My dogs anus is red and swollen he keeps licking it. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 4 years old | 60 lbs

Signs as the excessive licking and discharge that may be bloody indicate possible infection or even an abscess has formed please take the dog to be checked by a vet as if that is the case the dog will need more support than just release but also antibiotics etc.

Your dog could have an infected anal gland. I recommend you get this checked by your vet right away. Left untreated, this only become more painful and swollen and will rupture. Your vet will express the anal gland to relive the pressure and clear out some of the infection, clean him up, as anal glands are very malodorous and get him started on antibiotics. If the problem recurs frequently, there is a surgery to remove the affected anal gland, but that can sometimes result in fecal incontinence so it is done only as a last resort.

I would recommend you have Copper examined by a veterinarian. Based on the picture, I would agree that the area is very inflamed. I would have to know a bit more about Copper's previous medical history, age, and breed before I gave you an indication of what is the most likely problem. Without that information, I would say that there is either an infected / impact anal gland, an extremely full anal sac, or a mass inside of / attached to the anal sac. Your veterinarian will have to perform a rectal exam on Copper to assess the lesion. If he feels that there is a mass, he may suggest additional diagnostics. If this is an impaction, the area may ultimately rupture. While it is going to look very bad if this happens, I don't want you to panic. Though you should definitely bring him into the vet if this occurs for medical therapy and pain management, most often the holes that are left by the rupture are left to heal on their own rather than sutured closed. If it turns out there is an impaction or anal sac build up, there are treats / supplements available that encourage natural expression of the anal glands by your dog in order to avoid this sort of thing from recurrence. Hope this makes sense.

Why is my dog's anus red, swollen, and constantly being licked?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dogs anus is red and swollen he keeps licking it

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4 Answers

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM 107

Veterinarian

Published on March 14th, 2019

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.

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Why is my dog's anus red, swollen, and constantly being licked?

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