One subject I don’t bring up too often is anal glands. A big reason for this is that it tends to be a gross topic. A modified version of these glands are what skunks use to spray when they are scared.

Sometimes dogs—and cats, too—scoot their rear ends across the floor. There can be various medical reasons for this behavior.

Smaller dogs that are nervous and high-strung experience changes in the stool’s firmness, and the anal sacs don’t express ...