My dog's butt is bare now from the shaving and the scratching...he went to sit on some cold tile, and as soon as he sat, he jumped up...it was too cold without the fur.
BTW it is soooo easy to express the anal glands yourself, I believe it is: the thunb at 11:00 and the finger at 3:00, just squeeze, and some real nasty goo will squirt out! YUK! Must be toxic, sure smells like it. It is easier on the dog towards the end of a warm bath, but not necessary. I think certain breeds have more of a problem with the accumulation of the fluid than others.
Good idea about the apricot, too bad my lil' one only likes carrots and asparagus.