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My dog's penis has a red rash. Is it razor burn? Can I use Cortizone?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 11 months old | 50 lbs

My dogs penis has a red rash on it and he’s been licking it a lot. I just gave him a haircut a few days ago is this just razor burn? Is cortizone 10 with aloe ok to use?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 27th, 2018

That may have been razor burn at one point, but appears infected (aka pyoderma) now. It's difficult to put any creams of this, because they will usually be licked off. Cortizone is not advised, because it can actually allow the infection to get worse. The best thing you can do is to flush the area with water for two minutes twice a day, then clean the area with a medicated wipe or shampoo (can get this at the pet store) twice a day until the skin starts to appear more normal. If it doesn't start to look better in a week, or seems to get worse, then you'll want to take Palmer into the vet for an exam. Below is a link to an article with more information about pyoderma. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pyoderma-in-dogs I hope that helps and Palmer gets better soon.

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