Scooting on the floor

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

I took Josie to the vet last month for her annual checkup and shots. When I was there I told him that she has been "scooting" on the floor more often. So he checked her anal sacs and expectorated some discharge. He said they were full. Recently she has been scooting again, and now leaves  a brown skid mark behind. Of course she likes to do this on my carpets. Should I ask the vet to check her sacs again? Is there anything I can do? Besides shampooing my carpets. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

ADd more fiber to her diet. Like green beans.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with adding more fiber to her diet. Cooked sweet potatoes or pure canned pumpkin (not pie filling) added to her meals might help. 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

My Oliver had anal gland issues ... he never scooted but I would always put gloves on and feel that they were full if he had loose poops.  The vet showed me how to express and once I changed his food and his poops were firm he does not have the problem anymore.  When I groom him I always check the glands just to make sure. 

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

She has been having loose stools recently and I thought it was because I changed her food. I did give her the pumpkin for several days, Then she was having very firm stool. So I stopped the pumpkin and resumed her probiotic greek plain yogurt. She will have normal stool, then last night have a very runny one. She has been on this dog food for several weeks. She used to be on the Horizon Pulsar, Then I changed it to Go! from Petcurean. Maybe I will talk to my vet, and have him check her glands again. I could have him show me what to do as well.

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I also want to mention that f you have her professionally groomed, you should tell the groomer NOT to express the anal glands. This is something they sometimes do routinely when they groom a dog, and they usually do it externally, which is not the right way to do it and actually can often lead to the glands becoming impacted. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I I agree, I never have that done.

[Rica + Margot]

:( I took Margot to the groomer on Saturday and she started scooting afterwards. I'm guessing because her glands were expressed. She's had harder poop so I was surprised she needed it. Will her glands eventually remedy themselves if I tell our groomer not to do it again? Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would definitely tell the groomer not to do it again. Whether that will solve any anal gland problems that might exist, I can't say, but it would certainly help. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

First I'd be sure that when she poops there is nothing still attached....if there's even a little spot my Guinness will scoot to try and get it off.  If that's not the case I'd bring him to the Vet to have them expressed.  I went through several months with Murphy when I had to bring him in regularly and twice he had to be anesthetized and have them flushed because they became infected.  We think it was related to the episodes of loose stools he was having...the BMs were just not solid enough for the glands to self express.  I tried the extra fiber, but that didn't work.  Now his stools have firmed and we haven't had a problem in a while.  Good luck...and keep us posted.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Every four weeks or so, I bring Wally to the vet to have his anal glands expressed. He lets me know when it's time to head to the vet by scooting on the floor. It's like clockwork -- almost every month. Charlotte, on the other hand, has never had an issue with her glands. I agree that you should not let the groomer empty Josie's anal sacks, as they do so externally, and the job needs to be done from the inside. From my experience, no amount of added fiber or other diet changes have made a difference.

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

Thank you everyone for all of your great tips. I took Josie to the vet today and her anal glands were full. So he expressed them and did show me how to do it. I wouldn't have thought to ask him to show me, thanks Barb. You also said that you changed your dogs food, what did you change it to? 

Great timing about groomers expressing, because she is going to the groomers tomorrow. So I will make sure that they know not to express her. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

I think you should learn how to do it yourself.  It is not that hard.  I do it every time I give my guys a bath and about half the time I get some discharge.  It's just normal but if you are getting brown skid marks, that is poop.  The anal gland extractions are not brown (at least in my experience), but they are smelly.