Why does my dog scoot its bottom?

Date Posted:28 January 2020 

If you have seen your dog drag his/her bottom along the ground right in front of you, you may be slightly confused as to what he/she is doing and what it actually means. We are here to help! 

Scooting almost always means that somthing is irritating your dog. Dogs will try to alleviate this pain by dragging their bottom along grass or carpet. There are a few reasons why your dogs behind may be irratated such as: 

Anal Sacs

Dogs have 2 glands in their bottom called anal sacs, which have ducts that empty the anus outside of the body. Sometimes these ducts can get clogged and irratated meaning your dog can become very uncomfortable. These glands secrete an oily, smelly substance which are thought to be a territorial marker. 

Anal gland problems can stem from a few things like poor diet, gland trauma and the position of the glands in some dogs. 

With the most common reason being poor diet - if your dog is constantly scooting his/her bottom and there are some odd smells coming from their behind it is best to take a look at your dogs diet and what they are eating. Supermarket foods contain unhealthy ingredients and fillers that can cause this. Take a look at our range of premium healthy dog foods here. 

If your pet is on a good diet the cause may just be that they have an unlucky position of the anal glands or gland trauma - to combat this we recommend the Glandex Chews for dogs. They are a peanut butter flavoured supplement (that dogs love!) that helps to promote natural emptying of the anal glands: Including Pumpkin Seed & Apple Pectin to bulk & firm your pet's stools to naturally empty the anal glands. 

Worms

Worms are one of the most common health problems in dogs and one of the symptoms of dogs having worms is scooting of the behind. They are awful parasites that can make your dog very sick. If your dog is not on Worm Protection it is very important to get them on some treatment straight away. You can take a look at Worming products for your dog here. 

Fecal Contamination 

If your dogs bottom is not looked after correctly pieces of fecal matter can become stuck around the anus or hair surrounding the anus. This can be very uncomfortable for your dog so you must ensure that you are not neglecting to check around your dogs bottom during their grooming routine. 

Rectal Prolapse

This is a condition where the inner layers of the rectum push out and protrude from the anus. This should be treated as an emergency and you should take your dog to the vet immediately.

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