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Dog scooting, itching, and bleeding. Is it anal gland issues?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | English Bulldog | Male | unneutered | 3 years and 3 months old | 51 lbs

Hello, our dog has seemed to be sitting on his butt and turning and seems to be itching very bad. We have tried a safe dose of benadryl thinking it was his allergies just making him itchy. He has rubbed his anus raw and it is bleeding now. The blood is not seeping out, only when he rubs his butt against something. He is up to date with shots and flea and heart worm prevention pills. Could this be an anal glands issue?? Please help. He is an English bulldog, 3 years old, and healthy.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 26th, 2017

Poor Duke! Yes, this certainly could be an issue with his anal sacs, and that would be very itchy to him. They may be impacted and need to be expressed. It could also be caused by intestinal worms, and he may need a deworming treatment such as Panacur if he isn't up to date on that medication. I would take him into the vet on Monday, as he sounds very uncomfortable. Bring along a sample of his feces for the vet to look for worm eggs in it. The vet can also check his anal sacs and express them as needed. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 10th, 2019

    It looks like he has a skin infection which may be related to allergies. Your vet can prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection. You could also talk to your vet about trying Apoquel or Cytopoint to control his allergies especially if they start to flare up again. As for the anal glands, he might just need them expressed more frequently. Anal gland problems can also be related to allergies so you could try him on allergy medications and see if that helps, too.

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