5 reasons your dog won't stop scooting their butt across the floor and what you can do to help

• Dogs may drag their butts to remove leftover debris, so a scoot or two usually isn't a problem.
• Anal sac disease, dietary issues, tapeworms, and allergies can cause more frequent scooting.

Give your dog a fresh, clean carpet, and they're inevitably going to drag their butt across it.

Your furry, four-legged friend doesn't understand color theory or Feng Shui. All your dog knows is that the carpet can scratch the one itch their paws can't reach.

Butt scooting pretty much always means your dog's rear feels itchy or painful. Sometimes, this is perfectly normal behavior — butts can itch from time to time, after all.

Yet sometimes, butt scooting can suggest your dog has a more serious condition, says Sophie Whoriskey, veterinarian and senior writer at Floofy Doodles.

Read on to learn the five main reasons your dog might start scooting their booty and when you should call a vet.

1. Skin irritation

"Many dogs butt scoot to remove feces from their bums or foreign objects hanging out of their anus," says Russell Hartstein, certified pet behaviorist and trainer and founder of Fun Paw Care.

In short, dogs don't have the luxury of toilet paper, so your floor is the next best thing.

The itching may also come from a grooming mishap, like clipper burns or dried dog shampoo under their tail.

What to do next: When you see your dog scooting, check their behind for things that don't belong, such as nicks in the skin, dingleberries, or half-digested sticks. You can clean any dried feces away with a warm, wet towel.

Note: If your dog is rolling around and scratching themselves all over, they may have an allergy to their grooming products. Consider switching to an oatmeal-based shampoo or hypoallergenic dog wash.

2. Anal sac disease

Two grape-sized sacs next to your dog's anus coat their poop in a fishy-smelling liquid. This fluid is a scent-based calling card that lets other dogs know who's in the neighborhood.

Sometimes, though, these sacs may stop working properly, usually due to infections or clogs. Anal sacs may become painfully swollen, and your dog may scoot their butt in an attempt to squeeze the sacs out.

According to a 2021 UK study, 4.4% of dogs get anal sac disease each year. Your dog is more likely to develop this condition if they're over 3 years old or have a flat face.

The five dog breeds most prone to anal sac disease are:

1. Cavalier King Charles spaniel

2. King Charles spaniel

3. Cockapoo

4. Bichon Frise

5. Shih-tzu

What to do next: Butt dragging usually won't empty your dog's clogged anal sacs — so your furry friend will need a human to do it for them.

A groomer or vet can manually empty the sacs. Your vet may prescribe dog-friendly antibiotics or pain relievers to take home.

You can also empty the sacs yourself at home, though this option will likely require a partner to help hold your dog and a strong stomach.

Most dogs don't need their anal sacs drained on a regular basis. "It's more of an as-needed procedure," Hartstein says.

Important: Anal sacs are delicate, so emptying them requires a gentle touch. Squeezing them too hard or too often may break the sacs. The resulting pain and swelling could drive your dog to drag their butt even more. It's always best to have a vet teach you how to empty these sacs before you try it yourself.

3. Diet

A food sensitivity or allergy can also cause anal sac issues that lead to butt scooting.

Usually, when your dog poops, the firmness of their stool squeezes fluid out of their anal sacs. But if your dog eats something that upsets their stomach, their gastrointestinal tract may rush to move the food through, leaving their stool watery or half-digested.

Diarrhea doesn't give enough pressure to empty out the sacs, so the fluid in them builds up.

What to do next: One of the easiest ways to solve potty problems is to change your dog's food — but you'll want to get guidance from your vet before making any changes to their diet.

Your vet may suggest trying a different brand of dog food, or a food that contains a different type of protein or grain.

They may also recommend adding pumpkin to your dog's meals, since it's a dog-friendly source of fiber and flavor. Just make sure to avoid canned pumpkin that contains the synthetic sugar Xylitol, which is toxic for dogs.

Important: If you do decide to switch your dog's food, avoid grain-free dog foods, as some evidence links these foods to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a disease that affects your dog's heart muscle.

4. Parasites

Have you seen white, seed-like chunks in your dog's poop or bedding? Or clinging to the fur around their anus? Sorry to say, but those aren't seeds: they're bits of tapeworm.

Your dog can contract tapeworms by eating a flea carrying tapeworm eggs. Digestive juices dissolve the flea, releasing the eggs to hatch. The tapeworms then grow up in the not-so-hospitable home of your dog's bowels.

Adult tapeworms are made of proglottids, or tiny segments filled with eggs. Occasionally, these proglottids break off and catch a ride out of the intestines via your dog's stool.

As you might imagine, passing bits of worm doesn't feel all that pleasant. But since proglottids pass through the intestines intermittently, you won't see your dog dragging their butt quite as often. Scooting may be a sign of parasites if you also see your dog:

• Licking or biting their behind
• Vomiting
• Weight loss, in cases of severe infestation

What to do next: You'll need to take a sample of the worms — in other words, a baggie of fresh stool — to your vet. They can then prescribe your dog a good dewormer medication.

Making sure your pup is up to date on their flea medication can help prevent future tapeworm infestations. Regular flea treatments can help keep fleas carrying tapeworm eggs from harassing your dog in the first place.

5. Cancer

In rare cases, tumors can grow in the anal sacs. If your dog has an anal sac tumor, they may:

• Have ribbon-like stool
• Drink a lot more, due to increased calcium in the bloodstream
• Pee a lot more
• Seem unusually tired
• Vomit

What to do next: Cancer in the anal sacs can grow quickly, so it's important to get treatment as early as possible. Your vet will first examine the sacs and get a biopsy, or tissue sample, of the mass. They may also recommend X-rays and ultrasounds to check if the cancer has spread elsewhere.

If you catch the cancer early enough, the vet can remove the tumors in surgery. But if the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body, your dog may require radiation or chemotherapy. The vet may also prescribe Palladia, an anti-cancer medication for dogs that can offer some symptom relief.

When to call a vet

Occasional butt scooting is normal, but if your dog is dragging their behind all over the house, you may want to get them checked out.

Your dog may need medical attention right away if they:

• Seem very tired
• Keeps whimpering for no apparent reason
• Snap or growl whenever someone touches their tail or backside
• Compulsively lick or bite their rear
• Strain to push out stool
• Have blood or greenish-yellow pus in their stool
• Pass parasites with stool

Lots of scooting behavior can be solved with a simple lifestyle change, like a different brand of food or a new shampoo. If the area is infected or swollen, your vet may prescribe some take-home medication.

Your vet might also recommend some preventative hygiene measures.

"Making sure your dog is regularly groomed and bathed can also help reduce the risk of parasites and other conditions that may cause butt-scooting," Whoriskey says.

Insider's takeaway

Most causes of butt scooting prove fairly easy to treat. Clipper burns, anal sac disease, or food allergies are all fairly routine issues at the vet's office.

More serious issues, like parasites or tumors, are less common but still treatable.

Regardless of why your dog is scooting, you'll probably still want to have your vet check them out sooner rather than later. Your dog, and your carpet, will thank you.