How to help dog anal glands naturally at home
You can help a dog express its anal glands naturally by firming up its stools. When a well-formed stool passes, it presses on the two small sacs beside the anus and squeezes a little fluid out. Soft stools slide past without doing that, so the glands fill up, itch and start the scooting.
The home remedies that work all come back to that. Add fibre to the food and keep your dog lean and active, with fresh water always down. For a sore, itchy bottom, a warm compress and gentle cleaning bring relief while the stools improve. Swelling, blood, pus or a lump is different, and that is a vet visit the same day (the list is further down this page). For more on how the glands work, see our guide to anal gland problems.
Add fibre to firm up the stools
Fibre bulks the stool and holds water in it, so it comes out formed rather than loose. Plain cooked pumpkin is the usual first thing to try. Use plain pumpkin purée, never pie filling, which has sugar and spices in it. Cooked sweet potato and green beans work the same way.
Start with a small spoonful mixed into one meal and build up over a week. Too much fibre at once gives some dogs wind or looser stools, which is the opposite of what you want. Give any change a couple of weeks before you judge it. If your dog has long-running diarrhoea or a health condition, check with your vet before changing the diet.
Fresh water matters here too. Fibre without enough water can make stools hard and dry, so keep a full bowl down all day.
Stoolrite, our seaweed fibre powder
We make Stoolrite for exactly this problem. It is a single-ingredient seaweed powder, high in both soluble and insoluble fibre, and it goes on one meal a day. A spoon of powder is easier to keep going than cooking vegetables every week.
| Dog's weight | Daily amount on one meal |
|---|---|
| Under 10 kg | 1 level teaspoon |
| 10 to 20 kg | 2 level teaspoons |
| Over 20 kg | 3 level teaspoons |
Start with less than the full amount and build up, then drop to half for maintenance once the stools are firm. Allow up to five weeks. Stoolrite has a 5-week money-back guarantee, so if it hasn't helped by then, send us your order number with before and after photos and we refund you. It contains natural iodine, so it is not for dogs with thyroid problems. If you feed other seaweed products as well, keep seaweed below 5% of the total feed.
Of the 64 Stoolrite reviews published on our site (Judge.me, as of 1 November 2026), 24 mention anal glands, scooting or bottom licking. One owner wrote about their pointer, Berti, that "she has not had to have her glands expressed once since using Stoolrite".
Soothe an irritated bottom
A warm compress is the simplest way to soothe a dog's irritated anus at home. Soak a clean cloth in warm water, wring it out and hold it gently against the area for 5 to 10 minutes, two or three times a day. The warmth eases the soreness and can help a full gland drain.
Keep the area clean. Wipe with plain warm water or an unscented pet wipe after loose stools, and pat it dry. On long-haired dogs, trimming the fur around the bottom stops faeces sticking and keeps the skin from staying damp. If your dog won't stop licking, a soft cone for a few days gives the skin a chance to settle.
Don't put essential oils, creams or other home remedies on a swollen or broken area, and never try to lance or squeeze a lump. Ask your vet before using anything on the skin there.
Keep your dog lean and moving
Extra weight and weak muscle tone around the back end make it harder for the sacs to empty. Daily walks and play help on both counts, and a dog that is moving regularly also tends to pass stools more regularly.
If your dog is overweight, cutting treats and measuring meals usually does more than any supplement. Your vet can give you a target weight and a plan.
Should you express the glands at home?
For a simple impaction, a vet or vet nurse can empty the sacs by hand, and the relief is quick. It can hurt your dog if it is done wrongly, so have them do it or show you how before you try it yourself. Regular expressing when nothing is wrong isn't needed.
If the glands keep filling up, look for the reason. Soft stools, extra weight and skin allergies are the usual ones. Surgery to remove the sacs, called anal sacculectomy, is for dogs where other treatment hasn't worked, or where there is a tumour. It has risks, and your vet will go through them with you.
How the glands work and why they block
Dogs have two small sacs beside the anus, at roughly the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. They hold a strong-smelling fluid that dogs use to mark territory and identify each other. A little empties each time the dog passes a stool.
Problems start when the sacs don't empty. Soft stools are the most common reason, followed by excess weight, poor muscle tone and allergic skin disease. Small breeds are more prone to impaction. If the sacs stay full, bacteria can multiply and infection can follow.
| Healthy | May mean a problem |
|---|---|
| Empty normally without distress | Scooting along the ground |
| No signs of discomfort | Licking the area a lot |
| The anal area looks normal | Swelling or lumps near the gland |
| Dog sits comfortably | Redness, or discomfort when sitting |
When it's a vet visit, not a home remedy
Call your vet the same day if your dog has
- swelling, a lump or redness beside the anus
- blood or pus, or an open or draining wound near the anus
- severe pain when sitting or passing a stool, or straining
- a fever, lethargy or no interest in food
- a mass near the anus, or more thirst and urination, in an older dog
Book an appointment if scooting, licking or a fishy smell lasts more than a few days or keeps coming back despite the home steps. Impacted glands can become infected and form a painful abscess, and older dogs can develop anal sac tumours. A vet can tell these apart with a quick exam.
Common questions
Does pumpkin help a dog express its glands?
It can. The fibre firms the stool, and a firm stool presses on the sacs as it passes. Use plain cooked pumpkin, start small and build up.
What food helps a dog express its glands?
Food with enough fibre to keep stools firm. Plain pumpkin, sweet potato and green beans are the usual home additions, and a fibre powder such as Stoolrite does the same job in one scoop.
How long do home remedies take?
A warm compress eases soreness straight away. Firmer stools take longer, so give a diet change a couple of weeks and Stoolrite up to five weeks.
How do I treat a swollen anus at home?
Don't. Swelling beside the anus can be an abscess or a tumour, and it needs a vet the same day.