Why is my dog scooting on the floor??

Have you seen the commercial on TV where the little boy proudly shows his mom the neat trick ‘Toby’ has learned with mom looking horrified as the dog scoots his rear end on her nice, clean carpet?   If you didn’t understand why she was so upset, read on.

by Sarah Stroud, January 7, 2010

Richmond Pet Care Examiner

You are a dog owner, and you have noticed that your beloved pet is scooting his hind end on the floor. You are concerned, could this be a sign of worms?  That is usually the pet owner’s first thought.  There is usually not a concern there.  The root of the problem is what is called anal glands.

Anal glands are located near the rectum. In larger breeds this is usually not an issue.  Smaller breeds do have a problem in this area.  These glands, which are casually called skunk glands are usually expressed or drained during defecation.  The main purpose for these glands are a way to identify themselves between dogs.  You may notice that if your dog comes into contact with another dog they will raise their tail and they will sniff one another.  At that time they express a little to show dominance or protect territory. That again is why they are sometimes referred to as skunk glands,  skunks have that same defense ability.

Read the rest of Sarah’s article.

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