Mini Schnauzer licking her bottom and is it gas?

Question
I have a 1 1/2 year old mini who is in great health and seen by her vet regularly.  Recently she has been expressing gas(?) often at times it seems loud for her tiny size.  She will then chase her bottom and has been licking her bottom all the time.  She does seem sad and bothered by this, since she shows her emotions with her ears.  She will stop when asked, and sometimes just sit down while walking in what seems to be an attempt to stop herself from the temptation of licking.  She eats only Science Diet Original Puppy formula since we have gotten her, and never had a table scrap.  We do give her a 1/2 of a beef "CarryOut" for doing her business outside when we are with her.  She also gets a MilkBone daily, but that's about it.  Could this be a problem with her anal glands?  She is groomed regularly, about every 4-5 weeks and weather it be a trip to the vet or the groomer everyone comments on her excellent health.  

Answer
I am not quite sure what you mean by "licking her bottom".

If she is licking more at her anus and near her tail, it is most likely her anal glands needing to be expressed. Run your thumb and index fingers down alongside either side of her anus and see if you can feel two grape-sized lumps alongside the anus in about the 8 and 4 o'clock positions. If you can feel these, she most likely needs to have her anal glands expressed.

If your dog is licking at her vulva, she could have cystitis or a bladder infection. While it is not as common to have an infection with no other symptoms (ie. frequent urination), it *can* happen. It could be that you are seeing very early symptoms. Either way, you should probably have her checked out by your veterinarian if the behavior continues or worsens.

Excess gas is usually related to diet. I would take her off of the Science Diet and put her on a better product such as one of the Eagle Pet Products (my preference), Canidae, or Wellness. There are several other products out there that are much better than what you are currently feeding.

The first ingredient of a dog (or cat) food should be a meat protein, not a grain, (unless a dog is on a reduction diet) and no food should contain by-products, which can be absolutely *any* part of the animal, including FEATHERS.

Karen