My Dog Licks Its Anus — Reasons and Solutions

As part of its personal hygiene, a dog may occasionally lick its anus to keep it clean, which might seem strange to us but is very common in the animal world.

However, if it licks insistently, more often than usual, or whines while licking its rear, it may have a problem that needs our attention.

Although this is a very curious, particular topic, at Soyunperro we want to show you the reasons a dog licks its anus and what solutions we can offer.

Is It Normal for a Dog to Lick Its Butt?

It's something so curious it would never cross our minds, but dogs have no other way to clean themselves. They lick every part of their body as part of a daily hygiene routine — they lick their paws, their genitals, and even occasionally their anus.

This is something that shouldn't worry us, since it's completely normal, as long as they do it occasionally, maybe once a week. If our dog starts licking its butt constantly, more often than usual, it's because something isn't right.

It could be something minor and temporary, but it could also be something more complex, which is why we need to pay attention if it doesn't stop within a day or two.

Anal Pruritus

Anal pruritus is the term for constant anal itching our dog may have. This itching can be caused by several factors our vet needs to investigate, since it generally doesn't go away on its own.

Anal pruritus is usually linked to some wound in the perianal area, and our pet wants to soothe the burning sensation by licking — we need to take it to the vet so they can give us an Elizabethan collar or cone so the wound doesn't get infected from licking, along with any other necessary treatment.

It could be due to diet — our dog doesn't need to be allergic to an ingredient in its food; it's enough for it to have a slight intolerance for the itching to occur. Though normally this itching tends to show up as skin abnormalities due to that allergy.

On the other hand, dogs with constant diarrhea can develop anal burning, which will make them need to lick constantly for relief. Although these are just a few examples of common problems causing anal itching in a dog, let's look at more.

Intestinal Parasites Cause Itching

Don't make the mistake of thinking your dog doesn't have intestinal parasites because you take great care of it — absolutely every dog can get intestinal parasites, it's completely normal.

Dogs sniff and lick everything around them, which makes it really easy for them to pick up intestinal parasites. These parasites lodge in the dog's digestive tract and feed and reproduce there.

There are several species of worms. They're normally classified as nematodes and cestodes, which can vary in size, but if our dog has them, they can usually be seen directly in the stool and cause itching in its butt.

A Dog's Anal Glands

Every dog has a pair of glands in its anus that secrete a foul-smelling fluid when it defecates. This is a way of lubricating the anus and also of leaving its personal scent on its feces.

Generally, the glands gradually fill up and empty when the dog does its business, but sometimes they become blocked and overfill, causing a lot of anal itching.

In that case, we can empty the dog's anal glands ourselves, or see a vet to empty them and teach us how to do it (recommended).

Infection or Disease in the Anus

The anal glands themselves can overfill and rupture, forming a path from them to the outside (a fistula), which will cause itching and pain for the dog. This can involve a tedious treatment lasting several days to heal, and the vet will give us the guidelines to follow the appropriate treatment at home.

There are no home remedies or tricks we can use to fix this on our own, since some things are too important not to see the vet for.