I have a basset hound... you know the ones with the long ears and long body? Anyway he has a gland near his backside that fills up with this liquid that me makes him smell really bad and every once in a while I have to take him to the vet to get all of the liquid squeezed out. I just wanted to know if this was normal.

Also I would like to know if getting him neutered or any other type of surgery while help solve this problem because this is starting to be a real pain.

It is common for dogs anal glands to become impacted (or clogged) which causes them to need to be expressed. Occasional occurances are not a big deal but for a chronic problems you can have them removed. However, you can also try putting your dog on a food that is higher in fiber. This will make his stools harder and bulkier and help express them on their own. (Which is what happens normally they get expressed when the dog poops )