Talk:Anal gland

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 10 January 2022 and 27 April 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Thisguyhasfeet (article contribs).

Wikibooks

I'm not sure this would make a good wikibook entry, but I've removed this how-to from the article:

===Emptying a dog's anal glands===

First, prepare a warm moist wash cloth or towel. Raise the dog's tail and locate the anal glands. The glands should be at approximately 5 o'clock and seven o'clock positions in relation to the anal circumference. You will feel the glands as small firm nodules in the perianal area. Place the cloth over the area. Position your thumb on one gland and index finger on the opposite gland.

By pressing in and squeezing your fingers toward each other, the glands should empty. Wipe the area clean with the cloth. Repeat if necessary. If the discharge is bloody or purulent in appearance there is probably an anal gland infection - treat as described below. -- Ec5618 15:24, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

I'm mentioning this at my next dinner party. --204.124.102.60 00:37, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

I was at the vet today and my dog emptied his anal glands. God does that smell. The examination room couldn't be used for almost an hour. It is probably best to empty a dog's anal glands outside. JSTR 19:37, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

- Your dog emptied the vet's anal glands? Respect! Would he do mine...?

I took my dog to the vet for a squeeze, and when i lifted my dog off the counter, i got some on my hand, washed it immediately, it stunk for atleast a day couldn't get rid of the smell, caution USE GLOVES!!!

The content of this article, through its rhetorical structures, has racially prejudiced and sexist overtones. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.135.60.33 (talk) 14:51, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

Human glands

Should their be a sub-section for human's anal glands or should it have its own article? Ask D.N.A.- Peter Napkin (talk) 20:18, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Maybe there should just be a brief mention that while humans have anal glands, they are not specialized structures like in carnivora. I really don't know anything about human anal glands - are they just like sweat glands and only named so because of their location? --Joelmills (talk) 00:42, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

It is just the term "dog's anal gland" is miss used in this article. [The anal glands are modified tubuloalveolar sweat glands occupying the submocosa of the columnar and intermediate zones of the anal canal (dogs cats, pigs). They open into the anus.] Chapter 20 (Integumentary System) from Applied Veterinary Histology 3rd edition, Edited by W J Banks, Mosby Year Books. And "true" anal glnads are also exists in human submucosa of the anal canal. The glands mentioned in this chapter is "anal sac". We human don't have "anal sac" but have anal glands. Even the title of this article is wrong.

This article says that humans don't have anal glands. But the article on Anal Fistual says that humans do have anal glands. The two articles conflict. It seems this article about glands is the one that is confusing. Anal glands or anal sacs. Which is which? 79.70.89.35 (talk) 19:59, 7 May 2011 (UTC)

There are structures called anal glands present in humans, and these are involved in the development of fistulae and perianal abscess. I am not sure if the rest of this article is discussing "anal sac", and whether this is something more specialized that is not present in humans. If so perhaps this should be clarified in the article by someone who knows these things. tepi (talk) 18:56, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

After re-reading the lead of this article, I am now more sure that the structures in humans called anal glands are not the same as "the paired glands found in many mammals". Anal glands in humans are by far more than 2 in number and are very small glands. Suspect that the topic of this article is "anal sac/anal glands" in animals, which are not present in humans. Both humans an animals probably possess the many lesser glands. This article could do with an expert in comparative anatomy. Lesion (talk) 09:39, 30 March 2013 (UTC)

Carnivores?

Why do only carnivores have them? Some hunting-related reason? Drutt (talk) 22:19, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Herbivores don't need them, I guess. Carnivores have low-fiber diet and their stools are normally firm. So, in addition to its use as scent and territorial marker, the secretion also has the function of lubricating the anal opening to facilitate the passage of stools. Herbivores have plenty of fiber in their diet and don't need this extra help. Moreover, herbivores are not territorial,* so they have no need to mark their territories; in fact many of them tend to graze in herds. (*Except perhaps in the mating season.) --76.199.137.180 (talk) 10:17, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

Most-likely, it's a specialisation related to the behaviour of communicative pack animals, who happen to be mostly carnivores. Can't back this up with research, though... --Avapoet (talk) 12:57, 5 June 2017 (UTC)

Cats?

Is there any vet-type person hanging around who could fill in a little more about cats? I know *nothing* -- just had my cat's anal glands expressed, and it's not oily, it looked like clumps of wet cat litter, really, but the vet put my cat on Clavamox and a shot of steroids and said this is normal, and I need to have them expressed every month until they don't look like that any more, and not to look @ removing them "just yet" (don't know when we would look at that, though). I am having a hard time finding ANYTHING about cats. How can this be normal? No other cat I have ever had has had this go on. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.157.25.122 (talk) 17:32, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

...and yes, I can try to ask my vet later, when she's not so busy; my vet is good, but really busy, and today was an emergency appointment because I didn't know what was wrong. I just thought it might help people to have it in Wikipedia. I'd add it all myself, but I don't know anything, and can't find a good, reliable source. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.157.25.122 (talk) 17:37, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Opossums

Article says that opossum glands are different from those in carnivora. Since they're marsupials, I'd expect this to be a considerable difference: both in the histological and structural nature of the sacs and in the chemical nature of their contents (as well as in the biosynthesis thereof). Don't suppose anyone knows more? DS (talk) 13:19, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Evolution

Would be great to expand this article with a section on the evolutionary history of these structures. --Avapoet (talk) 12:57, 5 June 2017 (UTC)