How often should the rear area be cleaned?

There is no fixed frequency that suits everyone. Many healthy animals keep themselves clean and almost never need help, while long-haired, senior, overweight animals or those with soft stools may need frequent cleaning. The practical rule is to look: if the coat around the anus stays dirty after the animal has cleaned itself, or if stuck residue appears, you clean. If you find yourself stepping in every day, the issue is not hygiene but something upstream, from overly soft stools to difficulty reaching the area, and it is worth discussing with the vet.

Can I use baby wipes?

Better to avoid them. Many wipes made for human use contain fragrances, alcohol or ingredients meant for people's skin, which can irritate the thin skin of the perianal area and which the animal then licks. A plain damp cloth with warm water or wipes specifically for animals, fragrance-free, are preferable. Either way, dry well after cleaning, because moisture left in the folds encourages irritation. If redness appears despite gentle cleaning, stop any product and ask the vet for advice.

My dog drags its bottom on the floor: is it a hygiene issue?

Scooting is almost never a simple matter of cleaning. It can point to discomfort or full anal glands, itching, skin irritation, residue that causes itching, and in some cases parasites. Cleaning the area may remove the visible dirt, but if the behaviour continues it needs a veterinary assessment to find the cause and treat it properly. Avoid do-it-yourself procedures on the glands, because a wrong manoeuvre can make things worse.

Do I risk hurting the animal if I shorten the coat myself?

The risk exists, but it drops a lot with a few precautions: use round-tipped scissors or a clipper for delicate areas, always hold the coat up so you can see where it ends, cut in small repeated movements and stop if the animal gets agitated. The skin near the anus is thin and lifts easily along with the coat, so never cut in a hurry or blindly. If there are mats stuck to the skin or the animal will not cooperate, the safest choice is to leave the sanitary trim to a groomer or the vet.

Grooming and hygiene20 minLevel: BeginnerUpdated on August 6, 2026

Rear-end hygiene and sanitary trimming

How to clean the perianal area, remove faeces stuck to the coat and do a safe sanitary trim, and when a dirty rear end is a sign to bring to the vet.

Audience: Pet owners
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: Valid everywhere

What you need before you start

Un panno morbido o salviette senza profumo adatte agli animali, e un asciugamano pulito
Una forbice a punte arrotondate o un piccolo tosatore, se serve accorciare il pelo
Un aiuto per tenere fermo l'animale nei soggetti che si agitano
Uno spazio con buona luce dove vedere bene la zona da pulire

The area around the anus and genitals is the part of the body that gets dirty most easily and, for that very reason, the one many owners prefer not to look at. Yet it is also one of the areas that says the most about an animal's health: a coat always soiled with faeces, a bad smell that does not clear after cleaning, or reddened skin are signs worth reading rather than ignoring. In long-haired dogs and cats the problem is more frequent, because the coat traps residue and forms mats that make things worse with every passage. This guide explains how to clean the rear end simply and without stress, when a cloth is enough and when it is better to shorten the coat with a sanitary trim, and above all how to tell ordinary dirt, managed at home, from signs that should be shown to the vet. The goal is not cosmetic perfection but hygiene and comfort, with a routine anyone can learn without expensive tools.

Why the rear end gets dirty and when to step in

A little dirt in the rear area is normal, especially in long or thick-coated animals, which trap residue more than short-coated ones. The practical rule is simple: if the coat around the anus stays dirty even after the animal has cleaned itself, or if stuck faeces form clumps, it is time to step in. Waiting makes things worse, because residue dries, pulls at the skin and becomes harder to remove without cutting.

Long or thick coat around the anus that easily traps faeces.
Soft stools or recent diarrhoea, which soil far more than formed faeces.
A senior, overweight or stiff animal that struggles to clean itself.
A cat that has stopped cleaning its rear, often a sign of pain or illness.
Reddened or irritated skin that makes self-cleaning uncomfortable.

When cleaning is enough and when to shorten the coat

Not every dirty rear needs scissors. Often a damp cloth is enough, while in other cases the coat must be shortened because it keeps trapping residue at every bowel movement. Telling the two apart avoids both needless cutting and repeated cleaning that solves nothing.

Choosing between simple cleaning and a sanitary trim
Situation	Suitable action	Why
Light, occasional soiling	Clean with a cloth or wipe	The coat is not the problem, just remove the residue
Stuck faeces but coat still loose	Soften and clean carefully	Cutting is unnecessary if the coat is not matted
Long coat soiled at every movement	Shorten the coat around the anus	A short coat stays clean longer and sanitises better
Mats with dried faeces trapped	Careful sanitary trim	The mat will not loosen and pulls the skin: it must be cut

Cleaning the rear end step by step

Cleaning works best when it is quick, gentle and always the same, so the animal learns it does not hurt and cooperates. Set everything up before you start, because stopping halfway to look for a towel makes it all harder.

