Why is my dog's tail red, swollen, and itchy? Anal gland problem?

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.

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.

It does look like the area to the right of the anus is irritated. Dogs have anal glands besides their anus, so if Loki has been scooting, that may be an issue. I am attaching a link with more information about anal glands below. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=625 I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Loki and check his anal glands. Certainly, Loki could also be having a skin problem, so if his anal glands are normal, then your veterinarian can look for a skin infection to see if that may be the problem. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petcoach (now Boop).

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Bodhi seems irritated by his hind end and is licking back there. Based off your description and the pictures, Bodhi may have inflamed, infected, and/or impacted anal glands. The anal glands are two small glands located on either side of the anus, at approximately 4 and 8 o'clock (if the anus was a clock face). Normally, a small amount of secretion of these anal glands is expressed when a dog poops. However, some dogs can experience a blockage of the ducts of the glands, causing them to become obstructed and very swollen and irritating. I recommend bringing Bodhi to your veterinarian at their next available appointment. Your veterinarian can try to express his anal glands and relieve this pressure. Your veterinarian should do a thorough rectal exam to ensure there are no other irregularities present. In the meantime, if you have one at home, Bodhi should wear an Elizabethan collar (cone collar) to prevent him from licking this area and increasing the risk of infection. If left untreated, anal glands can become abscessed and actually rupture through the skin. I hope this is helpful!

Oh dear, poor Sadie! Her skin issues coupled with the redness and swelling of her anus and vulva could be due to underlying allergies to fleas, food or the environment. I see that she has not been spayed, so it is also possible that her vulva is red and swollen if she is going into heat. The anus can be red and irritated from parasites or anal gland issues, as well. At this point, I recommend assuring that Sadie is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Nexgard, Bravecto or K9 Advantix II). You can try bathing her in a gentle oatmeal shampoo or antimicrobial shampoo, but she will likely need to go to her vet for an exam. The vet will be able to assess her changes and determine if a skin infection is present as a result of her ongoing itching. She may need to have a course of antibiotics and anti-itch medications to help resolve this issue. I hope that all goes well!

I would recommend that you have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian. Possible causes of wounds in the area that you mentioned can be caused by anal gland infection or abscess, perianal fistula, or wounds caused by excessive scooting - which can be caused by intestinal parasites or allergies (fleas, food, environmental, etc). Until you can have your dog evaluated by a vet, it may need to wear an e-collar or cone to prevent licking these areas. Licking will spread bacteria and delay healing.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 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. 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!