My dog has an itchy, inflamed recessed vulva. What are my options?

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 am very sorry to hear about Sahara's problem. It is possible she could have what we called a "recessed vulva". This condition can predispose to skin fold infection, vaginitis and urinary tract infections. I would ask your vet if they think this is a possible cause for your dog. If your dog is overweight, sometimes weight loss will improve this condition. If it is a severe case, then surgery can be performed to help improve the vulvar conformation.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are describing sounds as if the folds of skin around the vulva are red inside. This happens commonly when urine get a trapped in the skin folds and causes irritation. It is especially common in dogs with excessive skin over the vulva and can even predispose to urinary tract infections. I would recommend using malacetic conditioning spray, mal a ket wipes or preva wipes to keep the skin around the vulva clean. If this worsens or does not resolve, I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking or chewing. Keep the area clean and dry. This may be enough to allow for healing, but since the skin appears broken, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian. She may need antibiotics which are by prescription only.

If a UTI is not resolving with typical antibiotic therapy, it's time to do a urine culture to determine a.) the specific bacteria that is causing the infection and b.) the exact antibiotic and dosage necessary to resolve it. If a urine culture has been performed and the infection is still not going away, I would suggest using baby wipes on Riley after she urinates, in order to remove as much urine and debris from the vulva as possible. It also may be necessary to put her in an e-collar (cone) until the infection resolves, as licking may be complicating recovery as well.

I am sorry to hear about Lilo. It looks like she has a recessed vulva. This can predispose a dog to developing a urinary tract infection. If you have closely examined her vulva before and it did not look like this, I suppose it is possible she could have inflammation from licking resulting in swelling of the area but it is less likely. I would recommend having your vet examine the area in person to see if they feel this is a recessed vulva. Sometimes medicated wipes can be used to clean between the folds and prevent infection, but in cases of recurrent infection surgical alteration of the area can be helpful.

I am sorry to hear that Sugar is so uncomfortable. It sounds like she has peri vulva dermatitis and should see a veterinarian. Often these need antibiotics and many times a dose of steroids as well to decrease the inflammation and make her more comfortable quickly. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.