Why is my dog licking his penis so much? Is it irritation or allergies?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Diesel. I suspect that his skin of his prepuce is irritated from the recent grooming appointment. You can start by bathing that area with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. You may need to place an E-collar on him to prevent any further licking. If these measures do not help, then he will need to see his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Poor Tiny - it sounds like he has a lot of things going on! Licking his paws and scratching could be due to seasonal allergies to grass or pollen (very common this time of year), or some other skin condition such as a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Twitching or flinching when you touch his back can sometimes be associated with itchy skin, but could also indicate pain in this area. His limping may be due to his paws being sore and itchy, or he may have injured himself somehow. I would recommend having him checked by a vet as soon as you are able to - he/she can do an exam and some simple skin testing or x-rays if needed to help determine what's wrong.

Causes of licking the prepuce/penis area could be a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, stones in the urinary tract, or trauma to the area. It is important that you make an appointment to have Mako seen by your veterinarian as soon as you can to help determine the cause of his behaviour and to start treatment. If you notice him straining to urinate/unable to produce urine, this is a medical emergency and he should be seen by a vet immediately. I recommend you put an e-collar (cone) on him to help prevent him from biting/licking at the area as this may help reduce the risk of infection

Sometimes pets will do this behavior if there is an irritant around the penile sheath or if the pet has a urinary tract infection that is causing irritation. If he is also urinating and drinking more than normal then you should get Tommy's urine sample check by your vet for a possible UTI. However, if there is no increased urination or drinking and the penis is relatively normal in appearance, iIt is often helpful to soak the pet in a warm Epsom Salt bath to cleanse the area, or you can use a turkey baster to cleanse the penis and sheath thoroughly to help remove any irritants that may be stuck there. If there is no improvement with Tommy within 24-48 hrs or if this is progressively getting worse, then I highly recommend having a vet take a look at this area to ensure no other treatments are needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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.