My dog's groin is red and swollen. What can I give him or should I see a vet?

Yikes! That is very inflamed and I agree that it looks swollen. I recommend to get an elizabethan collar for him and make sure he wears it tonight while you are asleep and any time you are not directly watching him. Licking it may make it worse. As long as Scooter will tolerate it, you can gently wash the area with soap and rinse it well. Applying a cool (not cold) compress may also bring some relief to him. Do this a few times through out the evening. You can apply a dab of coconut oil on the area and rub it in gently. Make sure Scooter does not lick this off as it may upset his tummy. Definitely keep his appointment tomorrow. Poor guy! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This could be caused by a local inflammation and possibly an infection. Persistent licking and rubbing can worsen the inflammation. A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly anti-inflammatory ointment are needed to solve the problem. At home, some zinc oxide ointment/cream (like sudocream) can be apply twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor girl! This could be a number of things from a benign tumor, an infection, a cancerous tumor and much more. I would first put a cone collar on her to prevent her from licking it or it will only get worse. Since the bump is really swollen and obviously bothering her, I would have your vet take a look at it. Your vet will be able to determine what it is and recommend the best treatment for her. They will likely put her on antibiotics and may or may not recommend to have it surgically removed. I hope this helps!

This may be a skin infection of the scrotum, or an infection of the testicles. This is not uncommon to see in unneutered males, but can be somewhat difficult to treat. Unfortunately, without examining Ace it's not possible to diagnose the specific problem and recommend treatment. It's best if you can take Ace to a vet within the next day or two, so they can have a good look and recommend the best treatment. For now, I recommend cleaning the scrotum with a medicated wipe or shampoo (can get this at the pet store) twice a day in case the scrotum is infected. Avoid rubbing or squeezing the area, because this can cause more damage than good. I hope that helps and Ace gets better soon.

Without further testing, there is no way to tell if this growth is due to infection, trauma or allergy, or if it is a tumour. Tumours can be of a malignant (cancerous) type that can spread elsewhere and/ or invade the healthy tissue around them, or a more benign (noncancerous) type that is unlikely to spread. I recommend making an appointment to see your vet to have the growth tested. In many cases this can be done using a fine needle aspirate, where cells are removed from the growth using a needle and examined under a microscope to determine what it is and to guide treatment. In some cases further testing may be needed to determine the necessary course of treatment, but it is important to get new growths tested in a timely manner, as some can be cancerous and quite aggressive in their growth, and growths due to infection, allergy or trauma can lead to complications or be indicators of underlying health problems. In the meantime, it is very important that you keep Trey from licking the area to help prevent infection by making sure he wears the “cone” (also known as an e-collar or Elizabethan collar) at all times when he is not being directly supervised by you, including while sleeping. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to your pup without consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe safe medication to help with the pain as needed. Hope your pup feels better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jiggy! I am concerned that the swelling in his groin is a lymph node, a mass or an inguinal hernia. I recommend having an ultrasound or an X-ray to see if it is a hernia. If it is not a hernia and they think it is a lymph node or a mass then have a fine need aspirate (FNA) or sedated him to do a wedge biopsy of the swelling/mass. I would also have full blood work done and his urine tested. I hope this helps and I wish Jiggy the best!

Advil is not usually a medication given to pets as it can cause organ issues and severe stomach upset, however it is possible your vet tried to give a steroid or a pet-safe NSAID for the swelling. The area looks pretty awful and likely infected and should be seen by a veterinarian right away. i would be concerned at how fast it is changing and see if your vet wants to take a sample to send to a lab to rule out any other issues such as tumors/growths that could be causing it in addition to infection. Your vet may also recommend additional treatment or medications that can be given orally to prevent it from being rubbed/licked off. Keeping an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Scrapi is also a good idea to keep him from rubbing the spot.