Hey Woofa’s,

Today we’re getting to the bottom of things!!

Picture this  – you’re serving guests the scrumptious dinner you’ve been slaving over all day.  Just as you’re about to chow down, your dog comes in dragging it’s butt along the carpet!!!! GROSS!!!!

WHAT IS BUTT SCOOTING?

This is a video of one of my customer’s dog, Jess,  butt scooting after she’d been clipped.

As you can see her back is slightly hunched, her head is down, her tail is out and her back legs are up.  This allows the bum hole area to be up against the ground and her front legs help with the rubbing motion.

Generally, our first reaction is OMG my dog’s got worms!!!  This isn’t always the case, actually it’s a slim possibility but hardly ever the main reason.

REASONS WHY YOUR DOG IS BUTT SCOOTING!

Itchy Bottom 

Your dog may have an itch around their butt region.  This could be caused by fleas.  Fleas have a tendency to hang around the bum hole region of your dog, just under their tail.

Dogs don’t have hands to scratch with, so butt scooting is their only option.

What to do – gently lift up your dog’s tail and see if there are any fleas or flea larvae around their bottom (tiny black crawling creatures or black like dirt).  If there is, I’d suggest give them a bath and then administer flea prevention.

If there’s no fleas or flea larvae and everything looks fine then it could just be a butt itch.

Swollen Anal Glands

Your dog has glands in their anal region.  Sometimes these can become full and the liquid (for lack of a better word) needs to be released.  If they are full the area is usually swollen and painful.

A good indication of this is also an ‘off meat smell’, you’ll know what I’m talking about as soon as you smell it.

What to do – gently lift your dog’s tail and take a whiff.  Gross I know but you won’t have to get too close to smell the odour I’m talking about.

If there is odour then your dog’s glands will have to be cleared.  Some groomers do this (take my hat off to them) but mostly vets do.  It’s your choice which one you go to but try to have them cleared as soon as you can.

A Messy Bottom

Contrary to popular belief dog’s don’t like having a messy bottom.  Again dog’s don’t have hands to wipe themselves clean so the only way they can clean their bottoms is scooting it along the ground.

Long haired dogs generally have this issue if the hair around their bottom is too long and their pooh has gotten stuck in the hair.  Sometimes dogs have a lot of hair around their bottom and it can’t breathe.

I’ve clipped a lot of dog’s bottoms and it’s almost like it takes a breath once that hair comes off around it.

Jess wasn’t bum scooting before she had her hair clipped but as soon as it was all clipped off and she was finished that’s when it started.  It was like she could feel her bottom again.

Some short haired ones do it as well, if they’ve had a messy pooh and they want to clear it off their bottom.

What to do –  make sure your dog’s bottom is always clean and clear of hair.  Groomers do a hygiene clip which is making sure the hair around the toilet areas are short and clean.

Constipation or Diarrhoea

If your dog has shown signs of either constipation (trying but can’t do a number 2) or diarrhoea (super runny pooh) they are going to be sore in the butt area.

If they have had severe bouts of either, rectal prolapse can occur which needs medical attention asap.

What to do – become aware of your dog’s toilet habits.  Is their pooh healthy or consistently runny?  Are they trying to do a number two, i.e. pushing but nothing is coming out?

If so then have a look at what they are eating.  If they’ve struggled for longer than 2 days I’d seek veterinary advice, even if it’s just calling the vet on the phone.

Inflammation or Swelling

If your dog is butt scooting it could be because they are irritated in the bottom region because of a bit of inflammation or swelling.

What to do – check your dog’s bum if it’s only slightly pink or slightly swollen then it could be just an annoying irritation.  However, if it’s bright red and largely swollen then it’s time for a vet visit.

Tapeworms

There’s a lot of things to rule out before the whole OMG my dog has worms scenario, however it’s not to say it never will be worms.

Tapeworms aren’t as common as the other butt scooting reasons.  Your dog can get tapeworms from eating worm infested fleas!!!

What to do – check under your dog’s tail, in the bum region, for rice like wriggly tapeworm bits around their bum hole.

If you see this – yes take them to the vet to get medication to be rid of them.

Lumps or Tumors

Tumors and lumps can grow around your dog’s bum.   This can cause them to butt scoot as it’s very uncomfortable and can be very serious if untreated.

What to do – check your dog’s bottom for unusual swelling or discharge.  Again if you are unsure check with your vet.

Bum Bites

This is a simple, rare but a possible one.  If your dog is butt scooting they could’ve been bitten on the butt by an insect, spider (or some other thing in the garden) or scratched it in the garden somehow along a branch or stick etc.

What to do – be aware of your dog’s butt.   Watch their behaviour, if you think it’s a bite see if there are any other signs i.e vomiting, paralysis etc.  When in doubt call the vet and see if they recommend bringing them in.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Check out your dog’s butt regularly.

If your dog is butt scooting use a process of elimination to try to determine why they are doing it.

Sometimes your dog just needs to scratch an itch and that’s all there is to it.

However if it’s consistent butt scooting try to get to the bottom of it…………!!!

In the Comments Below – Billy would like to know if you’ve had any issues with butt scooting?

Cheers