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My dog's penis is swollen and won't go back in. Why is he licking?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 10 years and 4 months old | 8 lbs

My dogs penis appears swollen and will not retract fully. He always licks himself so I am not sure if that is related but he is doing this.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

Veterinarian

Published on September 4th, 2017

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be licking himself near his genital area because he is painful near the area. Although it is hard to say exactly what the problem is without seeing Taco in person, I can offer a few possibilities: The redness near the tip of his penis may indicate a mass (tumor) or a urethral prolapse. Failure to retract the penis for a prolonged period of time (more than 15 mins), is an emergency and needs to be treated as soon as possible at a veterinary hospital. It is possible a mass or urethral prolapse is causing the penis to not retract fully and this can alter his ability to urinate normally which is a concern. A veterinarian will be able to examine Taco and make an accurate diagnosis and will be able to treat Taco accordingly. I hope this helps and I hope Taco can be seen soon and make a swift recovery!

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15Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 3rd, 2017

    It sounds like he could have an infection so he needs to be seen by a vet. Your vet can do an examination and test a urine sample to look for an infection. He may need an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory to treat the problem.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Mallori Kaminski, BVSc

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 12th, 2017

    Paraphimosis is the inability to retract the penis back into the sheath, so if he is able to retract it then he doesn't have that. If it ever gets to the point where he is unable to retract it then it is a medical emergency and he needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible. Excessive licking can be due to a bladder infection, bladder stones or kidney infection. In order to rule these things out, he'll need to be seen by a vet and have a urinalysis done, and possibly blood work and X-rays to determine if there is a medical reason for the excessive licking.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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