Dingleberry is a slang term for the unfortunate condition of faecal matter being caught in the hair, fur, or pelt of an animal or human around the region of the rump or buttocks. It generally occurs when the afflicted are unable to wipe or remove excrement from the nether regions and the matter dries. Other terms for dingleberry are dag, Australian and dangleberry, Irish and clinker, English I believe.
They occur on many animals, especially with those with thick coats or the inability to wield toilet paper in an appropriate manner. Animals such as long-haired cats, dogs and sheep may have to have the offending berries removed by trimming hair to prevent other nasty things occurring, as in sheep being crutched (removing wool from the rump and rear legs) to avoid fly strike. Humans (mostly male as they are the more hirsute) can wax or shave the hair or learn to use toilet paper properly. Another piece of advice* is to use expensive toilet paper as it does not disintegrate and leave behind debris that may become dingleberries. Using a bidet may also help.
The word is not featured in the Oxford nor Chambers dictionaries but the word dingle is, and may give some clue to the word's origins. doyle informs me that there is a Dingleberry Lake in California. Odd but true. For doyle and borgo and the raising of the bar.
* The author would like to thank the noder who grossed her out with his description (very vivid) of avoiding these nasty things.
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