4 Reasons A Puppy Will Drag Their Butts & What To Do About It

Though it might seem harmless when a puppy drags his bum, you should be aware of issues that can be detrimental to its health. It’s relatively common for a puppy to drag his bum once in a while, but if the dragging occurs frequently with minimal breaks, you should consider taking your puppy to a veterinarian for an exam. 

Why is my puppy dragging their butt on the floor? 

A puppy may drag his bum to relieve irritations from bowel movements, anal sac blockages, parasites, rectal protrusions, or swelling from an illness. There is generally little cause for concern unless the dragging occurs for more than two consecutive days.

I’ve never had a dog that didn’t drag his bum at some point in time, but since a puppy can be more vulnerable to health problems than an older dog, you should take extra precautions when caring for a puppy.

Before you get too anxious about your puppy dragging his bum, you should know that even the most serious issues can be treated. If you take action quickly, you can put your puppy in a good position to lead a healthy and happy life.

Reasons A Puppy Drags Their Butts On The Floor

Minor Irritations And Bum Cleaning

When you see a puppy dragging his bum, it is likely trying to relieve some type of irritation in or around his bum.

Minor irritations can occur from everyday puppy activities such as bowel movements and rolling around.

After a puppy has a bowel movement, an accumulation of fecal matter may be left near the puppy’s anal region.

Compared to a human, a puppy doesn’t have as many ways to sufficiently remove fecal matter from their bums.

Your puppy may drag his bum on the ground as a means of cleaning fecal matter or soothing irritations caused by the fecal matter.

To prevent your puppy from dragging his bum after bowel movements, you should make sure your puppy eats a consistently nutritious diet with adequate fiber.

One of the easier ways to give your puppy the fiber it needs is to feed it fiber-enriched puppy food.

There are many high-quality puppy foods on the market that contain a healthy amount of fiber-rich ingredients such as oats, carrots, beet pulp, and whole grains.

You can also supplement your puppy’s fiber intake by feeding them raw foods that are high in fiber.

Common high-fiber foods for dogs include green beans, pumpkin pulp, flaxseed, and broccoli.

If your puppy is a picky eater, you can grind up some of these fiber-rich ingredients and add them to the foods your puppy likes.

Feeding your puppy foods that are high in fiber will help to prevent constipation and other bowel-related issues that can lead to him dragging his bum.

When your puppy consumes a high-fiber diet, it will do more than just prevent occasional bum irritations.

A balanced diet with adequate fiber should benefit your puppy’s overall health and development.

Since your puppy can benefit from a high-fiber diet throughout its life, feeding them high-fiber foods early on should get them on the right track towards lifelong healthy eating.

Aside from fecal matter, pretty much anything that can cause itching could lead to your puppy dragging his bum.

If your puppy spends a great deal of time walking, running, or playing in a dirty area, they might get exposed to elements that can cause their bum to itch.

Though it might be difficult to track all of your puppy’s movements, you should try to keep your puppy out of dirty areas that might lead to itchiness in their bum.

If a dirty bum is the cause of your puppy dragging his bum, a simple wash may be all that’s needed to relieve your puppy and stop the bum dragging.

Anal Fluid Blockage

When dogs have a bowel movement, they typically release fluid from glands in their anus.

This fluid has a strong scent that is believed to play a role in a dog’s marking of territory.

A puppy may drag his bum along the ground as a way to release the fluid from blocked anal sacs.

Other signs your puppy may have anal sac blockage include licking and biting his bum and a distinctly pungent smell coming from the anal region.

If your puppy seems abnormally bothered by his bum, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian for a check-up.

A qualified veterinarian can inspect the anus for issues involving the anal glands and other causes of bum dragging.

Parasites, Infections, And Other Illnesses

Puppies can be especially susceptible to parasites, infections, and other illnesses due to their immature immune systems.

Even if you’ve taken measures to get your puppy immunized, feed them a healthy diet, and keep them clean, you should always be on the lookout for symptoms of potentially dangerous illnesses.

For instance, a puppy might drag his bum due to the presence of parasites such as tapeworm.

Though symptoms of tapeworm may not always be easy to notice, a puppy will sometimes vomit and experience weight loss if it is infested with tapeworms.

If you take your puppy to a veterinarian, they should be able to inspect its anal region for the presence of tapeworms and other parasites.

The veterinarian can provide your puppy with the proper medications to treat tapeworm and stop your puppy from dragging his bum.

There are several forms of medication for tapeworm, including pills, topical solutions, and injections.

Rectal Prolapse, Wounds, And Tumors

If your puppy isn’t getting enough fiber, it may strain excessively during bowel movements.

Such straining may lead to digestive tract issues that can cause their rectum to prolapse.

A prolapsed rectum means a part of the rectum protrudes out of the anus.

When a piece of the rectum sticks out in such a manner, your puppy may experience irritations that cause him to drag his bum on the ground.

Rectal prolapse can also occur if your puppy has a severe occurrence of diarrhea.

If you notice an abnormal mass sticking out from your puppy’s bum, you should seek medical attention for your puppy as soon as possible.

Though you can take measures to prevent future prolapses, treating a rectal prolapse is something that should be done by a veterinarian.

Depending on the nature of the prolapse, a veterinarian may stitch a part of your puppy’s anus closed or perform more advanced surgery to repair the prolapse.

As a preventative measure for rectal prolapse, your veterinarian may recommend giving your puppy stool softeners or adjusting their diet.

Since puppies generally have little knowledge about potential dangers surrounding them, they can be exposed to situations where they get cut or bruised in their bum area.

A wound in a puppy’s bum may not always be noticeable, but if your puppy shows excessive signs of discomfort or pain as they drag their bum, you should have their bum examined more closely for wounds.

Though some wounds may heal on their own, certain wounds may get worse as a puppy drags his bum.

You should strongly consider having wounds treated by a veterinarian to ensure proper healing.

In rare circumstances, your puppy may develop a tumor is the anal area that causes him to drag his bum.

If you suspect your puppy has underlying health issues that are causing him to drag his bum, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible.