Dogs – Dragging bottom/Anal Glands

This behaviour where your dog is dragging their anus along the ground is commonly referred to as “scooting”. Scooting indicates some sort of bottom irritation.

The most likely cause is an anal gland problem: Every dog has two anal glands or sacs (1 gland on each side of the anus). The secretion from these glands enables the dog to mark its territory and to identify each other. The anal sacs are normally expressed (emptied) during defecation. The secretion from the anal glands is a pungent, brownish liquid, although it can become thick, yellowish or creamy looking. The anal sacs can also be emptied when the dog is frightened. If the anal glands don’t empty regularly, they can become impacted – the secretion becomes thicker and more difficult to empty; sometimes an infection in the anal gland will result. This can be irritating for the dog and the dog will scoot in order to relieve the irritation the impacted anal glands are causing. Impacted anal glands can be treated by manually expressing the glands. Your vet can do this for your dog, and if it is a common problem for your dog, you can learn to do this yourself. Occasionally, impacted anal glands can block totally, and surgery is required. We keep an eye on dog’s “stools” & Scooting during our doggy daycare adventures and also while we are pet minding dogs. If we see this behaviour, we will always let the Clients know & if we’re concerned about  a change in stools, we will always inform our clients.

Leah & Angela O’Meara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding Brisbane, Dog Walking Brisbane, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Dog Day care Brisbane).