Why do dogs drag their bum along the floor?

You may not be familiar with the term ‘dog scooting’ but there’s a good chance you’ve seen your own, or someone else’s, dog dragging their bottom across the carpet or lawn. 

This scooting motion is both fascinating and embarrassing, especially since dogs seem to do it whenever there are plenty of other people around to witness it, but your dog isn’t out to humiliate you and mess up your carpet, he’s trying to tell you that something’s wrong. 

Pay Attention 

If you see your dog scooting along on his bottom it’s usually because he has an itchy anus, which could indicate a more serious medical condition. 

There are a few reasons for the behaviour, but your dog is after just one result, he’s trying to find relief.  

Keep a close watch on your dog to see if his scooting is a one-off thing, or if he’s doing it regularly which means he needs your help. 

Lift his tail and look for signs of irritation, redness, swelling, or anything out of the ordinary. 

Anal Glands 

One of the most common causes of dog scooting is impacted or infected anal glands. 

Every dog has two anal glands either side of their anus which help to spread the dog’s scent.  

Your dog’s anal glands should empty at the same he empties his bowels, but sometimes they can become blocked or impacted causing pain and irritation. 

Your dog will lick and chew around his bottom to indicate that he’s in some discomfort, and you should take your dog to the vet to have the anal glands expressed. 

Intestinal Parasites 

Intestinal parasites are another cause of anal itching and discomfort. Your dog should be wormed regularly, every three months, and treated for fleas if necessary as some fleas can infect them with tapeworm. 

If you’ve been a bit lax with your dog’s worming schedule, a good all-wormer should eradicate any worms he’s picked up. 

You can often see tapeworm segments in your dog’s faeces, around his anus, or on his bedding. They look similar to grains of rice. 

When to See your Vet 

In some cases, your dog might just have an itch to scratch, especially if he’s had a bout of diarrhoea just recently and his bottom is less than clean.  

A good bath might be all he needs to feel more comfortable, but if your dog is scooting a lot and seems to be in pain or discomfort, make an appointment to visit your vet for diagnosis and treatment. 

Sydney Animal Hospital and Specialist Vet 

Sydney Vet Specialists is dedicated to providing quality 24 hour veterinary care for your pets, as well as specialist services for a wide range of conditions. 

To speak to one of caring, professional team members about your dog’s bottom scooting, call us on 02 9197 5800, or contact us online.  

Book an appointment for your pet between Monday and Friday 8:30am-6pm or call us for emergency veterinarian services and after hours care. 

We’ve seen it all before. Fido goes from completely normal to dragging his rear along the ground in a split second. Before you can scream “not the carpet!” he’s halfway across the room, sometimes leaving an unpleasant trail. ‘Scooting’, also known as ‘dragging’ or ‘rubbing’, is a behaviour performed by dogs in an attempt to relieve irritation in the anal region by dragging their bottoms across the floor. There are several reasons why dogs may be irritated in this region.

Full or impacted anal glands

Dogs have two sacs which sit on either side of the rectum called the anal glands. These glands normally release fluid via small channels into the rectum whenever they defecate. The fluid these glands produce play an important role in scent-marking a dog’s territory. Unfortunately, these channels can become blocked and the glands impacted.

Anal glands become impacted for a number of reasons, including infection, underlying medical conditions, diet, and anatomy. Impacted glands will feel very uncomfortable for a dog, and as a result, they often scoot their anus along the ground in an attempt to relieve the irritation and potentially unblock the gland.

Consult your veterinarians if you notice your dog is scooting regularly. Anal glands should be palpated by veterinarians to detect any underlying infections. Left untreated, impacted anal glands can cause abscesses and even rupture, becoming a much more serious issue.

Tapeworm infection and the importance of regular worming

All dogs should be on a regular worming prevention schedule, however many of the common worming tablets are only effective against roundworms and not tapeworms. Tapeworms are a different kind of intestinal worm and are usually spread by fleas. Irritation around the anus can be caused by tapeworms because the small segments produced by the worms are sticky and can remain around the anus. Tapeworms can be prevented by using a worming product which is labelled to be effective against both roundworms and tapeworms, as well as using flea preventatives on your dog.

Your dog could have a skin allergy

  Allergies can cause irritation and inflammation in all areas of a dog, including the skin around the anus and tail. If a dog is itchy in this region, the only way they can scratch that itch is to scoot or chew the area. Skin allergies require a veterinarian’s diagnosis and treatment plan, as there are many causes of skin allergies in dogs, including diet.

As you can see, there are several reasons why a dog may scoot it’s behind along your carpet. Although unpleasant, it can indicate a much more serious problem like impacted anal glands or skin allergies. Impacted anal glands, if untreated, can lead to abscesses and ruptured glands. Irritation around the anus is also uncomfortable for your dog, so it’s important to get them some relief. If you are worried about your dog scooting, it’s worthwhile making an appointment with your vet to finally get to the bottom of the problem!

