Which grooming task involves expressing the anal sacs?

• A. Drain anal sacs
• B. Teeth cleaning
• C. Clean ears
• D. Bath

Answer: (A)

The task being tested is identifying which grooming procedure involves emptying the anal glands. Expressing the anal sacs means manually emptying the two small scent glands located on either side of the dog’s anus when they’re full or impacted. This is a hands-on maintenance step done to relieve discomfort and can affect odor; it’s not part of cleaning teeth, cleaning ears, or giving a bath, which address oral hygiene, ear care, and coat cleanliness, respectively. Because the glands are delicate and improper technique can cause injury or infection, this procedure should be performed only by someone trained or supervised in proper technique. Therefore, draining the anal sacs is the grooming task that involves expressing them.