Help! I Don’t Want My Dachshund to Always Need to Be Manually Expressed! (Vet Answered)
This question has been answered by a vet
Veterinarian & Animal Behaviorist
With nearly two decades in veterinary medicine, Dr. Paola brings hands-on experience across multiple species. A graduate of the University of Guadalajara, she specializes in preventive care, animal welfare, and positive reinforcement training.
The Question
“My 6 year old mini dachshund Miles keeps having anal gland issues, we supplement with fiber, fish oil and probiotics and his poops are bulky but it still always seems like his anal area is bothering him. We bring him in to get expressed when we notice he’s extra irritated and his glands are always quite full, but we don’t know what else we can do? Does he need more exercise? I am starting to worry about him as I obviously don’t want to ever risk abscesses or infections but I don’t want to rely on manual expression either. Please help!“ – Rebecca
Quick Info about Miles
Dear Rebecca,
This is a very common and understandably frustrating issue, especially in small-breed dogs, who are overrepresented in anal sac disease for anatomical and inflammatory reasons rather than poor care. In many small dogs, the anal sac ducts are naturally narrow, which makes normal drainage more difficult even when the stool looks bulky and well-formed. Over time, repeated filling and inflammation can also lead to reduced anal sac tone, meaning the glands lose some of their ability to contract and empty on their own. When the ducts are narrow and the sac wall has lost tone, the glands may simply not have the right conditions to empty naturally, despite good stool quality and supplementation.
Exercise supports overall health and bowel motility, but increasing it alone rarely resolves chronic anal gland problems when anatomy and inflammation are the primary drivers. Another important contributor that is often overlooked is underlying allergic disease, either food-responsive or environmental. Allergies can cause ongoing low-grade inflammation around the anal sacs even when the skin and ears appear normal, which thickens gland secretions and further compromises already delicate drainage.
Long-term management focuses on reducing inflammation and supporting healthier gland function rather than relying on repeated manual expression, which can worsen irritation and further decrease sac tone over time. This often means reassessing diet composition rather than simply adding fiber, evaluating for allergic disease, and using targeted medical strategies when appropriate. You are right to be proactive, and with a thoughtful plan that addresses these underlying factors, many dogs like Miles can become far more comfortable and significantly reduce the risk of abscesses or infection.
I hope this helps!