sectional study also found associations with diarrhea, skin problems, small size, and obesity. An association does not prove that any one factor caused your dog’s episode, but it can guide the veterinary workup. [3]
Large practice-data research found that anal sac disorders are common enough to deserve careful attention and that risk differs among breeds and body types. [4] For a dog with repeated problems, it makes sense to look beyond the sacs and ask whether stool quality, skin disease, weight, or anatomy is making normal emptying harder.
When to Call Your Veterinarian
Call for a prompt recheck when leakage continues, returns soon after expression, or comes with repeated scooting, licking, odor, or discomfort.
Seek same-day or urgent veterinary care if you notice:
- Marked pain, crying, snapping, or refusal to sit
- Redness, warmth, swelling, or a lump beside the anus
- Blood, pus, a draining wound, or a large amount of discharge
- Straining or pain during a bowel movement
- Low appetite, lethargy, or behavior that suggests your dog feels unwell
Do not wait for an abscess to rupture before seeking help. If a wound has already opened, keep your dog from licking it and contact a veterinarian. Avoid applying human creams, essential oils, or unapproved products to broken or inflamed skin.
What Your Veterinarian May Check
Your veterinarian may examine the skin and anal area, then perform a digital rectal exam to assess each sac. The appearance and texture of the material can help guide next steps. In some cases, the discharge may be examined more closely or sampled when infection or another disease is suspected. [1][2]
Treatment depends on the cause. A veterinarian may empty or flush affected sacs and use medication when inflammation or infection calls for it. An abscess may need drainage and wound care. Severe, recurring disease that does not respond to other management can lead to a discussion about surgical removal. Surgery is uncommon in general practice data and can carry risks, including fecal incontinence if nearby nerves are injured. [1][4]
Reducing Repeat Anal Gland Problems
Prevention is not about squeezing every dog on a fixed schedule. Many dogs empty their sacs normally. Dogs with recurring problems need a plan based on the reason the sacs are not emptying well.
Build Better Stool Quality
Firm, well-formed stool can place pressure around the sacs during defecation. Ask your veterinarian whether chronic diarrhea, constipation, or low fecal bulk may be contributing. Merck notes that supplemental fiber can increase fecal bulk, but the right food and fiber plan depends on your dog’s health, current diet, and stool pattern. [1]
Avoid adding large amounts of pumpkin, fiber powder, probiotics, or digestive enzymes just because they are popular online. A sudden diet change can worsen digestive upset, and no single supplement fixes every anal gland problem.
Address Skin and Weight Factors
If your dog also has itchy skin, ear trouble, paw licking, or seasonal flare-ups, tell your veterinarian. Allergies and skin problems are associated with anal sac disease, so controlling the underlying problem may be part of reducing repeat episodes. [2][3]
Obesity is another reported risk factor. [1][2][3] If weight may be contributing, ask for a realistic nutrition and activity plan. Weight changes should be gradual and appropriate for your dog’s other medical needs.
Use Expression Only When It Is Needed
Routine preventive expression is not necessary for every dog. Some dogs with recurrent impaction do benefit from periodic checks or expression, but the timing should be individualized. Ask your veterinarian who should perform it and how often it is truly needed.
Do not use licking, scooting, or odor as proof that you should express the sacs yourself. Those signs can also occur with skin irritation, parasites, pain, infection, or other problems that need a different response.
Why Your Dog May Still Smell
A fishy smell can linger when anal sac fluid remains on the fur, skin, bedding, carpet, or furniture. Start by gently cleaning your dog and washing soiled fabric. If the odor returns after cleanup, watch for fresh discharge and contact your veterinarian.
A fresh fishy smell that returns with wet spots, scooting, licking, or discomfort suggests that more fluid is being released. That is a reason to contact your veterinarian, not simply to cover the smell or repeat the expression.
Final Thoughts
A small amount of residue right after an anal gland expression is different from ongoing leakage. Clean the area, prevent licking, and watch closely. If fresh discharge continues or your dog has pain, swelling, blood, pus, difficulty passing stool, or signs of illness, arrange veterinary care.
For repeated episodes, ask about the bigger picture. Stool quality, skin disease, weight, and anatomy can all matter. The most useful plan is the one that addresses your dog’s underlying risk factors instead of relying on repeated squeezing alone.
A small spot or lingering odor right after expression can be leftover material on the fur or fluid that was not completely removed. Gently clean the area and monitor. Fresh leakage that continues, returns, or comes with discomfort should be checked by a veterinarian.
Scooting can continue when the area is irritated, the sacs were not fully emptied, or impaction, inflammation, infection, or another skin or rectal problem is present. A recheck is appropriate if scooting persists or your dog seems painful.
Infected or abscessed sacs may produce blood, pus, or abnormal discharge and can cause redness, swelling, pain, or a wound beside the anus. Appearance alone cannot confirm the cause, so contact a veterinarian if you see these signs. [1][2]
Not unless your veterinarian has examined your dog, decided that home expression is appropriate, and taught you how to do it safely. Do not squeeze a painful, swollen, bleeding, or pus-producing area. Those signs need veterinary care.
References
[1] Gallagher, A. (2025). Anal sac disease in dogs and cats. Merck Veterinary Manual.
[2] Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. (n.d.). Anal sac diseases.
[3] Corbee, R. J., Woldring, H. H., van den Eijnde, L. M., & Wouters, E. G. H. (2021). A cross-sectional study on canine and feline anal sac disease. Animals, 12(1), 95. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12010095
[4] O’Neill, D. G., et al. (2021). Non-neoplastic anal sac disorders in UK dogs: Epidemiology and management aspects of a research-neglected syndrome. Veterinary Record, 189(2), e203. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.203
