Why does my dog scoot his rear end on the carpet?

Pets "scoot" due to three main reasons.  First of all, the pet's anal area may simply itch, usually due to allergic problems.  Second, the pet may scoot if it is having a problem with tapeworms.  The tapeworm segments emerge freely from the anus, and can provoke some chapping and irritation in the area.  Third, and most commonly, scooting can be a sign of anal discomfort, due to full or impacted anal glands.  These anal glands are located on either side of the anus, and are normally expressed during defecation.  Commonly, the anal glands will become impacted, and cannot be emptied by the pet through defecation, or even scooting and chewing. This makes your pet miserable--like sitting on 2 marbles.  It also is very painful for your pet to even attempt a bowel movement with impacted anal glands.  If allowed to progress too far, the impacted anal glands can even rupture through the skin next to the anaus and drain--a bona fide veterinary emergency.  Your pet's anal glands can be manually expressed in a quick office procedure at Windmill Animal Hospital.  For those pets with chronic problems with their anal glands, the veterinarians at Windmill Animal Hospital will design a long-term management plan to make sure your pet stays comfortable and happy.