Dog Scooting - This Needs Immediate Attention!

By David Stewart

Dog anal glands or anal sacs are located inside, adjacent to the anus.

In the states, there is a very funny commercial when a little boy yells to his mom "Look mom, Fido learned a new trick!" I think its a carpet cleaning commercial, but I digress.

This dog is exhibiting symptoms of anal gland problems.

The anal glands contain a VERY smelly liquid. It's this smell that tells dogs about each other. I would compare it to shaking hands and making small talk.

"Hello, where are you from?"

"Just down the street"

This isn't surprising when we consider that the sense of smell is the first sense a puppy is introduced to, after he is born. So dogs learn to rely on smell from day one.

But I can't emphasize enough how bad this stuff smells. Sometimes the glands can be expelled when a dog gets upset. For some reason my dog, Murphy, has taken to his glands expelling a bit when he is riding in the car; this may be a result of how he is being held, I am not sure yet. Regardless of the reason, it is really stinky!

So what's the scooting all about?

Sometimes these glands can become impacted. This is uncomfortable for the dog and he rubs his butt trying to expel the liquid (not something you want on your carpet)!

If this is the case it will require a human to expel the liquid from the gland. This can be done by a groomer or a vet but dog owners can also perform this task. Its a bit of a messy job, most would probably prefer to have it done by someone else. My dog's groomer does this for about ten dollars.

If you don't know how to do this and want to do it yourself, check with your groomer and he or she will probably show you how to do it. If not, ask your vet.