# Cost of expression of anal glands **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975 "2010-10-22T04:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/1 "2010-10-22T04:09:45Z")
What is the range vets typically charge to express a cat’s anal glands? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/2 "2010-10-22T07:20:48Z")
Our vet has done this at our dog’s annual medical for no extra charge. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/3 "2010-10-22T07:55:53Z")
For a cat? Why would you need to? I know that dogs sometimes need it, and it’s sometimes done as part of grooming. I never heard of a cat needing it. Ask your vet. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/4 "2010-10-22T07:58:22Z")
Oh yeah missed the bit about the cat. Our cats never needed it. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/5 "2010-10-22T08:21:50Z")
If you’re concerned about the cost you may want to observe the procedure the next time the vet tech performs it. It’s really quite simple and can be performed at home. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/6 "2010-10-22T09:12:24Z")
Oh yes, cats have anal gland issues. I’ve seen more cats than dogs with anal gland abscesses, though not by much. I think cats hide the problem for longer, and end up with abscesses more often because of that. Anyway, it all depends on the problem and why you think your cat needs regular help with it. Some vet offices may charge a visit fee if the doctor wants to see your cat rather than just have a tech do the procedure. Some just charge tech time if the cat’s a regular visitor. If the vet feels the owner is competent enough, they may well teach the owner how to do it at home, get yourself a box of gloves and a big tube of K-Y. Don’t attempt to do it yourself until a professional has taught you, and you’ve done it in front of the professional a couple of times, though. If abscesses are an issue, you need to be taught how to feel for abnormalities or you could cause some real (as in surgical correction needed) damage. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/7 "2010-10-22T09:29:57Z")
There are people who do that at home :eek: ? I can’t even give my cats a worm pill without wearing a welder suit for protection, so doing that thing :D… And mark me as another one who never heard of that procedure as applied to cats. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/8 "2010-10-22T14:23:57Z")
I express my cat’s anal glands on my own all the time. I didn’t realize it was something other people didn’t have to do. It is pretty simple, really. Turn on the faucet so the cat jumps up on the counter, scritch his butt so his sticks it up in the air, gently press a warm, damp paper towel against his anal area. His head jerks up from the faucet and he slams his butt down on the counter but before he does that his anal glands have expressed and the paper towel is thrown out. You know how I figured out this needed to be done? I was washing my hands and the cat jumped up on the counter to drink out of the faucet so I gave him a little scritch and he expressed so much he sprayed me with it. :eek: From that day forward I take it upon myself to express them to prevent having to throw away another shirt because it smells of evil. Oh, and the vet laughed so hard he nearly shat himself when I called him crying because I thought my cat’s ass exploded. He is the one who explained the process to me. ---
**Author:** ![Outpits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4bbf92/32.png) [@Outpits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outpits)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/9 "2010-10-22T15:53:11Z")
To try to help answer the OP’s question, we pay our groomer about $8-10 extra dollars to do this for our dog. Our vet charges $15 extra for this if we add this to an existing vet visit. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/10 "2010-10-22T16:23:33Z")
I want $6000 cash to do it. You bring the money and I’ll get my gloves. 😉 I’m not a vet, but I played one once in a college play. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/11 "2010-10-22T16:52:27Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I want $6000 cash to do it. You bring the money and I’ll get my gloves. 😉 > > I’m not a vet, but I played one once in a college play. More in line with the real necessary qualifications, he has no sense of smell… Okay, I don’t actually know that **aceplace57** has no sense of smell. I was just kidding. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/12 "2010-10-22T16:52:58Z")
It depends what country he’s expressing them to. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/13 "2010-10-22T17:07:29Z")
Whatever they charge, it’s not enough. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/14 "2010-10-22T19:15:50Z")
Thanks all for your answers. The vet charged us $36.50 (in addition to the office visit) so it seems like maybe it’s a bit on the high side. My mother told me last night that groomers can do this too, I never knew that, so maybe the groomer we go to will charge us less. This is the first time our cat has had problems with her glands. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/15 "2010-10-22T19:35:43Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Whatever they charge, it’s not enough. QFT ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/16 "2010-10-22T19:56:23Z")
Not safe for work, or pretty much any other place, and certainly not within a couple of hours after meal time, but otherwise a clear video by a vet on how to express a cat’s anal glands: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJStqOPCFdA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJStqOPCFdA) ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/17 "2010-10-22T20:30:27Z")
[Penny Arcade’s thoughts on the issue](http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/10/22/). ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/18 "2010-10-22T20:46:53Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Not safe for work, or pretty much any other place, and certainly not within a couple of hours after meal time, but otherwise a clear video by a vet on how to express a cat’s anal glands: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJStqOPCFdA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJStqOPCFdA) Holy mother of god. That is something I will never be able to burn out of my brain. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/19 "2010-10-22T21:06:57Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Not safe for work, or pretty much any other place, and certainly not within a couple of hours after meal time, but otherwise a clear video by a vet on how to express a cat’s anal glands: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJStqOPCFdA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJStqOPCFdA) The closeup initially reminded me of the Eye of Sauron. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975/20 "2010-10-23T02:57:07Z")
Okay, so that’s what you guys are talking about. What a weird word for that concept. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-expression-of-anal-glands/557975.md?page=2)