It’s an unwanted situation for a dog owner, but sometimes your pet pooch can experience anal gland issues. As a result, you may require a vet to express your dog’s anal glands. But just how much does it cost to express dog glands in the UK? It can cost between £10 and £30 to express dog glands. The price your veterinarian will charge depends on the location and type of veterinarian practice.
This article will fully explain dog anal gland expression prices in the UK.
Table of Contents
What Is Anal Gland Expression
Anal glands are also known as anal sacs. Anal gland expression is a minor procedure that is carried out on dogs if they develop impacted anal glands.
The process involves squeezing the anal glands of a dog in order to empty out the secretion contained in the glands.
The vet will insert a gloved finger into the dog’s rectum to locate the anal sacs and then gently squeeze them. As you can tell, it’s a manual procedure requiring a human to do it, and cannot be done by a machine or any other device.
Since anal gland expression is not a minor procedure that does not require incisions and stitches, it can be carried out a veterinarian nurse. Dog groomers who have undergone the thorough training can also carry out the procedure.
What Are Impacted Anal Glands
Impacted anal glands can occur in dogs when the secretions stored in a dog’s anal sacs are not regularly emptied. Impacted anal glands can cause a dog great discomfort, and they will often scoot along the floor on their bottom as a result of having impacted glands.
How A Dog Can Develop Impacted Anal Glands
The anal sacs of a dog secrete fluid. This fluid naturally empties when a dog passes stools due to the stools applying firm but gentle pressure on the glands as they pass out of the dog’s body.
However, if a dog’s poop becomes too loose in consistency, then it will not be able to apply enough pressure to the glands to compress the ducts and have them release the fluid they have secreted. If this happens, then the dog will develop impacted glands.
Dog Anal Glad Expression Prices By UK Region
Now that you know what anal gland expression is, and how a dog can develop impacted anal glands, let’s look at the prices for the anal gland expression procedure. It can cost between £10 and £30 to have your dog’s anal glands expressed That variance and depends heavily on the region of the UK you live in and whether it’s being done by a dog groomer or a veterinarian.
See below for anal gland expression prices depending on what UK region you live in.
Inner London Price
| Veterinarian | Dog Groomer |
| £18 – £30 | £16 – £25 |
Outer London Price
| Veterinarian | Dog Groomer |
| £18 – £27 | £16 – £22 |
Southern England Price
| Veterinarian | Dog Groomer |
| £16 – £25 | £16 – £20 |
Midlands Price
| Veterinarian | Dog Groomer |
| £16 – £22 | £16 – £20 |
Northern England Price
| Veterinarian | Dog Groomer |
| £12 – £25 | £10 – £20 |
Wales Price
| Veterinarian | Dog Groomer |
| £12 – £25 | £10 – £20 |
Scotland Price
| Veterinarian | Dog Groomer |
| £12 – £25 | £10 – £20 |
As you can see from the prices above, it costs more to express a dog’s anal glands in London and South England. And it costs less to have the procedure done if you’re in other parts of the UK.
It’s also clear from the above that dog groomers charge a slightly lower price for this service compared to vet clinics. However, dog groomers prices vary depending on UK region, following the same pattern of veterinarians.
This is consistent with the fact that most products and services cost more in Southern England, compared to other UK regions. This is due to the fact that wages are higher in London and the South.
As a result, dog anal gland expression prices are hire where average wages are higher, and are lower where average wages are lower.
Recommended – Find out how much it costs to hire dog walkers in the UK. You’d be surprised at the regional variances.
Final Thoughts: How Much Does It Cost To Express Dog Glands UK
The price of having a qualified professional express a dog’s anal glands can vary a lot. This variance typically depends on the location where you live and whether a veterinarian or a dog groomer is carrying out the procedure.
Usually, dog land expression prices are higher in the parts of the UK that have higher average wages, meaning that London has the highest dog gland expression prices.