Why Is My Pet Scooting?
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Anal Sacs
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Anal Sacs, Or Why Is My Pet Scooting?
What on Earth Are Anal Sacs?
Anal sacs (also called anal glands) are two small glands just inside your pet's anus. The material
secreted into these glands is thick and has foul odor. Most animals can empty these glands voluntarily
for scent marking or in self-defense, like a skunk might.
Domestic animals have largely lost their ability to empty these sacs voluntarily. Walking around and
normal defecation usually serves to empty the glands but some animals become unable to empty their
glands on their own at all. The sacs become impacted and uncomfortable. Dogs and sometimes cats with
impacted anal sacs will scoot their rear on the ground in an attempt to empty the glands. Some dogs will
lick their anal area and sometimes chase their tails. Cats often lick the fur off just under their tails.
What Happens if an Impacted Sac Doesn't Get Emptied?
An abscess can form and rupture out through the skin. This is a painful, messy, and pretty smelly
condition often mistaken for rectal bleeding. If an anal sac abscess forms, your pet needs to be seen by
your veterinarian. Antibiotics will be needed.
How Often Should Anal Sacs Be Emptied?
This is a highly individual situation. The best recommendation is to let the pet tell you when the sacs are
full. If the pet starts scooting again, it is time to bring them in.
What if My Pet's Sacs Seem to Require Emptying All the Time?
To avoid the expense of having the sacs emptied, you can learn to empty them yourself at home but
most people feel it is well worth having someone else perform this service. A non-invasive technique that
helps some patients is a change to a high fiber diet. This will produce a bulkier stool that may be more
effective in emptying the sac as it passes by.
If the sacs need to be emptied every few weeks or more, you may opt to have the sacs permanently
removed. This procedure is complicated because many local nerves control fecal continence, the fact that
any change in the local musculature of the anal sphincter area can affect fecal continence, and the fact
that with chronic anal sac problems anatomy is distorted. Draining tracts can develop after surgery if the
gland is not completely removed. Still, despite these pitfalls, most board certified surgery specialists
consider anal sac removal a relatively simple surgery. If this procedure is to be done we generally
recommend that an experienced veterinarian perform it.
Many people own pets for years without ever learning that anal sacs exist at all, and the wives' tale that
worms cause scooting erroneously continues. If you have further questions about anal gland disease,
ask your veterinarian.
What To Do About Scooting?
The first step is to check the anal sacs when any pet has a history of scooting. The anal sacs can be
emptied in one of two ways, externally or internally.
What If Scooting Continues?
If scooting continues for more than a few days after sac emptying, the sacs should be re-checked. For
some individuals, it takes several times in a row before the sacs stay emptied for a longer period of time.
If the sacs are empty and scooting is persisting, another cause (such as itchy skin, tapeworms, or even
lower back pain) should be pursued.
If the sacs have been emptied adequately, the scooting should resolve in a couple of days.
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Anal Sacs, Or Why Is My Pet Scooting?
What on Earth Are Anal Sacs?
Anal sacs (also called anal glands) are two small glands just inside your pet's anus. The material
secreted into these glands is thick and has foul odor. Most animals can empty these glands voluntarily
for scent marking or in self-defense, like a skunk might.
Domestic animals have largely lost their ability to empty these sacs voluntarily. Walking around and
normal defecation usually serves to empty the glands but some animals become unable to empty their
glands on their own at all. The sacs become impacted and uncomfortable. Dogs and sometimes cats with
impacted anal sacs will scoot their rear on the ground in an attempt to empty the glands. Some dogs will
lick their anal area and sometimes chase their tails. Cats often lick the fur off just under their tails.
What Happens if an Impacted Sac Doesn't Get Emptied?
An abscess can form and rupture out through the skin. This is a painful, messy, and pretty smelly
condition often mistaken for rectal bleeding. If an anal sac abscess forms, your pet needs to be seen by
your veterinarian. Antibiotics will be needed.
How Often Should Anal Sacs Be Emptied?
This is a highly individual situation. The best recommendation is to let the pet tell you when the sacs are
full. If the pet starts scooting again, it is time to bring them in.
What if My Pet's Sacs Seem to Require Emptying All the Time?
To avoid the expense of having the sacs emptied, you can learn to empty them yourself at home but
most people feel it is well worth having someone else perform this service. A non-invasive technique that
helps some patients is a change to a high fiber diet. This will produce a bulkier stool that may be more
effective in emptying the sac as it passes by.
If the sacs need to be emptied every few weeks or more, you may opt to have the sacs permanently
removed. This procedure is complicated because many local nerves control fecal continence, the fact that
any change in the local musculature of the anal sphincter area can affect fecal continence, and the fact
that with chronic anal sac problems anatomy is distorted. Draining tracts can develop after surgery if the
gland is not completely removed. Still, despite these pitfalls, most board certified surgery specialists
consider anal sac removal a relatively simple surgery. If this procedure is to be done we generally
recommend that an experienced veterinarian perform it.
Many people own pets for years without ever learning that anal sacs exist at all, and the wives' tale that
worms cause scooting erroneously continues. If you have further questions about anal gland disease,
ask your veterinarian.
What To Do About Scooting?
The first step is to check the anal sacs when any pet has a history of scooting. The anal sacs can be
emptied in one of two ways, externally or internally.
What If Scooting Continues?
If scooting continues for more than a few days after sac emptying, the sacs should be re-checked. For
some individuals, it takes several times in a row before the sacs stay emptied for a longer period of time.
If the sacs are empty and scooting is persisting, another cause (such as itchy skin, tapeworms, or even
lower back pain) should be pursued.
If the sacs have been emptied adequately, the scooting should resolve in a couple of days.