Why Does My Dog Scoot?

Picture it you are sitting on your living room floor playing with your dog when all of a sudden he drags his hind end across your carpet. Then you smell an awful odour. Why is my dog doing this? Your dog is trying to express his anal glands by scooting across your carpet. You might also see your dog licking excessively at his anal area.

Time for a lovely anatomy lesson of the private area! There are two glands inside your dog’s anus and when your dog has a bowel movement they are expressed naturally. If your dog has had diarrhea or soft stool their anal glands may not be expressed naturally. Some dogs just require us to express them manually due to other concerns such as allergies. I recommend you let your veterinarian tackle this smelly task. After all, you don’t want that smell in your house.

When the anal glands become full it is very uncomfortable for your dog and scooting is their way of telling you something is wrong. If their anal glands are not expressed it can lead to impacted anal glands, infection and the glands can even rupture, which is extremely painful. In these severe situations, your dog will require antibiotics and pain medication.

If you witness your dog scooting across your floor please contact Lomsnes Veterinary Hospital and we will relieve your pet’s discomfort.

Written by Trina, Manager