Why do dogs scoot their butts across the floor? That infamous “butt crawl” could very well be caused by anal sac issues. Luckily, there are ways to help. Photo: Paul Samolyk

A scooting dog is like a bad joke. But no, dogs do not scoot their butts across the floor merely to embarrass you.

In this expert article, we’ll discuss 7 common causes of dog scooting:

1. Anal gland issues
2. Allergies
3. Diarrhea
4. Dingleberries
5. Parasites
6. Trouble “down below”
7. Behavioral issues

Ready? Keep reading, and let’s find out why your dog is scooting their butt across your floor.

Allergies are another common reason for dogs to drag their butts on the floor. Photo: manfredrichter

Perianal Irritation: An Itchy Butt

Dogs live in the moment. It’s one of the many qualities we love them for.

The one downside is they think nothing of gluing their butt to the ground, lifting both back paws, and dragging their butt across the floor at the exact moment you’re trying to impress a new partner, boss or parent-in-law.

People have different tolerance levels for how much dog scooting they’ll put up with. I’ve known clients to worry because their dog scoots once every few weeks, while other people are oblivious to their dog rubbing their backside bald.

Butt scooting is just a symptom — usually of irritation in the nether regions. Veterinarians have a tidy expression for this that they enter on clinical notes: perianal irritation (in other words, an itchy butt.)

The deeper question then becomes “Why does this dog have an itchy butt?”

To answer that, here’s everything you ever wanted to know about why dogs scoot their butts on the floor.

You can’t see them here, but there are 2 anal sacs, on either side of a dog’s anus. Photo: 50-phi

Why Do Dogs Scoot Their Butts Across the Floor?

Possible Cause #1: Anal Sac Issues

Dogs love to sniff butts to pick up the other dog’s scent signature — because simply saying, “Hi, I’m Bonzo” isn’t exactly possible for a dog to do.

All dogs have a unique scent, a bit like a human fingerprint (only smelly) cooked up inside the anal sacs.

Dogs have 2 anal sacs, on either side of the anus. The idea is that when the dog poops, the anal sphincter squeezes the anal glands, which express a small bleb of super-smelly secretion. Kind of like the doggy equivalent of social media, this secretion then gives whoever cares to “read” (or sniff) it a message about who left it there.

Over-Full Anal Sacs

But anal sacs have some design flaws. Each gland is the size of a small grape, but the secretion drains out through a fine duct. This duct can become clogged or blocked, and secretion builds up inside the gland. This is known as impaction.

Like blowing too much air into a balloon, the glands stretch and stretch … which is very uncomfortable.

The dog then tries to relieve the discomfort by rubbing their butt to try and free things off. Indeed, impacted anal sacs are the most common reason dogs scoot their butts.

Infected Anal Sacs

Another common problem occurs if the anal sac contents become infected.

In the early stages, this is irritating to the dog who then scoots. But as the infection gets worse, the glands become painful and the symptoms change.

Signs of an anal gland infection in a dog include:

• Constant rubbing or licking at the anus
• A bloody or purulent discharge just beside the anus
• The dog is off color or seems in pain

Cancer of the Anal Gland

Unfortunately, some dog breeds, especially Cocker Spaniels, are prone to cancer of the anal sac.

A tumor grows quietly, often undetected, until it blocks drainage from the sac. At this point, the anal gland becomes impacted or infected and the dog shows symptoms, drawing attention to the area.

Dealing With Anal Sac Issues

Some dogs are martyrs to anal sac issues, but there are ways to help:

• Fiber: Mother Nature designed things so that each time the dog has a bowl movement, the anal sphincter (the muscles around the anus) milks secretion from the anal sac. A good, firm, bulky stool helps achieve just this. If your dog’s poop is excessively soft or has just tiny nuggets, then consider giving a fiber supplement. You can do this by giving raw vegetables grated in their food, veggies to chew on, bran or a fiber supplement in consultation with your vet.
• Avoid diarrhea: Producing runny stool doesn’t squeeze on the anal sacs. If secretion builds up faster than it’s being squeezed out, this leads to discomfort and irritation. Be aware of this and aim to settle down that upset tummy as quickly as possible.
• Manual expression: Some dogs go their whole life without needing their anal sacs emptied. Others need them doing every 2 weeks. This is down to an individual’s anatomy and how well the glands get squeezed when the dog poops. Always seek the help of someone experienced in the correct way to express anal sacs, rather than giving it a go yourself. Vets, vet techs and some groomers are a good option to learn from.
• Anal sac removal (maybe): Surgical removal of the anal sacs is done much less frequently than in the past. There are some significant risks attached (such as fecal incontinence), so surgeons tend to be less scalpel-happy than they once were. Interestingly, modern medications that are effective against allergies (see Possible Cause #2, below) should be trialed before considering surgery. Cases that were once thought to be anal sac–related may respond to allergy treatment instead.

