Why Does My Dog Keep Scooting? A Burlington Vet on Anal Gland Trouble

The dog does it right there on the waiting-room floor. Back legs up, bottom down, a determined little scoot across the tile.

His owner laughs, then looks up at us, half-embarrassed. “He’s been doing that all week.”

We hear about this one a lot on Brant Street. Sometimes it’s the funny thing the dog did at the in-laws’ over the long weekend, and sometimes it’s a worried call first thing in the morning.

Either way, the question underneath is the same. Is this normal, or is something wrong back there?

Most scooting means the back end is itchy, full, or sore, and the usual culprit is the anal sacs. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, scooting, licking or biting at the anal area, and painful, straining bowel movements are the classic signs of anal sac disease in dogs.

If this is happening right now and you can see swelling, a painful lump, or an open, bleeding sore beside your dog’s tail, that can be a ruptured anal gland abscess and shouldn’t wait. Call us at (905) 336-4002. Outside our hours, reach a local emergency hospital through our after-hours care page.

Why does my dog keep scooting their bottom on the floor?

Scooting is how a dog scratches an itchy, full, or sore spot under the tail that they can’t otherwise reach. The most common source sits just inside, in the two small anal sacs, which the Merck Veterinary Manual notes hold a foul-smelling liquid and are related to the scent glands in skunks.

Every dog has two of these sacs, one on each side of the anus. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, they normally empty a little during each bowel movement, and when they don’t empty well, trouble starts.

Cornell University’s Riney Canine Health Center describes impaction as what happens when the sacs don’t empty adequately: the contents thicken, the sac fills, and it becomes enlarged and uncomfortable. A dog carrying that pressure will scoot, lick, and generally fuss at their rear.

That built-up pressure is the itch your dog is chasing across your floor. That’s why a scoot that keeps going usually earns a look rather than a wait.

Does scooting always mean my dog has full anal glands?

No, not always. Anal sacs are the leading cause, but they aren’t the only one, so a scoot that won’t quit earns an actual look; the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that anal sac tumours (apocrine gland adenocarcinomas) typically occur in older dogs, which is why persistent signs in a senior dog deserve a careful check.

Parasites are one alternative, and we’ll come to tapeworms in a moment. They come up often enough around here that they stay on our list when a dog keeps scooting.

Skin and allergy problems come up too. If your dog is itchy all over and not just at the back end, our team may talk with you about skin and allergy care as part of the picture.

The honest answer is that scooting is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Getting to the cause is the part we handle at a visit.

Can worms make my dog scoot?

Yes, tapeworms are a classic and often-missed cause worth ruling out, especially after a summer of fleas around Burlington and Halton. Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center reports that infected dogs pass tapeworm segments that look like grains of rice, which collect in the fur around the anus and cause itching and hind-end dragging.

What you might spot is small and unmistakable once you know to look. Check the fur under the tail and the bedding for those rice-like flecks, and mention them when you call.

Owners often find this next part surprising. Cornell explains that dogs become infected only by swallowing a flea or a small rodent carrying the tapeworm, so for the common flea tapeworm, flea control is the real key to prevention.

That’s a local point for us. Our warm, humid Ontario summers keep fleas active well into the fall, which is why year-round flea prevention comes up so often at our wellness visits.

How do I know if my dog’s anal glands are impacted or infected?

You often can’t tell the stage from the outside, and the stages need different care, which is the whole reason to have it looked at. Cornell describes a path from a full sac (impaction) to inflammation or infection (anal sacculitis) and then to an abscess that can rupture the skin, so catching it early keeps things simple.

The table below shows how anal sac trouble tends to progress.

Source: Cornell University Riney Canine Health Center; Merck Veterinary Manual.

Beyond the scooting itself, Cornell lists a characteristic fishy odour and swelling, redness, or bloody discharge next to the anus as warning signs. If you notice any of those, that’s a call-us day, not a watch-and-wait one.

That progression is why we don’t like to let scooting drift for weeks. The sooner we see it, the more straightforward it usually is.

Should I express my dog’s anal glands myself at home?

This is one of the most common questions we get, and our honest answer is that we’d rather check first before anyone squeezes anything. Cornell notes that a full sac can move on to inflammation or infection, and those stages call for different care, so it’s worth having us look before you press on anything at home.

When you bring your dog in, expressing the sacs is a quick, routine part of the visit for us, and we can show you what we’re feeling.

The Merck Veterinary Manual describes treatment ranging from gentle manual expression of impacted sacs to antimicrobials when there’s infection, plus warm compresses applied every 8 to 12 hours for 15 to 20 minutes for abscesses. Those are decisions that follow an exam, not a home guess.

If your dog needs it done regularly, we can fold it into their wellness care so it never becomes a crisis.

When is dog scooting an emergency or a sign of something serious?

Most scooting is uncomfortable rather than urgent, but a few signs mean the same day rather than next week. Cornell notes that a neglected impaction can turn into an abscess that ruptures through the skin, so swelling, a painful lump, or an open, bleeding sore beside the tail is a reason to be seen promptly.

