UPDATE ON HARLEY, I brought her to the groomer on tue. and they said they squeezed her glands. I have only smelt her release her glands once. so i guess thats better than everyday. Is this still normal?

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: Great advise:) If they need it done, they need it done. Really full anal glands that aren't expressed can lead to infection which is really painfull for the dog. But once it's done (by a vet, groomer or someone who definatly knows how) I'd follow this advise to help keep the problem from reoccuring. I've heard of some groomers doing it regularly as just part of the routine grooming service and I don't agree with that unless the dog has a continuing problem that isn't fixed by a chage of diet. BUT if they are really full and won't express on their own, it should be done. The anal glands will normaly express a little bit at a time when a dog goes poop, but for some reason, it doesn't happen that way for some dogs. If my dog had the problem, I'd definatly try adding pupmkin and some other fiber to the diet to make the stool more firm and help push it out on it's own.

Normal functioning glands should go unnoticed. Their purpose to to give BM's a scent, which is applied as the BM is coming out of the dog. If the glands are emptying anytime other than during a BM, then, no, that is not normal.

A few common situations that can lead to inappropriate anal gland release are diet, infection, and fear response. Some vets recommend adding more fiber to the diet to bulk up the stools, and will put the dog on a course of antibiotics, to clear any infection. If this doesn't solve the problem, one must look at the dog's environment.

My vet said that Tinkerbell's previous owner would call her crying... seems Tink's glands were constantly dripping all over the house. She asked if I had any problems with her, and the answer was 'no'. So we looked at her previous family.

When Tink came home with me, all she wanted to do, or knew how to do was play, 24/7. She thought she was pleasing me when she brought me a toy, but she never learned to stop. She came from a home where there were 4 children under the age of 8, and two more children that were 10 and 12 years old.
I had to assume Tink was kept very busy trying to keep up with all these kids, and I assumed her anal gland problem was a result of this constant activity. I had to teach Tink about having 'quiet time', and that it was also fun to relax and have a belly rub, which she loves to do now.
I've never had a problem with Tink's anal glands self expressing inappropriately, and have only had to express them twice in the 2 years she has lived with me. This leads me to believe that Tink may have been fairly exhausted most of the time, or was living in a state of fear (in her mind).

Many small dogs develop problems with anal glands, for a number of reasons. If they fill up and are not released naturally during a BM, then the pup may need assistance, as the glands can rupture and become abcessed. This requires surgery to repair and antibiotics to clear the infection.

If any of my dogs require assistance, I will express their glands and then watch them closely until normal functioning returns, which is usually within two months. During that time the glands may need to be expressed a few more times, but the need for assistance gradually diminishes over that time frame. And I do add a teaspoon of pumpkin to their food once or twice a week, and green beans, to keep things moving along.

You said your pup's glands were releasing during sleep... is there a possibility that she is becoming overly tired before she takes a nap? Or have there been situations where she has become frightened? If the answer is yes, then taking steps to limit or eliminate these occurances may solve the problem, like limiting playtime and protecting her from things that may startle or frighten her.

All pups are different, and react differently to situations. Not saying there's a problem in your house, just that you may be able to make some changes to accomodate any special needs of your pup.... I have one pup that is more shy of everything, so when I can, I try to see that she is comfortable with different events... like strangers coming to the door, or anything out of the ordinary that may affect her. She's very suspicious but I try to ease her fears... work in progress, lol.

Very informative post!