Hemorrhoids is a painful, potentially even a debilitating, health condition that affects many people. Sometimes also known as piles, hemorrhoids are enlarged blood vessels within the anus.

They can become distended and visible, hanging out of the anus itself and looking like lumps. Because of this, people who have hemorrhoids can not only be in pain, but feel embarrassed too. At best, hemorrhoids can be a source of irritation, at worst they can cause extreme discomfort and have an impact on the quality of daily life; it may be painful to sit down.

Hemorrhoids are unpleasant enough for people, but how about for our dogs? Can dogs get hemorrhoids, too? And if they can, can it be just as painful (and embarrassing — we know that dogs are capable of feeling emotions similar to embarrassment) for our pups?

The official answer is that no – dogs don’t technically suffer with hemorrhoids; at least not in the same way that humans do. This is because their gastrointestinal system is designed differently to ours. While a human’s gastrointestinal system is vertical, a canine’s is horizontal — which makes sense when you consider that people walk on two legs while a dog walks on all fours. For a dog, this means there is less pressure on the blood vessels that are located in the anus, so they don’t get enlarged and therefore lead to hemorrhoids.

However, while a dog is unlikely to be diagnosed with hemorrhoids, our pets are at risk of developing other health issues that can affect the anus and the rear end area. Dogs can experience significant discomfort from a number of conditions that might be mistaken for hemorrhoids but shouldn’t be ignored.

So, if your dog isn’t suffering from hemorrhoids, what could be the problem? If a dog has an issue in their anal area, it’s often easy to identify. Typical symptoms can include behavior known as ‘scooting’. Scooting is when a dog drags its rear along the ground in an attempt to relieve irritation and itching.

Scooting may only be a cause of a minor irritation, but it’s important to check things out, just to be sure. Lift your dog’s tail gently and inspect the anus; you’re looking for any signs of redness, blood or swelling. Some dogs may scoot because they don’t have a clean bottom. Others may do so because of worms, constipation or diarrhea.

There can be other conditions that can cause a dog to scoot, or experience discomfort in and around its rear end. A common problem for canines are unhealthy anal glands, which can become blocked and clogged when they don’t express properly and naturally. You might see some swelling, or notice an unpleasant smell due to the blocked anal gland. Your dog might not ‘tell’ you about a problem with its anal glands by scooting — other tell-tale signs are licking the anal area excessively.

A visit to the vet will be required to help empty the gland, and possible further treatment could be needed, too.

However, while an issue with a dog’s anal glands can often be resolved relatively quickly, other conditions are considered more serious, and in need of more intense intervention to treat.

If a dog is bleeding from the rectum, it can be frightening to see. This isn’t a symptom to ignore, and could be indicative of what’s known as chronic inflammation of the rectum and perineum.   

This inflammation can result in perianal fistulas. Symptoms of a perianal fistula include a pus-like discharge and a strong smell. Your dog might have a loss of appetite, and strain while toileting — which can also lead to blood in its feces.

Perianal fistulas can occur in any breed of dog, and at any age, though it’s thought that older dogs are more at risk and particularly those who are overweight. There are also several dog breeds that tend to experience perianal fistulas more than others — including the German Shepherd, Golden Labrador, Golden Retriever, Border Collie and Irish Setter.

Perianal fistulas won’t clear up if just left — they will need to be treated. In some cases, this might involve surgery though auto-immune drugs are also effective and may be seen as a preferred option.

Although we’ve established now that dogs don’t suffer from hemorrhoids, if your pet is experiencing similar symptoms and living with a painful anal condition, you must allow your vet to make a thorough assessment of your dog’s condition.

Following that, your vet will be able to recommend a suitable course of treatment — which is likely to include how to treat hemorrhoids (conditions that are very much like hemorrhoids) in dogs at home.

Vet may use treatments such as topical creams to ease any irritation, while dietary supplements can be used to tackle the root cause of the issue. Supplements can also be used to soften your dog’s feces, if hard stools have been identified as a cause of the pain. 

If you’re wondering what to feed a dog with hemorrhoids-like symptoms, speak to your vet. If your pet is having difficulty with firm stools, that are causing pain and discomfort, or issues with its anal glands, foods that have high fiber content can ease some of these symptoms. A fiber-rich diet can certainly help to soften stools and make them easier to pass, benefiting the digestive system.

Sweet potato, pumpkin and carrots are all foods with high fiber content. If your dog has an ongoing problem, your vet can help to recommend specialized dog food with higher fiber ingredients.