My dog has dry, dark skin around her vulva. What should I do?

It could be a bacterial infection or a yeast infection. Generally these occur just due to the nature of the skin in the area--the environment is dark in the skin folds, and there is some moisture from the skin and sometimes from urine as well. If it is not bothering her (she is definitely not licking at it, etc) it could also be just waxy secretions/plugged hair follicles, etc. You can try using just plain Witch Hazel (available at any pharmacy) on a cotton swab or pad once or twice a day for a few days to see if that helps; however if it does not help or if this seems to irritate her skin further or if she does not like it when you do this, DO NOT CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT THIS METHOD. Take her to the vet. And if you do try just cleaning it at home, take her in if you aren't seeing an improvement within 2-3 days. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Based on the photos you provided, it appears as though Kahlua may have a skin infection with the red bumps on the abdomen and near her vulva. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended. She will likely need an oral antibiotic as well as topical therapy to treat this. The vulva can be assessed more closely on examination as well. Please let me know if you have any further questions and I would be more than happy to help you further.

This looks like pigment around her vulva. If it is new then it could be from skin irritation or licking. If you haven’t seen her licking and there is no redness it may not require any specific treatment. If there are other skin lesions or she seems itchy or you see licking I’d recommend having your vet examine her.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The dark spots on Chloe's skin may be what are called comedones, which are essentially clogged pores. These are very common in the inguinal and genital area. They are clinically insignificant and should not cause any problems. I hope this is helpful!

Thinning hair and a darkening of the skin could indicate something like allergies, a diet that is not right for her, fleas or (less likely) and endocrine condition. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. If Zoey is wanting to itch the area, you need to protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Make sure she is up to date on flea prevention. Diets and supplements take 2-4 weeks to take effect. If the changes are not improving after 2 weeks or if they are getting worse, have Zoey examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It may be as the moisture from the diaper can create a skin infection and that pigment can be from a yeast infection. It may also be unrelated and due to changes due to the hormones. I would leave the diaper off and keep the area clean and dry. If you notice an odor or it seems to itch and bother her then I would get it checked

Frequent licking generally indicates irritation or infection. Licking around the genital area can also indicate a urinary tract infection. I suspect the discoloring of her skin is related to the licking although some pet's skin will darken as they mature. I would recommend to make an appointment with her vet to have her skin examined and her urine tested to make sure everything is normal. At home, you can wash the areas daily with an antibacterial soap and rinse it well - be careful not put soap in her vulva (vagina). This will help to clean off the skin. There can be many causes of skin irritation or infection including bacterial infections, environmental allergies, food allergies and flea allergies. The doctor will try to determine the cause and may prescribe some medications to decrease irritation. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.