Often referred to as ‘scooting’, this dragging is the only way a dog can, for want of a better term, scratch its bottom.
There are a number of reasons for this dog behaviour, all of which are linked to anal discomfort and/or irritation.
Parasites
Flea bites near the anus will cause soreness and itching, as is to be expected. Checking your dog for fleas is the first thing you should do (because it’s the simplest cause).
Tapeworms are made from segments, with each segment having the ability to develop and live as another tapeworm. The segments, called proglottids, break off and are excreted in the dog’s stool. Their movement around the anus causes considerable irritation. Tapeworm segments look like small pieces of yellowish rice.
Other causes
Anal glands are situated either side of the anus and they produce a slimy scented material that acts as an identifier for other dogs. When dogs are fixated on smelling each other’s bottoms, it’s the scent from the anal glands that they’re storing away for future reference.
The scented matter is usually released by the glands being placed under pressure as a stool passes, but if your dog has suffered from diarrhoea for any length of time there may have been insufficient pressure on the glands for them to be activated.
When these glands become blocked there can be quite severe irritation and any build up of fluid has to be released manually. Leaving this as a problem for too long may also result in an infection, so it’s important (both to your dog and to your bank balance) that the problem is dealt with as early as possible.
Tumours in the anal region may also cause a dog to scoot, which is another reason why this behaviour should be taken seriously and the cause identified as soon as possible.
We will agree that scooting is funny to watch (unless it’s on your carpet), but after you film the video and put it on a social media platform your next course of action should be to identify the cause and have the dog treated.
