If you care for your pet, and we know you do, then it is important to also allow a veterinarian to care for them. Your vet is the one who can provide vaccines, check your pet for ongoing conditions like arthritis and parasitic infections, and recommend medications to treat fleas and ticks. Most vet are very familiar with treated dogs and cats, and many will also treat rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, and other household pets. If you'd like to learn more about veterinary care, then plan on spending some time on this website. It's a good resource for any curious pet owner.
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If you own a dog, you are probably familiar with the butt scoot. Your dog plants their bottom down on the carpet, and then they pull themselves along using their front feet. All the while, their dirty bottom is running across the rug. If your dog only does this occasionally, there's not usually any reason to worry. They're probably just scratching an itch. However, if your dog starts to butt scoot daily or multiple times a day, then it's time to start looking for an explanation. Here are a few of the things that could be going on and a look at how your vet can treat them.
Blocked Anal Glands
Did you know that your dog has a gland on either side of their anus? These glands secrete a fluid that is meant to be released each time your dog poops. But sometimes, especially if a dog has a diet that leads to overly soft poop, the anal glands do not empty as they should. They then become blocked, which is painful and itchy for the dog. The dog then starts butt scooting as a way to make their anal area feel better.
A vet can alleviate your dog's discomfort by expressing the anal glands. This is a simple procedure that mainly involves the vet placing pressure on the gland until it releases its contents. This gives most dogs instant relief and will stop their butt scooting behavior.
Pinworms
Another reason why a dog might start scooting is pinworms. These are internal parasites that live in a dog's rectum and large intestine. They emerge from the dog's anus to lay their eggs around the dog's anus. Then, those eggs hatch, and the immature worms crawl back into the dog's anus. All of this crawling around causes the dog's anus to itch, and they often react to the itchiness by dragging their bottom across the carpet.
If your dog has pinworms, you can usually tell by looking at their bottom. The worms are tiny — less than 1/8 inch long — and white or cream in color. They tend to come out mostly at night. You may also see some of them wriggling around on your dog's feces if you look closely.
Your vet can treat pinworms by giving your dog a deworming medication. This usually clears up the problem within two or three days, although some dogs do need two doses to become completely free of pinworms. If you have more than one dog, you will want to deworm them all at the same time since pinworms are highly contagious.
Allergies
If your vet checks your dog for anal gland blockages and pinworms and does not find evidence of either problem, then allergies may be what's causing your dog to butt scoot. They could be allergic to anything in their environment, from pollen to mold spores. Often, when this is the case, they will not only itch their bottom on the carpet, but you'll also see them scratching at their elbows and neck with their hind legs. Allergies can be managed with antihistamine medications, such as diphenhydramine and cetirizine.
Some dogs also butt scoot as a reaction to food allergies. If your vet suspects this is the case, they may recommend feeding your dog a limited-ingredient diet. The hope is that with so few ingredients in the food, your dog won't be exposed to the allergen. This should clear up the butt scooting within a week or two, at most.
If your dog has been butt scooting a lot lately, make an appointment with a vet. They can help identify and treat the cause so both you and your canine friend can have some peace.
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