Scooting Along: Why It Isn’t Fun For Your Dog

  Posted on June 24, 2013  by Joy of Living  No comments

Has your dog ever scooted around on your living room floor in front of your friends?  While this is embarrassing for you, it can signal serious discomfort for your dog.

Your dog might be dealing with a painful anal sac problem.  There are two sacs on either side of your dog’s anus that contain a strong liquid.  Whenever your dog has a bowel movement the liquid in this sacs should be secreted.

This very same liquid is what other dogs are sniffing when they come into contact with your dog.  Sadly, the liquid does not always make its way out like it should.  This can occur when your dog has a stool that is too soft.

When anal sacs fail to drain your dog will be in a lot of pain.  These sacs become harder to drain the longer they are blocked.  Eventually, an abscess can form and infections abound.  As your dog is dealing with this discomfort they may fuss with the area so much that they wound themselves even further.

If it is a mild case you might correct it by adding a bit more fiber to their diet.  A spoonful of pumpkin added to your dog’s food is a great low calorie fiber source. The additional fiber will make their stools harder so the pressure from going to the bathroom can release some of the fluid.  If this does not work, the glands should be expressed manually.

When glands are expressed manually, it is important to look at what is secreted.  There should not be any black paste, pus or blood.  The dog should actually not feel any pain.  If the sacs are extremely full, they should be expressed internally.   Check with your dog’s groomer to see if he/she is qualified to express anal glands internally.  If they do not provide that service, schedule a vet visit to have the glands expressed internally.

If you suspect that your dog has an anal sac problem you should get it taken care of right away.  The more time you take to hesitate, the worse the blockage and the greater the discomfort for your dog.