If I bring a small dog to a groomer that probably has impacted glands at its butt, will a groomer express them? Or, just clip the overgrown fur away? Can I clear them myself with a warm cloth alone…and/or squeezing them somehow? Or, can only a vet do this?
My groomer does. I have done it myself with a dog who tolerated it. Not all dogs will. Put a muzzle on if you’re not sure of their reaction.
You can do it yourself, but you might want to have your vet or groomer give you a lesson first. I never had a problem doing it myself with my Pomeranians; having said that, many people opt to have their groomer or vet take care of it.
If you think the glands might be infected, I would go to the vet and have them do it. If not, the groomer is fine. As far as whether you can do this yourself, yes, but yuck. It’s messy and smelly. It’s well worth having someone else do it if you can.
Years ago, during a routine visit to my vet’s office, I asked and they agreed to let me observe while the anal glands were expressed. It’s a simple procedure once you know how easily done at home.
Our groomer does it as a matter of course - that is, she checks to see if it’s necessary, and deals accordingly. That’s why we pay her! I don’t do icky jobs like that.
I had the vet assistant show me how on our mini-schnauzer, but I still can’t do it right, so I pay to have it done.
Back when I was a groomer, I squeezed anal glands every time I gave a dog a bath and never had a problem. Now that I’m older and wiser (I think) I might think twice if a dog’s owner suspected the anal glands were impacted. It would depend on how severely and what the dog’s temperament was like. Most dogs don’t mind at all when you do this. Others can get nippy, even with no impaction.
If you have a trusted groomer or know one that is highly recommended, tell him or her that you suspect an impaction and see how they feel about the situation. Remember that at most salons, there’s a fairly high turnover when it comes to bathers, the people who generally take care of the expressing. Ask how experienced their’s is. If the person is pretty new, you might ask if the groomer will express the glands him- or herself.
It’s a pretty simple procedure. The advantage of taking your pooch to a vet is that they will probably be happy to show you how to do it properly. But a groomer will probably be cheaper. Your decision might depend on how tight money is for you.
How did he get his little paws clear up to your ass? 
I found it! Ha!
(PJ)
Gotcha Ya!
My wife is a dog groomer, she does it on any dog that needs it. I’ve never seen a dog look happy about it, but that’s ok…