If it happens after we’ve closed, our after-hours care page can point you to the right emergency hospital.

Age matters too. Because the Merck Veterinary Manual reports that anal sac tumours typically occur in older dogs and can even raise blood calcium, scooting or a firm lump back there in a senior dog is worth a proper exam rather than a wait.

The simple rule we give Burlington owners: if the scooting is severe, keeps coming back, or comes with blood, odour, or a lump, call us.

Can diet and fibre stop my dog from scooting?

Sometimes it genuinely helps, especially for dogs whose sacs just don’t empty well on their own. The Merck Veterinary Manual explains that adding fibre to the diet increases fecal bulk, which helps the firmer stool compress and naturally empty the anal sacs, and Cornell adds that weight loss can help too.

The logic is mechanical. Firmer, bulkier stool presses on the sacs as it passes.

The Merck Veterinary Manual also points to poor muscle tone in obese dogs as a factor that leads to retained sac contents. If your dog is carrying a few extra pounds, our team can build a simple plan through nutrition and weight management rather than guessing at supplements.

Why is my dog still scooting after the anal glands were expressed?

This one frustrates owners, and it’s more common than you’d think, because emptying the sacs relieves the pressure without always fixing what made them fill. A cross-sectional study in the veterinary literature estimated that impaction recurs in about a third of affected dogs, on average within 4 to 5 months.

That same study estimated non-neoplastic anal sac disease affects roughly 15.7% of dogs, so a dog that scoots again a few months later is a familiar pattern, not a failure.

If the scooting keeps returning, the next step is usually to look further rather than just re-express. That may mean diagnostics to check for infection, parasites, allergies, or, in older dogs, a mass.

Persistent, repeating scooting is exactly the kind of thing we’d rather investigate once than manage forever.

Frequently asked questions

What dog breeds are most prone to anal gland problems?

Smaller dogs tend to have more trouble than large ones. Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center and the Merck Veterinary Manual both note that small-breed dogs are predisposed to anal sac impaction and sacculitis, while large or giant breeds are affected less often. Cornell adds that one study found Chihuahuas were the most commonly affected breed.

Can scooting be a sign of a tumour?

It can, though it’s not the usual cause. The Merck Veterinary Manual reports that anal sac tumours, called apocrine gland adenocarcinomas, typically occur in older dogs and can sometimes raise blood calcium. That’s why scooting or a firm lump near the tail in a senior dog should be examined rather than watched, so we can rule the serious causes out early.

Is anal gland trouble actually common in dogs?

Yes, quite. A cross-sectional study in the veterinary literature estimated that non-neoplastic anal sac disease affects roughly 15.7% of dogs. The same study found that impaction relapses in about a third of affected dogs, often within 4 to 5 months, so if your dog is a repeat scooter, you’re far from alone in Burlington.

Will my dog’s licensing or wellness visit include checking this?

It’s a natural moment to. Dogs in the City of Burlington are required to be licensed annually under the Animal Control Bylaw, and that yearly rhythm lines up well with a wellness visit. When you’re in, we can check the anal glands, talk about flea and parasite prevention, and sort out small problems before they grow.

How often should my dog’s anal glands be expressed?

There’s no single number, because it depends on the dog. Some never need help, and others do best on a regular schedule. Rather than guess, we’d check your dog and set a rhythm that fits them, then adjust as things change. If your dog is scooting between visits, that’s usually a sign to come in sooner.

Can I prevent tapeworm-related scooting?

Largely, yes, by staying ahead of fleas. Cornell explains that dogs become infected only by swallowing a flea or small rodent carrying the tapeworm, so for the common flea tapeworm, consistent flea control is the real prevention. With Halton’s mild, humid summers keeping fleas around well into the fall, year-round prevention is the approach we usually recommend to Burlington owners.

Our team on Brant Street sees scooting almost every week, and most of the time it’s a quick, fixable thing once we know the cause. If your dog has been dragging their bottom around the house, we’re glad to take a look and get them comfortable again.

Request an appointment

This article is educational and isn’t veterinary advice or a substitute for an exam. If you’re worried about your pet right now, call us at (905) 336-4002 or your nearest emergency veterinary hospital.

Sources

Anal sac disease

1. Merck Veterinary Manual (professional). Anal Sac Disease in Dogs and Cats. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/diseases-of-the-rectum-and-anus/anal-sac-disease-in-dogs-and-cats
2. Merck Veterinary Manual (pet owners). Disorders of the Rectum and Anus in Dogs. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/disorders-of-the-rectum-and-anus-in-dogs
3. Cornell University Riney Canine Health Center. Anal Sac Diseases. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/anal-sac-diseases

Parasites and scooting

1. Cornell University Riney Canine Health Center. Tapeworms. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-topics/tapeworms

How common it is

1. Cross-Sectional Study on Canine and Feline Anal Sac Disease (PMC/NCBI). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8749694/

Local (Burlington)

1. City of Burlington. Dog Licences (Animal Control By-law 060-2015). https://www.burlington.ca/en/by-laws-and-animal-services/dog-licences.aspx