How to socialize my anxious dog & treat her vaginal skin rash?

Question

Do you have any advice for my anxiety once I take our precious little girl to the doggy park and on socialising her correctly? She's been with other dogs before but it's just that I am scared something might happen. And she also has some reddening around her vaginally and a bit skin rash. What should I do to help her with it? Thank you for your help! Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 10 months old | 4 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Remember that if you are anxious, Bella will feed off of your anxiety and become stressed herself. Relax and try to enjoy! Before you take Bella to a dog park, try walking her on a leash in an area that has a lot of dog walking traffic. This will provide a more controlled environment for her to start meeting other dogs one-on-one. Start by introducing her to other small breed dogs so that the interaction is less intimidating. Once you and Bella become more comfortable interacting with other dogs, consider venturing to a dog park at a quieter time of the day and look for a dog park that has a separate area for small dogs under 25 pounds. From a health perspective, keep Bella on monthly flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives. Confirm that she is up to date with her bordatella (kennel cough) and canine influenza vaccines. Consider checking stool samples for parasites regularly if she is exposed to more dogs and their eliminations. Also, consider having her spayed before letting her off leash at any point and avoid dog parks when she is in heat. Her skin rash could be due to a number of conditions - allergies, fleas, inflammation/irritation from licking, etc. Wash her vulva with a gentle dog shampoo or baby shampoo and dry thoroughly daily. If there is no improvement, take her to the vet. I hope this helps! :-)

How to socialize my anxious dog & treat her vaginal skin rash?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

Why is my new pet biting? Is she stressed or scared in her new home?

My degu has a white bump in its fur. Should I take my pet to the vet?

My rat is losing weight and has breathing issues. What should I do?

My robo hamster is limp, bleeding, and collapsed. Is it wet tail?

Is my pet's occasional sneezing and eye crust a URI symptom?

Share