Dogs with allergies often have itchy skin. Photo: Katrina_S

Possible Cause #2: Allergies

If a dog scoots their butt, but their anal glands are fine, next on the list of causes is an allergy.

Dogs with allergies often have itchy skin. If they have a food allergy, then as the remains of that food pass out of their butt, it inflames the mucus membrane and skin around the anus — and that brings perianal irritation.

The options here are to treat the allergy so that the itchy bum becomes a thing of the past. Here’s how.

Hypoallergenic Diet

Because an allergen in the dog’s diet is responsible for the itch, feed them a food that lacks the allergen and all should be fine.

This means finding a diet that contains a single protein source (i.e., the meaty part) and a single carbohydrate source that your dog hasn’t eaten before. Then feed this food and this only for 8–12 weeks, to wait for the allergens to clear their system.

For more tips, see our article on conducting a food trial for allergies in a pet.

Medications

Food allergy doesn’t respond well to anti-allergy meds — but when those allergens cause skin inflammation, then meds should give comfort.

There are lots of options out there, from cheap drugs with many possible side effects to more expensive but safer meds. For example:

• Corticosteroids: These are inexpensive and highly effective anti-inflammatories. However, they do have side effects such as increased thirst, and the risk of developing diabetes or Cushing’s disease.
• Atopica: This started life as a med developed to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients. Its action on the immune system also makes it effective at reducing inflammation. It has relatively few side effects, which can include diarrhea or the development of extra gum material.
• Apoquel: This is a safe medication that is great at reducing inflammation. When first launched, it was such a revelation that demand outstripped supply and there were shortages. Happily, it’s now widely available for everyone who needs it.

Doggy diarrhea? Feed a bland, easy-to-digest diet until the feces firm up. Photo: Pixabay

Possible Cause #3: Diarrhea

Diarrhea can cause butt scooting for a couple of reasons.

First, the anal sacs don’t get emptied. Second, diarrhea can scorch the delicate mucus membrane and skin of the anus, making it sore. When a dog can’t reach to scratch, they’ll settle for scooting instead.

To deal with diarrhea:

• Diet: Feed a bland, easy-to-digest diet until the feces firm up. Also, feed little and often, and consider mixing in a doggy probiotic.
• Personal hygiene: Keep the dog’s rear clean by rinsing it with weak saltwater after each bowel movement. You can also apply a germicidal barrier ointment to prevent scorching.
• See a veterinarian: Diarrhea that doesn’t settle down within 1–2 days needs to be sorted by a vet.

Possible Cause #4: Dingleberries

Dogs with long fur sometimes get poop stuck in the fur. This can tug on the hair, causing discomfort — or the poop rubs on the skin, making it sore.

I’ve seen “dingleberries,” as these are called, that are stuck so tight that they work like a cork in a bottle and prevent the dog from pooping altogether. Little wonder, then, the dog scoots their butt to try and free things off.

To remedy the situation:

• Trim: Keep long dog hair clipped short around the dog’s rear.
• Personal hygiene: Check the dog’s rear on a daily basis to make sure they’re clean down below.
• Firm feces: Get diarrhea or soft stools sorted out quickly so the fur isn’t soiled.

For much more, see my article “The Delicate Subject of Dingleberries.”

Keep long hair clipped short around your pet’s rear end. Photo: Pixabay

Possible Cause #5: Parasites

When was your dog last dewormed against tapeworms?

Dogs get tapeworms from fleas or eating vermin.

The thing about these intestinal worms is that they can cause perianal irritation. This is down to the tapeworm egg packets that migrate out of the dog’s anus. Unsurprisingly, this is itchy.

Look for tiny white seedlike objects near the dog’s anus. Not all dewormers work against tapeworm, so look for one containing praziquantel.

Possible Cause #6: Trouble Down Below

Be aware that general irritation around the genitals may cause a dog to scoot.

For the girl dogs, check their private parts, being alert for knots in the fur round the vulva, skin infections in the vulval folds or a vaginal discharge. If in doubt, visit the vet.

Possible Cause #7: Behavioral Issues

And finally, a word of warning: What do you do when the dog scoots their butt?

If you a) shout at them or b) laugh, you may accidentally make the problem worse.

Giving the dog attention (any sort of attention) rewards the action. If the dog realizes that butt scooting makes them the center of attention, they may well use this as a strategy for drawing attention to themselves.

So make a mental note, but then get to the root cause of why the dog is butt scooting … and correct that problem to stop the behavior.

Finally, with more on dog scooting, here is Dr. Ben Holmes, DVM, in a helpful video:

References

This pet health content was written by a veterinarian, Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS. This article was originally published in 2015 and is regularly updated. It was last reviewed for accuracy and updated May 21, 2019.

If you have questions or concerns, call your vet, who is best equipped to ensure the health and well-being of your pet. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.