did he express his anal glands?
 

I'm confused! I've never had this happen to either Chip or Smokey. The other day Smokey scooted his butt across the floor, but I didn't think much of it cause he does that sometimes if he's itchy. This morning I was awakened because he was laying on my chest obsessively licking his butt and he STUNK! I smelled the rest of his body and he smells normal, it was just his butt that stunk like crazy, so I took him in the bathroom guessing that maybe he had poop stuck to his butt... nothing. Right before I got up to check him, I also heard like a quiet squirting sound and he immediately turned around and started sniffing his butt and licking it again. After I checked him I wiped him up a little bit to try and make him feel better and it was tinged slightly with a yellowish color. I can't go back to sleep so I get on the computer. He laid on his dog bed beside me and licked for about another 45 minutes. He finally stopped and crawled up on my lap. He still stunk really bad - made me nauseous it's so bad. I started doing some research and then I noticed I had a yellow spot on my shirt bigger than the size of a golf ball and my leg where his butt had been sitting was sticky. I tried to give him a bath and it subdued the smell a lot but he still stinks a little bit. The smell is centralized on his butt area. Did his glands express? Or does he need them expressed? He seems to be feeling better right now and is sleeping by my feet.

He expressed them some, but sounds like they were very full and may need to be expresses some more. He would not still be sinky down there if they were expressed fully.

Thanks! Thankfully, he doesn't stink anymore at all and he's not licking anymore or anything, so does that mean he's done? I've had him for over two years and Chip for almost 3 years and never had to deal with anything like this!

It sounds like he had some very serious gland issues. I would take him to see the vet, just to make sure that there isn't any more....... if it stunk that bad, it could be a bigger issue.

I would take him to the dr to be checked, after that learn to do it yourself or have the groomer do it, it's cheaper than the vet. He may scoot a bit after they are done too because of how he will feel in that area for awhile. I have never had it come out a yellow color, it's always been brown and a musky poop is as close to a description as I can explain the smell. It can end up on carpets, furniture etc if not done often enough.

Flag went up when you said he was scooting his butt on the floor. #1 sign that his glands needed expressing and he either couldn't do it himself or couldn't do it completely. Soph can't do hers on her own so we go to the vet around once a month and have them do it. Run him in to the vet or groomer (if the groomer will do it, some won't) and have them give him a butt squeezin'. Takes like two seconds. Wet a washcloth with some diluted vinegar or lemon juice and wipe the fur around that area to help kill the smell. Definitely something you don't want to let go too long because the glands can get impacted and infected, possibly even rupture, and then you're looking at a major vet bill and possibly surgery to clean them out.

I've never had that situation with Prince, but if I did, I would def take him to his vet...not a groomer. After reading some of the horror stories on yt about incompetent groomers, I would feel safer with a DVM. Just a thought.

Well, my girl can't do her own and I would never let anyone but vet do it, since vet told me it is easy to rupture them because they are so little. I just stop in the vet's when Zhoie let's me know it's time....1 scoot and we are on the way to the vet. LOL. She has to have it about every 3 mos or so. They will let you know when. I've heard big dogs do their own easier, but these little ones need it done for them most of the time.

Dogs and cats (don't know about other species) have glands on either side of the anal tract that produce and secrete a really revolting smelling substance. Most animals express this fluid as they have BM, but for some this doesn't happen and while the substance continues to be produced it has nowhere to go. For these babies, someone has to manually express them to prevent them from getting impacted, infected or even rupturing the gland. Once a gland becomes impacted, it takes surgery to go in and unplug it and clean it out and then a course of antibiotics to clear up the infection. If/when your dog does a lot of butt scooting, it can be an indication that their glands are full and they need some help. Your vet can probably show you how to do it yourself if you'd like. I take Soph in every 4-6 weeks just for a check. Sometimes they need to express and sometimes not. Some need to have it done more frequently, some less.

:thankyou2I'm so glad I have you all on here to help me out!

Our girl must work it out on her own---we've never had hers expressed or noticed any trouble.