Best dog food for dogs with anal gland problems
Diet will not cure a dog's anal gland problems on its own, but it is one of the few things an owner can actually change, and it often helps. The glands empty more reliably when stools are firm and bulky, which usually means a consistent, complete food with a decent fibre content rather than scraps, table food or a diet that keeps changing. If your dog is scooting, licking underneath their tail, or the glands keep needing to be emptied by hand, that pattern is worth raising with your vet alongside any change of food.
Why food makes a difference
The anal glands sit either side of a dog's back passage and normally empty a little with each firm, well-formed bowel movement, which is what keeps them from building up between visits to the vet. A dog on a low-fibre diet, or one whose stools are consistently soft, small or inconsistent, does not get that same natural pressure against the glands, and they can fill up faster than the dog's own body clears them.
This is why a change of food is usually the first thing tried alongside having the glands expressed, rather than a treatment in its own right. It will not shift a gland that is already blocked, impacted or infected, but for a dog whose main issue is soft or undersized stools, firming things up through diet removes one of the causes rather than only managing the symptom after it appears.
What to look for on the label
A named, consistent source of fibre is the main thing worth checking for on a UK dry food label — beet pulp, chicory root and psyllium husk are the common ones, and a recipe built around one of them tends to produce firmer, bulkier stools than a very low-fibre food does. Complete foods pitched at sensitive digestion or weight management often carry more fibre than a standard adult recipe, which is one reason they come up in this context, alongside dedicated digestive supplements built around fibre and prebiotics.
Consistency matters as much as the recipe itself. Feeding the same complete food day to day, rather than rotating brands or topping meals up with table scraps, gives the gut a steady routine to work with, and stool quality — firm, formed, not greasy or crumbly — is usually the clearest sign of whether a food is actually suiting your dog.
What else affects it
Weight is worth checking honestly. A dog carrying extra weight has more fatty tissue around the glands, which can make them physically harder to empty, so keeping a dog at a healthy weight matters as much as the food itself, and treats count towards that total even when the main meal is exactly right for their size.
Water intake plays a part too. A dog on a mostly dry diet who does not drink much can end up with firmer, smaller stools than intended, while in other dogs a sudden diet change does the opposite, so it is worth watching how your own dog actually responds over a couple of weeks rather than assuming one food works the same way for every dog.
When it needs a vet, not just a new bag of food
See your vet if the glands need expressing more often than roughly every four to six weeks, if there is any swelling, redness or a strong smell that was not there before, or if your dog is clearly uncomfortable sitting or being touched near the tail. Repeated problems despite a genuine diet change are a reason for a proper look, not a reason to keep working through different bags of food on your own.
A vet can check for an impacted, infected or abscessed gland, all of which need treatment a diet cannot provide, and can also rule out other causes of scooting such as worms or skin irritation that owners often assume is the same thing. This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your dog.
Foods formulated for this
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Dog Anal Gland Soft Chews
Peanut-butter-flavoured soft chews with added pumpkin seed to support healthy anal gland function and regular, comfortable digestion in dogs. A gentle daily supplement suitable for dogs of all sizes. 200g tub.
£15.99
Harringtons Just 6 Dry Dog Food Lamb
Grain-free lamb dry dog food in 2KG and 12KG sizes, with size-specific formulas
From£13.99
James Wellbeloved Adult Breed Dry Dog Food Turkey Rice
A hypoallergenic dry food for adult dogs, in small and large breed versions, built around single-source turkey protein
From£45.75
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Adult Dry Dog Food Fish Veg
Grain-free fish kibble for adult dogs, with glucosamine and chondroitin included
From£12.75
James Wellbeloved Adult Dry Dog Food Turkey Rice
A hypoallergenic dry food for adult dogs, built around a single source of turkey protein
From£41.45
Burgess Sensitive Adult Dog Turkey
Complete turkey and rice dry food for adult dogs in a 12.5KG bag
£48.89
James Wellbeloved Senior Breed Dry Dog Food Turkey Rice
Turkey and rice kibble for senior small-breed dogs, sized for smaller mouths
From£11.69
Harringtons Lamb & Rice
A 15kg complete dry dog food with lamb and freshly prepared chicken, for dogs from 8 weeks
£45.99
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey
A complete dry dog food with turkey and freshly prepared chicken, for dogs from 8 weeks
From£13.09
Burns Adult/Senior Dog Original Lamb and Brown Rice
Single-source lamb and brown rice, formulated for adult and senior dogs with sensitivities
£35.99
Burns Adult/Senior Dog Hypoallergenic Mixer
Hypoallergenic dry mixer for combining with wet food or a home-cooked diet - not a complete food
£13.49
Burns Adult/Senior Dog Sensitive Grain Free Turkey & Potato Dry Dog Food
Six-ingredient grain-free dry food for adult and senior dogs, single-source turkey
£15.49
Common questions
- Can changing my dog's food cure anal gland problems?
- Not on its own. A firmer, higher-fibre diet can reduce how often the glands need help by improving natural stool pressure, but a gland that is already blocked, impacted or infected needs a vet to sort out rather than a change of food alone.
- What ingredients help with anal gland problems in dogs?
- A named fibre source such as beet pulp, chicory root or psyllium husk, fed in a consistent complete food rather than a rotating diet, tends to produce the firmer stools that help the glands empty naturally with each bowel movement.
- How often should a dog's anal glands be expressed?
- It varies a lot between dogs, and plenty never need it done at all. If yours needs it more often than every four to six weeks, that pattern is worth discussing with your vet rather than treating it as ordinary routine maintenance.
- Is scooting always a sign of anal gland problems?
- No. Scooting can also mean worms, skin irritation or an itchy back end for other reasons, so it is worth having your vet check rather than assuming it is always the glands, especially if it is a new behaviour for your dog.
Related
Sources
Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.