Why does my dog's vulva look sore and swollen? Is it an infection?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 1 month old
My dogs vulva looks sore
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 20th, 2019
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use chlorhexidine containing pads (such as the Douxo chlorhexidine 3% PS pads) to clean the are twice daily for 7 days. You may find these online or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!
12Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 21st, 2018
Milice's vulva looks extremely swollen to me, and this could be more than an infection. It could be that she is suffering from vaginal hyperplasia. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain, but I can tell you for certain you cannot get any antibiotics for dogs without seeing a vet. Antibiotics require a prescription, and that is not something we can legally do on this site. You will need to take her into a vet as soon as possible to have this examined, diagnosed, and treated. If she is suffering from vaginal hyperplasia, spaying her is recommend to prevent it from happening again. Best of luck.
5Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on December 7th, 2023
Hello thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry that Florence is having this issue. Has a skin scraping/cytology been done in that area? Has a urinalysis/urine culture been done or was she just prescribed antibiotics? Any radiographs (X-rays)? Is there discharge coming from the vulva? Bloodwork? Culture of the skin - maybe there is resistant bacteria there. It may not be bacterial, it may be yeast/fungal so antibiotics would not treat that - she would need antifungals (like oral ketoconazole). Also, this may not be a skin issue. The skin manifestation could be secondary and not the primary problem. Like she could have a urinary issue (like bladder stones) or even an autoimmune issue. Have her anal glands be checked? More testing needs to be done. If nothing can be found with the urinary system then I would recommend a skin biopsy and then treatment can be tailored based on those results. I'm sorry but I don't really have enough information to be that helpful. All I can recommend is more testing if you really want an answer. Otherwise you can keep changing and trying things with no resolution. You may also want to consult with a veterinary dermatologist if there is one in your area. In my opinion you are not bathing often enough. It should be done twice weekly and you need to be sure you are leaving the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. While waiting to get her back to your vet for more testing I would recommend the following: 1. Start her on an immune system support supplement: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=133838 ) 2. On the days you are not bathing you can apply this medicated mousse to the area. You do not rinse it. Do it once daily. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=145608 ) I hope this helps. Best wishes.
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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