Health
He plonks himself down and drags across the carpet, licks under his tail, leaves a fishy smell. Most often it's the anal glands, but not always.
Caution. A red or firm swelling beside the anus, blood or pus on the fur under the tail, a dog who yelps when he sits or strains with nothing coming out: same-day visit to your own vet. Don't squeeze it and don't put anything on the area.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
You've just got in from a walk and your dog, a Bichon or a six-kilo crossbreed, suddenly sits down on the rug and hauls himself forward with his front legs, bottom pressed to the floor. Third time this week. Or you have an old Labrador who licks under his tail until the fur is soaked and stops mid-walk to sit down on the grass. Videos of scooting dogs get a lot of laughs. For the dog it's an itch or a pain in a spot he can't reach any other way. Below is what you can check yourself before the appointment, what each sign tends to mean and what you leave to your own vet.
One scoot across the rug after a soft stool means nothing. Ring the same day if you see any of these:
On the phone, say what you see, since when, whether he has had soft stools in the last few days and how much he weighs. Until you get there, don't put anything on the area.
A dog scoots to rub the area under his tail, because it itches, hurts or feels full. Over two or three days you can gather the details your vet needs to get to the cause.
First, when he does it. Straight after a poo, indoors after a walk, at night, any time? Full anal glands usually cause scooting after a bowel movement and then again a few hours later. Itchy skin causes scooting at random, especially when the dog is lying still and has time to notice it.
Then how often. Log every episode on your phone with the time. Three in a week is a completely different picture from ten in a day.
His stools tell you a lot. Note how firm they are and what colour, whether they were soft in the days before, and whether you see anything small and white moving in a fresh stool or on the fur near his tail. Tapeworm segments look like grains of rice and dry out within a few hours, by which point they look more like sesame seeds.
The smell is a clue too. Anal gland secretion smells of rotten fish with a metallic edge. If you notice it on the sofa or his blanket after he has sat down in a fright, the glands have emptied themselves and were most likely full.
Wearing gloves, in good light, lift his tail and look at the area. You are looking for redness, one side more swollen than the other, scabs, fur stuck together with bits of poo, scratches from his teeth. In long-coated dogs, check there isn't a clump of dirty fur pulling on the skin. Take photos, even if it feels odd: your vet uses them as a reference a week later.
Check the rest of his skin as well. Is he scratching elsewhere, licking his paws, are his ears red, has he got patches on his belly? An itchy bottom is often just one end of a bigger allergy.
Finally, his history: his last worming treatment and the product (a photo of the box), his last flea treatment, any recent change of food, and whether anyone has emptied his glands before and when.
| Cause | What you usually see | What tends to go with it |
|---|---|---|
| Full (impacted) anal glands | Scooting after a poo, licking under the tail, fishy smell | Soft stools in the days before, a small or overweight dog |
| Inflamed or abscessed anal gland | Swelling beside the anus, pain when sitting, sometimes blood or pus | Fever, lethargy, tail held low |
| Intestinal worms (tapeworm) | White, rice-like segments on the fur or in the stool | Fleas in recent months, scavenging |
| Allergy (to food or something in the environment) | Itching elsewhere too: paws, ears, belly | Comes with the seasons or after a new food |
| Poo residue or dirty fur | Matted fur, smell, red skin underneath | Recent diarrhoea, a long-coated dog |
| Perianal fistulas | Deep sores around the anus, severe pain when passing stools | Mostly German Shepherds, middle-aged dogs |
| Anal gland tumour | A firm, painless lump that grows slowly | An older dog, sometimes drinking and weeing more |
The table helps you describe what you see. The decision is made at the appointment. And two causes can sit on top of each other: an allergic dog has soft stools, soft stools don't empty the glands, and full glands add their own itch on top of the allergy.
Before you leave, ask two more questions: how soon it is likely to come back, and which sign means you should come back sooner.
The glands empty themselves when a firm stool passes, so a firm stool comes first: the right food, a healthy weight, as much water as he wants. Keep fleas under control all year, because fleas bring tapeworm. In long-coated breeds, have the groomer keep the fur under the tail short. And take a look under his tail once a week while you're brushing him anyway: a lump caught at hazelnut size means an appointment, one caught at walnut size means an operation.
A dog who scooted once and then nothing for two weeks needs nothing. One who does it every day, or shows any of the signs at the top of this page, needs a rectal exam from someone who knows what they are feeling for. If you don't have a regular vet yet, our related services page helps you choose a practice.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
Because under his tail it itches, hurts or feels full and he can't reach it any other way. The most common culprit is full or inflamed anal glands, especially in small dogs and dogs with soft stools. Then come intestinal worms (tapeworm segments irritate the skin), allergies and poo matted into a long coat. Your vet tells them apart with a rectal exam that takes under a minute.
Once, after a soft stool, yes: something has stuck to the coat or the glands haven't emptied fully. If it happens after every poo for several days running, the anal glands are probably full and no longer emptying on their own. Log the episodes with the time, look under his tail in good light and book an appointment. It isn't an emergency, but it won't clear up by itself.
Not from a video on the internet. Pressing from the outside without being able to feel the gland, you can push the contents into the tissue and cause exactly the inflammation you're worried about. Healthy glands emptied as routine get irritated and refill faster. If your vet decides it makes sense for your dog, they'll show you on your dog and watch you do it.
Possibly, but it isn't the first suspect. Tapeworm segments, like grains of rice, stick to the fur by the anus and itch; you see them on the coat or in a fresh stool. Far more often, though, scooting comes from the anal glands or an allergy. Don't give a wormer just to see. Take a stool sample to your own vet and let them check the glands too.
In a healthy dog, never as routine: they empty themselves every time a firm stool passes. They are emptied only when they are full or inflamed and causing signs. If they fill up month after month, the cause lies elsewhere (soft stools, weight, allergy) and your vet works on that, because repeated emptying irritates the gland and makes it refill faster.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
Rotten fish on the cushion, a doggy smell two days after a bath, a pug scooting across the carpet. The smell has about six possible sources and each needs its own fix.
A pot-bellied puppy, rice-like segments by the tail, soft stools for no clear reason. Intestinal worms are common, easy to treat and kept at bay with a schedule.
Claws on the belly at midnight, paws licked red, an ear infection every summer. Behind the word "allergy" sit at least three diseases, each with its own plan.
A hard bead with legs on his neck after the woods, or black specks on the sofa that turn red when wet. Both can be sorted out, and neither with oil or garlic.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.