Scooting

We've all seen dogs scoot on their butts at some point in our lives and heard people say they must have worms. This is not always the case.

If you know your dog is parasite free, then he could be having a problem with his anal sacs. The anal sacs are located on each side of the anus at approximately the 4:00 and 8:00 position.

Most dogs express their anal sacs when they defecate but there are many who need our help to empty these sacs or glands. When these sacs fill up it is very uncomfortable and sometimes he will scoot or chew at his back end trying to relieve the pressure.

If he cannot release the fluid in his anal sacs, it will build up and can become infected if left too long. If an anal sac becomes infected, it can abcess and rupture causing a nasty smelly discharge to start oozing from around the rectum.

An infected anal sac can be a very serious matter. Keeping the area clean so it can heal is very difficult since every time the dog defecates he gets fecal matter in it.

The best way to keep your dog's anal sacs from becomong a serious problem is to take him to a vet or groomer who can express the anal sacs. When the vet expresses a dog's anal sacs, he will put on a glove and insert one finger into the anus. He will then locate the anal sacs and gently express the sac using his finger and thumb. Be prepared that some people do gag when they smell the anal sac odor.

There are some vets and groomers who are able to express the anal sacs externally. They will gently squeeze the anal sac from the outside of the anus until all the fluid is removed.

Not all dogs scoot when they have a problem with their anal sacs. Some dogs chew at their rectum, tail or back legs. Other dogs will start holding up one back leg and limp around. Still others will suddenly start screaming in pain or jump around acting like they have been bit or stung.

Some dogs have chronic anal sac problems and may need to have them expressed as often as every 2 weeks. Others will only have to have them expressed once or twice a year. My shepard had an anal sac problem when he was 2 years old and has never had the problem since.

There are also some cats that have anal sac problems. I have never seen a cat scoot on her butt but I have seen them lick the hair around the base of their tail and their back legs until they had bald patches. Anal sac problems are not as common in cats but I have had 2 cats in my life that had to have their sacs expressed regularly by a vet.

Recently I was visiting with a new neighbor and saw her dog scoot twice while we were talking. Finally I had to say something because a lot of pet owners don't know about anal sacs and I didn't want to see the dog suffer needlessly.

When I asked her if her dog had anal sac problems, she told me that she had taken the dog to the vet because it scooted all the time. The dog was checked for parasites and her anal sacs were checked. The vet said that the dog had no health problems - it just had an itchy butt and she was too overweight to scratch it any other way!!!