Prepare the materials and the position
Keep a damp cloth or wipes, a towel and, if needed, a helper within reach. Put the animal in a stable, well-lit spot, standing or leaning, so you can see the area clearly.
Soften dried residue
If faeces are stuck and dry, hold a warm, damp cloth against them for a moment to soften them. Never pull clumps off dry, because they tear the coat and the skin.
Clean from the inside outwards
With gentle movements remove the dirt working from the central area outwards, turning the cloth to a clean side as it soils, without rubbing hard.
Check the skin under the coat
Use the cleaning to look at the skin: check for redness, swelling, small wounds or sore spots. It is the best moment to notice a problem that usually stays hidden.
Dry the area well
Pat with a clean towel until fully dry. Moisture left in the folds encourages irritation and bad smells, so do not leave the area wet.
End on a positive note
Offer a treat or a stroke as soon as you finish, always the same way. Linking cleaning to something pleasant makes the next time much easier.

The sanitary trim: shortening the surrounding coat

When a long coat soils at every movement, shortening it around the anus tackles the problem at the root. It is called a sanitary trim and means keeping only that area's coat short, not shaving it. Do it calmly with suitable tools, and if in doubt it is perfectly fine to leave it to a groomer.

Use round-tipped scissors or a small clipper made for delicate areas, never sharp kitchen scissors.
Hold the coat up with your fingers and cut only the part that sticks out, always seeing where the coat ends.
Work in small repeated cuts rather than one stroke, so you control the length better and stay away from the skin.
If you use a clipper, move it in the direction of the coat and check the blade does not get hot, because a hot blade irritates the skin.
Stop if the animal gets too agitated: better to finish over two sessions than risk a sudden move with scissors in hand.
Repeat the trim every few weeks, so the area stays manageable without drastic cutting.

Signs to bring to the vet

Cleaning and trimming deal with the dirt, but not everything that soils the rear end is a matter of hygiene. Some signs point to a problem that needs a professional's assessment, and spotting them in time keeps a small irritation from becoming something more.

The animal licks or bites the area persistently, or drags its bottom along the ground.
A strong bad smell appears that does not clear after cleaning.
You see swelling, marked redness, wounds, scabs or discharge around the anus.
Stools are soft or diarrhoeic for several days, or you notice blood or mucus.
The animal shows pain when you touch the area or when it sits down.
A cat that always cleaned itself clearly stops doing so.

Frequently asked questions

How often should the rear area be cleaned?: There is no fixed frequency that suits everyone. Many healthy animals keep themselves clean and almost never need help, while long-haired, senior, overweight animals or those with soft stools may need frequent cleaning. The practical rule is to look: if the coat around the anus stays dirty after the animal has cleaned itself, or if stuck residue appears, you clean. If you find yourself stepping in every day, the issue is not hygiene but something upstream, from overly soft stools to difficulty reaching the area, and it is worth discussing with the vet.
Can I use baby wipes?: Better to avoid them. Many wipes made for human use contain fragrances, alcohol or ingredients meant for people's skin, which can irritate the thin skin of the perianal area and which the animal then licks. A plain damp cloth with warm water or wipes specifically for animals, fragrance-free, are preferable. Either way, dry well after cleaning, because moisture left in the folds encourages irritation. If redness appears despite gentle cleaning, stop any product and ask the vet for advice.
My dog drags its bottom on the floor: is it a hygiene issue?: Scooting is almost never a simple matter of cleaning. It can point to discomfort or full anal glands, itching, skin irritation, residue that causes itching, and in some cases parasites. Cleaning the area may remove the visible dirt, but if the behaviour continues it needs a veterinary assessment to find the cause and treat it properly. Avoid do-it-yourself procedures on the glands, because a wrong manoeuvre can make things worse.
Do I risk hurting the animal if I shorten the coat myself?: The risk exists, but it drops a lot with a few precautions: use round-tipped scissors or a clipper for delicate areas, always hold the coat up so you can see where it ends, cut in small repeated movements and stop if the animal gets agitated. The skin near the anus is thin and lifts easily along with the coat, so never cut in a hurry or blindly. If there are mats stuck to the skin or the animal will not cooperate, the safest choice is to leave the sanitary trim to a groomer or the vet.

What to do next

Check the rear area regularly and step in as soon as the coat stays dirty: soften dried residue, clean from the inside outwards with a fragrance-free damp cloth, dry well and finish with a treat. If a long coat soils at every movement, keep it short with a sanitary trim done with suitable tools and small cuts, or leave it to a groomer. Remember that a persistent smell, pain, wounds, scooting or diarrhoea are not solved by hygiene: they are signs to bring to the vet.