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Originally Posted by DBlain  I have never had to do Lola's and she is 2 and a half, so I am curious what were the signs you saw that made you or the vet know this had to be done. Lola almost never scoots and 99% of the time has what I would consider good moderate to firm stools. |
There are a couple of signs that they are having gland problems.
Scooting, esp on carpet or rough surface is the most obvious. But some dogs will suddenly start licking themselves around their back half. It may not be in the spot you would expect, either. My little female yorkie would lick her abdomen. I didn't "get it" at first and she ended up licking herself raw so I took her to the vet to find out what was wrong. I was ashamed I'd missed her distress, but after that I knew what to watch for. If you're concerned, next time you're at the vet, ask them to check Lola's glands.
The need for having glands expressed is quite variable. I feed both of my dogs the exact same diet. One has never had a problem, the other one needs his done every 3 weeks or so.