Why is my dog constantly licking her red anal area? Is it serious?

Red’s anus does look irritated and I can see some redness on the underside of his tail as well. He might be licking due to irritation from full anal glands, parasites or allergies. I would recommend having your vet examine him and check his anal glands. They may want to check a stool sample as well. Oral or topical medications might help. I would recommend putting an e-collar on to prevent licking until you can get to the vet.

Yes, just based on your description (since I can't see it), it probably is a ruptured anal gland abscess. If the dog will let you, keep the area clean (you can use a baby wipe) and apply some Neosporin to it twice a day until the owner returns. It would also be recommended that you get her a "cone" collar to stop her from licking it. If you don't want to buy one you can try to make one at one - see YouTube video link below: ( https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=make+dog+cone+home ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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!

These skin changes are from licking and probably scooting or rubbing this area on the floor. This can be from Josie's anal sacs being full causing the area to be itchy. Anal sacs are on each side of the anus, they are like scent glands in a skunk. They have a foul smelling fluid in them. Normally when a dog defecates some fluid is discharged. If the sac opening becomes clogged the fluid can build up causing pressure, itchiness and often dogs will scoot on their rears. Sometimes they get infected and the area will become red, painful and puss may rupture through the skin. Having full anal sacs is more common with small dogs like Josie. Your veterinarian can manually express the fluid and give the dog relief. Some dogs need to have their annals expressed every few months. The skin under the tail should improve once the rubbing and irritation stop. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Josie.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an infection of the anal sac or possibly allergies for example. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Hi there and thanks for posting. Certain shampoos or sprays may irritate the skin and anus especially if she has a history of sensitive skin. Sometimes the groomers will express the anal glands as part of their grooming routine. If that was the case, sometimes there can be a small amount of inflammation afterwards especially if the anal sacs were very full. She may also have a skin infection or infection of the anal sacs as well which may be unrelated to the grooming. Feel free to send along pictures or you can also request a consult with me to share pictures and I can provide additional feedback. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The signs you are describing can be related to your dog's anal glands - these are structures that create lubrication for the feces and can become impacted or infected. You may be seeing redness around the anus because your dog has been scooting or licking/chewing the area. Another cause can be a bacterial or fungal infection. I recommend having your dog seen by a vet as soon as possible, they can perform a rectal exam to determine if there are any anal gland issues. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!