Dog Expressing Anal Glands on the Couch – Why & How to Stop

Is your couch smelling horrible because your dog is suddenly expressing or leaking his anal gland fluids all over it? Here are a few common reasons why this might be happening.

1. Dog has anal sac disease

Dogs may start to express their anal glands in unusual places, such as the couch, due to the pain and discomfort caused by an infection or disease. For example, anal sac disease can lead to impacted glands due to the inflammation of the ducts. The impacted material may build up and manifest itself into an abscess. The dog might find the couch a good object to rub or scoot his butt against in order to relieve some of the pain caused by the abscess.

2. Dog has unbalanced diet

Dogs typically express their anal glands as they poop. The fact that the dog is expressing his anal glands involuntarily on the couch is suggesting something is wrong. One potential reason could be the dog’s diet. For example, dogs that aren’t fed an adequate amount of fiber may have more anal gland incidents than dogs that are fed a high-fiber diet.

3. Dog is scared or anxious

Your dog might be expressing his anal glands because something scared him while he was on the couch. Stress and insecurity can lead to the involuntary leakage of the dog’s anal glands.

How to stop your dog from expressing his anal gland on the couch

There is a good chance that this behavior is being caused by an underlying health condition. You should call the vet, especially if this behavior came out of nowhere and your dog is continuing to leak his anal glands on the couch and other furniture at home.

Removing anal gland smell from furniture

Timing is key. You want to clean up the leakage while it is still “fresh”. The most important tool in your arsenal is the enzyme cleaner. Before you apply this, use some paper towels to absorb as much of the residue as you can.