My puppy is 6 months old. His pennis is sticking out and does not go back. Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Poodle | Male | unneutered | 6 months and 14 days old | 8.5 lbs

Yes that is a concern. It sounds like he is suffering from paraphimosis, which is an inability to retract the penis back into the sheath. This can quickly turn into an emergency situation, as constricting of the blood flow will lead to a larger engorgement of the penis, necrosis (dead tissue), and potential damage to the urethra. If his penis hasn't been out too long (less than an hour), you can try to put it back yourself. First, thoroughly clean the penis, making sure there is no foreign material (such as fur) that is wrapped around the penis. Take a bag of frozen veggies wrapped in a towel, and apply it to the penis for five minutes at a time to try to reduce the swelling. Packaged peas work very well because they are mobile around the penis. Then apply a lubricant such as KY Jelly onto the penis, and very gently try to move the penis back into the sheath. Very gently try to push the penis back into the sheath, or try to gently pull the sheath over the penis. If this does not work, or if the penis has been outside the sheath for more than 30 minutes to an hour, you will need to take Samuel into your vet.

It sounds like he is suffering from paraphimosis, which is an inability to retract the penis back into the sheath. This can quickly turn into an emergency situation, as constricting of the blood flow will lead to a larger engorgement of the penis, necrosis (dead tissue), and potential damage to the urethra. If his penis hasn't been out too long (less than an hour), you can try to put it back yourself. First, thoroughly clean the penis, making sure there is no foreign material (such as fur) that is wrapped around the penis. Take a bag of frozen veggies wrapped in a towel, and apply it to the penis for five minutes at a time to try to reduce the swelling. Packaged peas work very well because they are mobile around the penis. Then apply a lubricant such as KY Jelly onto the penis, and very gently try to move the penis back into the sheath. Very gently try to push the penis back into the sheath, or try to gently pull the sheath over the penis. If this does not work, or if the penis has been outside the sheath for more than 30 minutes to an hour, you will need to take Chico into your vet.

My puppy's penis is sticking out and won't go back in. What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My puppy is 6 months old. His pennis is sticking out and does not go back

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM 130

Veterinarian

Published on May 28th, 2017

Some dogs can suffer from this problem, where they get an erection and the penis is out and becomes enlarged and then cannot go back into the sheath of the prepuce (the skin that covers the penis). This is called paraphimosis. You can try coating your dog's penis in ky jelly or other similar lubricant and gently pulling the sheath of the prepuce back over the penis. If it is painful and you are unable to get the penis back into the prepuce with this method then a trip to the emergency vet is needed. Coat the penis in lubricant to keep it moist/help prevent trauma. They vet may need to sedate your dog to allow him to relax and then use a dextrose solution to shrink the penis back to a smaller size and replace it. Sometimes a temporary suture will be placed at the end of the prepuce for a few days to prevent the penis from sliding back out before swelling has gone down.