Dogs sometimes act weird or do things that we can’t fathom. As seasoned dog owners, we usually chalk it up to our limited knowledge of dog logic. One of these odd situations is when a dog wipes its bottom vigorously on the floor.
If your pet pins its tushy to the ground, slides left and right, and then drags its body every which way, you have good reasons to be surprised. But should you be worried? Or is this “scooting” a perfectly normal behavior?
Scooting has various causes; some aren’t serious, and some need a vet’s opinion. It’s best to watch your pet for a while; once you find the cause of your pet’s scooting, you can see people experiencing poverty or with its itchy bottom.
Fortunately, there are some tried and true home remedies for dog scooting that work well. But if you don’t see much improvement within a few days, you should take your pet to the vet.
What Is Scooting?
Scooting is when a dog takes a seating position and then drags its rear end across the floor. The optics of this are pretty obvious; your dog is feeling itchy down there, and it tries to scratch its anal skin on a textured surface.
The best scratching materials are often carpets, grass, or upholstery. The idea of your dog rubbing its bottom on the couch or your expensive new rug feels outrageous. The more reason for you to solve this problem pronto!
Common Causes for Dog Scooting
Treating the specific cause of your dog’s problem is the best way to handle this issue. So, what are the most common causes of dog scooting? Here’s a short list:
Anal Gland Issues
Dogs have two anal glands on either side of their butt hole. These glands are responsible for secreting a substance characterized by its potent smell. It’s also unique to each dog, so it helps with marking territory.
Incidentally, these anal glands could get impacted, inflamed, or infected. In all three cases, the area around the dog’s anus becomes itchy and painful. Scooting might relieve the annoying sensation, but better remedies should address the problem.
Food Sensitivities or Allergies
If your dog is allergic to certain foods, cleaning detergents, or gardening materials, they could become itchy occasionally and start scooting.
It’s hard to tell if your dog is allergic, as the symptoms are similar to several skin diseases. And even if you can be sure your dog is allergic, knowing the specific cause would take some effort.
For example, you might have to try food types or bands to see which triggers the dog’s itch.
Material Stuck Around the Dog’s Anus
Tangled hair and clinging fecal matter are incredibly annoying to dogs. It’s not unusual for dogs to try removing these objects by applying friction. A bit of scooting often does the trick unless the hair or fecal matter is too stubborn.
Internal or External Parasites
Parasites seek animals as hosts to feed on. They can infect the dog’s anal area or live inside its intestines. Tapeworms are notorious for residing inside pets’ digestive tracts. You can even spot their tiny white remains around the dog’s anus.
External parasites also find that humid, oily spot instead of welcoming. Your dog might’ve picked some while playing in the garden, walking in the street, or having fun at the park. If you have a sociable, friendly dog, then there’s a chance that another dog passed some of its bugs.
Skin Infection
Skin irritation around the dog’s bottom can be caused by bacterial infection, yeast/fungal infections, dermatitis, or other skin issues. They all cause redness, itchiness, and inflammation. Your dog could be scooting because of this.
Fleas and Mites
Fleas or mites attacking the dog’s bottom would make that area extremely itchy. Scooting wouldn’t solve the problem, though; the scratching/licking/biting would move to other spots.
Simple and Effective Home Remedies for Dog Scooting
These remedies often offer instant relief from the itchiness bothering your dog. Sometimes, it would cure the issue entirely, but a more specialized approach would be required at other times.
Parasites residing inside the dog’s intestines or on the skin surrounding its anus can only be treated using medicine. Home remedies would have little effect on these warms. The same applies to bacterial and fungal infections.
Pests, fleas, and bugs are also challenging to eliminate with anything around your house. You’d have to get specialized substances to ward off these uninvited guests.
You can also use these home remedies after visiting a vet and understanding the details of your dog’s predicament.
1. Check Your Dog’s Diet
Food allergies can easily trigger itchiness in the dog’s bottom. It isn’t always easy to pinpoint the suspect food, so you need to introduce one type of food each day and monitor your dog’s reaction.
If your dog is allergic or sensitive to a particular brand of food, change it immediately and replace it with a different kind that wouldn’t cause such a reaction.
It’s worth noting that the allergy might not be caused by food at all. Cleaning detergents and some plants could be the cause of your dog’s unease. So keep an eye on these things, too.
2. Add More Fiber to Your Dog’s Food
The consistency of the dog’s stool helps in expressing its anal glands and keeping the oily secretions inside them from thickening. Adding more fiber and Omega-3 supplements to your dog’s food often maintains your pet’s digestive health.
Additionally, the added Omega-3 keeps the dog’s anal glands functioning correctly and decreases the risks of impaction. Omega-3 also reduces inflammation and improves skin vitality.
3. Warm Baths and Compresses
Letting your dog sit in warm water for 10-20 minutes often soothes the pain and itchiness in its rear end. Unless the vet advises, you don’t need to add shampoo or any medication to the warm bath.
Warm compresses also ease swelling and inflammation. Your dog might fidget while you’re applying it, so it’s best to pick a time when it’s sleepy.
4. Apply Coconut Oil to the Itchy Parts
Coconut oil has been known for a long time as a healing substance. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that would provide pain relief and decrease skin itchiness.
It’s best to use a pure form of the oil rather than the commercial grade, which might be less effective.
5. Keep the Dog’s Anal Area Clean
Shave off the hair surrounding your dog’s anal area, and then clean it up with mild soap and warm water. It’s important to use soap or shampoo that won’t aggravate the dog’s skin problems.
Vets usually suggest a few types of soap that you can use. Some contain substances that also heal the skin, like aloe, or reduce the itchiness, like oatmeal.
When to See a Veterinarian?
Checking for unusual situations with the vet is always advisable. If you shaved the hair around your dog’s anus, gave it a warm bath, and still, your dog is scooting, then you should seek medical advice.
Additionally, some signs make that visit even more urgent. Here are the most important:
- The dog is in pain
- Your dog’s behavior isn’t normal
- Your dog has previous health issues
- Constant licking and biting of the dog’s bottom
- Excessive swelling or redness in the anal area
- There’s blood coming out of the anus or smudging it
- Your dog has difficulty passing stool
In all of the above cases, don’t wait for your dog to get better or depend on warm compresses for relief. These symptoms suggest a more significant issue that a specialist best assesses.
In Conclusion
Scooting can be a silly act from a dog that clowns about all day. Then again, it could point to a much more severe health issue. If your dog is in obvious pain or shows apparent discomfort, then it’s not good. If you spot blood around its anal part, then you need to take your dog to a vet.
Understanding the exact cause of your dog’s scooting problem is critical to treating that issue. The vet’s opinion and advice often clarify the matter, and the dog’s condition can usually be treated with medication.
The itchiness would linger for a few days, though. And this is where home remedies to relieve the inflammations come in handy. Warm baths, cleaning up the bottom area, and applying soothing oils usually calm your dog.
Once the itchiness and inflammation subside, the scooting will stop, and your dog will return to its sweet self.
