My dog leaks anal fluid and licks her bottom. Could it be allergies?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I suspect Blu has either skin allergy (for example flea-bite allergy) or impacted anal glands. Please, get him seen by your local vets as he likely needs anti-allergic medication and a good quality flea and tick prevention. Also his anal glands should be emptied. Do not worry - this treatment should not be very expensive. Good luck

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be licking due to allergies. Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Jameson evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. You can use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I suspect that Jackson is suffering from an allergy (environmental, dietary or immune mediated). I would recommend starting him on a food such as Royal Canin Ultamino (prescription required) and feed this for at least 4 weeks to see if this makes a difference. I would also consider the below products (which can be found online quite easily) to see if they help reduce the skin problem you are seeing. He may have a condition known as atopic dermatitis and may require a medication such as cyclosporine or cytopoint to reduce the symptoms. I would discuss these two medications with your veterinarian if the food is not working. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Douxo PS mousse and apply once daily until resolved 3. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected area twice daily until resolved 4. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent 5. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for dogs

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without an exam. However, this is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Anal glands are sometimes difficult to determine what causes them to fill up quickly and why they don't empty on their own. What we typically recommend is switching the diet completely to a different brand / formula and adding in supplementation for the anal glands such as Glandex (which can be purchased online). I've known Glandex to reduce the time between anal gland expressions by months and sometimes the diet switch alone makes a big difference. Try this for a few months and if the problem persists after, I would speak with your veterinarian about other options. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

This sounds like her anal sacs are fully and causing the scooting and itching. Even if they look normal on the outside they can be full inside. I recommend your veterinarian express the fluid in the anal sacs and they can see if they are over full or infected. The scooting can cause skin irritation. You can apply a thin coat of Vaseline to soothe the red skin. Yes allergies can cause itching but I would check the anal glands to make sure they are not the problem. Also make sure you are using warm water or something mild to clean the area after pooping. Some chemicals, soaps, and fragrances could cause a skin irritation and itching. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Snowball.

I have seen a few dogs like Bella. Many times there will be an underlying cause such as allergies that cause this but not always. I would recommend a food trial with a prescription diet made by Royal Canin called Ultamino. You will feed her ONLY this diet for 2 months. She cannot eat ANYTHING else, no treats, bread crusts...absolutely nothing. At the end of the food trial, if her anal glands are not bothering her, then you know its a food allergy. If they are still bothering her, then its not a food allergy. If you haven't tried this yet, its worthwhile. Sometimes a short dose of anti-inflammatory or steroids can also help wth residual inflammation. Her doctor can prescribe these medications if they seem warranted. Best of luck with Bella!