Dog Anal Gland & Scooting Problems

Bernie’s Perfect Poop may naturally help anal gland & scooting issues in dogs

Photo of Bernie's Perfect Poop grass bits up close. You watch your dog scoot his bum across your white carpet and your cringe! Why is he doing that? What’s the problem? How can you stop it? Bernie’s Perfect Poop Can naturally help anal gland & scooting issues in dogs.

Good dog gut health is critical for your dog’s overall health. When your dog’s gut is healthy, your dog is healthier. And so is his bum. It’s cleaner and his anal sacs are cleaner and can help prevent anal gland issues and dog butt scooting.
Food and diet impact your dog’s anal sacs and their expression. Most often if your dog is scooting his butt, he’s dealing with irritation in that area. Most often, supplementing with a high-quality fiber like in Bernie’s Perfect Poop will help bulk up your dog’s stool. This means that when your dog is pooping, the larger stool naturally will express the fluid that comes from their anal sacs and naturally relieve irritation without scooting. Dogs also naturally massage their anal glands (giving natural expression) when they’re moving and scratching. If they’re a healthy weight, like a premium-fiber will help manage, they’ll be more able to do this.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop combines prebiotics and probiotics to help create the perfectly balanced gut microbiome. Sometimes your dog’s rear will be irritated because of constipation, diarrhea or inflammatory skin issues. If your dog’s gut health isn’t balanced, you may see these issues more and your dog’s anal glands may be more irritated and lead them to scoot to relieve the irritation. The right balance of good bacteria in his gut will help him absorb the nutrients he needs to, and help his gut be balanced—leading to less constipation and diarrhea.
Each cell in your dog’s body needs nourishment and nutrients. When your dog can break the food you give him down, he’s able to best absorb nutrients and fuel his body. This also means that your dog can better form properly shaped and sized stool, which will help naturally express anal glands and prevent scooting with every bowel movement. The proprietary blend of seven enzymes in Perfect Poop will break their food down and ensure maximum absorption and metabolization. This means the perfectly formed poop to massage anal glands without scooting happens naturally.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop is a 4-in-1 combination of fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes. Good dog gut health is the key to a happier, healthier life for your dog, and for keeping his bottom irritation-free.

Learn more about Bernie's

4.4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 16,055+ reviews

What other pet parents say

Amazing! No more bad breath, no gas and our dogs poop is solid which eliminated having to go to the vet to have anal glands expelled. I recommended this product to coworkers who also love it! Thanks Bernie!!!! – Vitatherese L.

I was previously taking my dog to the vet regularly for anal gland problems. I have not had to since I’ve started feeding him Bernie’s. The recommended amount is .33 to 1 Tbsp per day. I only have to give him the lowest amount for results. – Roz

What is butt scooting and anal gland expression and what are the signs?

You know what butt scooting looks like because you’re mortified when your dog does it. “STOP SCOOTING!” you may blurt out because it looks awkward and may be leaving Hershey’s streaks on your new rug.

Really what’s most likely happening is that your dog’s butt is irritated and like an itch that needs a scratch, that’s how he’s handling it. It’s not like he has opposable thumbs to get right at the spot, so scooting will have to suffice.

Dogs have two glands that are small internal sacs on either side of their anus. They’re called anal glands and every time your dog poops, a smelly liquid comes out of them. Yes, we know, gross, BUT key for dogs to mark territory in the wild. As long as there is no inflammation or irritation, this excretion keeps their anal glands expressed and no scooting is needed. But…if your dog can’t expel the liquid when he poops, it’ll build inside the sacs and become kind of like a thick paste. This can be uncomfortable for your dog and lead them to scoot or drag on the floor to ‘express’ or pop them. They can even become infected and that leads to more irritation and dog butt scooting.

Sometimes your dog’s anal glands are not necessarily the issue as much as parasites (like tapeworms) or tumors or even injury around their anus irritating them. If that’s the case, they’ll not only scoot their butt, they’ll probably lick their bum to no end.

Signs your dog may have problems with their Anal Glands Include:

Scooting (dragging the butt across the floor)
Foul odor at the rectal (butt) area
Excessive butt-licking
Excessive butt-scratching/biting
Constipation
Diarrhea
Poor temperament when tail/rear is touched

Causes of anal gland issues and scooting

Most often, if your dog is scooting around on his bottom, he’s got an issue with his anal glands. A dog’s anal glands/sacs are pretty important because they’re full of a smelly, fatty liquid that communicates to other dogs.

