Why does my dog's chronic vaginitis keep coming back after treatment?

I am sorry to hear about Izzy. Some dogs can suffer from repeated vulvar/vaginal infection if they have what we call a “recessed vulva” where they have extra skin around the vulva creating an environment with excess moisture. I would ask your vet if they think Izzy has this. There is a surgery to correct this problem and many dogs do amazingly well after the surgery. If your vet does not think this is the issue the next step might be a bacterial culture because it is possible a resistant bacteria is present.

Aside from the vulvoplasty surgery which can be very successful, make sure your pet is at a healthy weight. If she is at all overweight, that can cause the skin folds to become deeper and more difficult to manage.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear your pet is having an issue. By vaginal infection, I am unsure if you mean she is having vaginitis, a urinary tract infection or even a uterine infection (also called a pyometra). If she is having repeat UTIs it is a good idea to have her urine cultured and also to do some imaging diagnostics like X-rays and even an ultrasound. If she is not spayed and the infection is coming from her uterus it is very important to have her spayed as this will resolve the issue. If your veterinarian is unsure as to where the infection is coming from then the next step is urine culture and an ultrasound. In some cases a resistant bacteria is present and the culture will help rule that out. An ultrasound will help determine if there are any complicating factors like bladder inflammation, bladder stones or even cancer. More information provided by you may help us make additional suggestions. I hope this helps clear some things up for you!

Chronic vaginitis can cause severe infections, which can spread systemically or possibly involve all the urinary tract or genital tract (resulting in a pyometra if unspayed). Skin irritation can cause hyperpigmentation and increase thickness of the skin in the long term. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

From your picture, it looks like Val has what we commonly call a recessed vulva. That means that her vulva is tucked up and has a fold a skin around it. The problem with this is that the fold of skin can trap moisture and result in a yeast and/or bacterial overgrowth of that skin which is very itchy. So, I would recommend asking your vet about a topical treatment for the skin folds. We will often use medicated wipes that contain both an antibiotic and anti-fungal medication to help treat and prevent skin fold problems. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I cannot give you a diagnosis over the internet just based on what you have described. She could have a yeast infection of the skin. Sometimes these things need a long course of oral antifungals to clear up along with the topical shampoo. That being said, she could have an autoimmune problem, underlying allergies, a uterine infection (if she is not spayed) or any number of other things. It is recommended you get her to a vet for an examination so you she can get a diagnosis and the proper treatment.

She could have a recurring vaginitis because of the damp environment of the diapers. I would get her seen by your vet to be sure and see what needs to be done about it. If she can go for periods of time without the diapers to let her rear dry and let air circulate that would be ideal but I understand that may not be feasible.