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My dog's rear is red, swollen, and losing hair. Is it anal glands?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | French Bulldog | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 26 lbs

My dog has a sudden hair loss near his bottom and it looks a little red. I think avoce his tail looks a little swollen too.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on March 2nd, 2018

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).

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