The problem occurs when these anal sacs don’t get to release their liquid as they should be able to because of inflammation, blockage or abscess. Every time your dog poops, theoretically the poop manipulates the glands to give their fluid out (express) but not always. That’s when they resort to licking, chewing and scooting.

Sometimes your dog may have an upset tummy that leaves him with diarrhea or constipation. This may make his bottom messy and even leave some fecal remain to contaminate the area. This irritation may lead him to scoot his butt too. They may even have rectal prolapse after a severe bout, and if that’s the case, you may even see part of your dog’s rectum prolapse. It’ll look like a cylindrical mass sticking out from their rectum and you need to call the vet ASAP.

Tapeworms happen when your dog swallows worm-infested fleas. Gross, right? Well, even grosser is when they scoot their butts to get the tapeworms out. You’ll know because you’ll see little rice-like pellets around your dog’s bum.

Sometimes your dog will have tumors around their anus—malignant or benign—which can lead to swelling and irritation they have to scoot. You’ll want your vet’s input on that too.

Possible causes of anal gland problems	Can Perfect Poop help?
Insufficient fiber in diet	Yes
Poor digestion	Yes
Constipation	Yes
Diarrhea	Yes
Obesity	Yes
Prescription medicines	Yes
Lack of exercise
Poor grooming around anus
Parasites

Illustration of Bernie sitting and smiling.

Warning: If your dog has anal gland issues

If your dog scoots butt too much, or the anal gland issues become out of control, he may have an abscess or a ruptured abscess. Anal glands that need expressing can be very painful for your dog, and messy for you. If you see your dog’s anal glands are swollen, or you smell something even more horrible than usual from their butt, you should seek your vet’s help if treatments don’t improve the situation.

More information about dog anal gland problems

Good dog gut health is pivotal to overall physical health in your dog. Good nutrition is what fuels your dog’s mind and body. It’s also what ensures their digestive system is at its peak and that the perfect poop comes out and expresses anal sacs with every movement.

Fiber may help with blocked anal glands in dogs

Fiber is an important supplement when it comes to stopping your dog from butt scooting. Premium fiber in the right quantities will bulk your dog’s stool up as it goes through the digestive tract. If your dog’s poop is too runny, it won’t have enough pressure to exert on the anal glands as it leaves, and this means those glands won’t be able to let go of their fluid. The same can be said if your dog is constipated and the poop is too hard. If your dog can’t express those glands properly with every poop, you’ll have a butt-scooting doggie. Adding a premium fiber like the Miscanthus grass in Bernie’s Perfect Poop will allow the stool to be the right shape and consistency to do the very-gross work of popping the fluid out of your dog’s anal glands.

Prebiotics and probiotics may help with dog butt scooting

Prebiotics and probiotics are key supplements to ensuring your dog’s food gets broken down appropriately. When your dog’s gut is imbalanced, the food in the digestive tract may linger and ferment. This could lead to anal gland issues and prevent your dog from naturally expressing them every time he poops.

Additionally, a healthy microbiome keeps your dog healthy overall. Good dog gut health is the key to good health, which is important with anal glands. Suppose your dog has chronic inflammation or skin issues due to other health conditions. In that case, they may have recurring chronic anal gland problems too.

Prebiotics and Probiotics balance out your dog’s digestive tract bacteria and microbiome. They ensure better dog gut health and that helps keep things moving and expressing smoothly as they should.

A balanced gut is most important if anal sacs become plugged up or impacted. If this happens, the liquid becomes more paste-like and that can be painful for your dog every time he poops. Impacted anal glands are breeding grounds for bacteria overgrowth and infection. But a healthy microbiome with the probiotics needed to prevent that bacteria overgrowth can naturally aid your dog in the expression of those anal glands, and even help prevent them from becoming plugged up in the first place.

Enzymes may help your dog express anal glands

If your dog can break his food down and digest it properly, he’ll take in maximum nutrients. This means that the waste, or the poop, is minimal but just the right consistency in a healthy digestive system. Enzymes help your dog break down his food and absorb all he’s supposed to for cellular fuel. The right digestive enzymes also mean your dog’s food will go through his body as it should and his poop will express his anal glands with every movement.

Other ways to help

Increase water intake
Increase their exercise
Groom regularly
Apply warm compress
Manually express glands if they need it
Improve diet
Give antibiotics for an infection
Lance under anesthetic

Additional reading

Related terms

Anal gland issues
Anal sac issues
Butt scooting
Dog anal gland expression
Anal gland abscess
Anal gland impaction
Inflamed anal glands
Enlarged anal glands
Dog anal tumor