Could my dog's penis infection cause high WBC, fever, and lethargy?

Tick fever is one option, but because of the reddish discharge from the penis i would also suspect prostate cancer (common in unneutered dogs his age). this needs to be ruled out before continuing with the treatment.

My biggest concern is that he could also have a bladder infection that is causing him to lick a lot and therefore also causing an infection on his penis. Without seeing him to determine exactly what is infected and whether or not the bladder is also infected, I cannot say that the cephalexin will work. I would strongly recommend to have him seen by your vet. If there is a urinary tract infection and it is left untreated, it could get much worse and even start to affect the kidneys. Your vet will be able to determine if the cephalexin you have will work or if you need something stronger. I would also put a cone collar on him to prevent him from licking it any more and causing more irritation. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better really soon!

This sounds like a pretty complex situation, and I'd agree that an infection of some sort seems likely with a high WBC. I'd be worried about something viral, perhaps even meningitis, especially if it seems that she has neck pain, but that's basically a guess on my part. She should be tested for tick-borne diseases (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichia, babesia, Lyme) if that hasn't been done. I'm not sure how far you are from a specialty hospital, but it sounds like she's still not out of the woods, and in the absence of a definitive diagnosis, I too would be worried. I would recommend taking Sky to a specialty hospital, where they might be more capable of diagnosing the problem and getting her the appropriate treatment.

Bleeding from the penis can have various causes: Xander could be suffering from a UTI, an inflammation of the prostate, penis or prepuce or a tumor. Since he is not eating and lethargic it is likely something that causes him pain and he may have a fever. You can carefully push back his prepuce (foreskin) and then inspect his penis for injuries or growths, or to see where exactly he was bleeding from or is still bleeding from. If he is still bleeding you should take him to an emergency room this evening. If it stopped bleeding but he stays lethargic or will not eat his breakfast tomorrow morning or if you find injuries on the penis , then you should call your vet for an appointment.

Arousal is not uncommon in young, entire males and is quite normal. He should receive a full flea and worm treatment and also have his anal glands checked during his vet visit and a full physical exam should be performed to rule out any medical causes for his reduced exercise tolerance

This may be a good case to choose a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach Consult as there are a lot of variables we would need to know to help you the most. Causes for low white cells could be severe, overwhelming infection, viral, or even something like cancer. Many medications would take longer than 5 hours to see a positive response, but it varies based on the presumptive diagnosis your vet has made and the particular medication. Some medications can be dual purpose and treat pain. There are many diagnostics I would recommend based Kent he bit of information you gave us, like other tick testing, blood chemistry, urinalysis, x-rays, ultrasound, fecal testing, etc.

Poor Walter. Unfortunately, there are several things that can cause an elevated WBC. An upper respiratory infection or pneumonia certainly cause this, but so can any type of infection else where. I would first want to have his WBC rechecked to see if there has been any improvement since starting the meds. I would also talk to your vet to see if they ran a chemistry to look at him liver and kidney values. Just make sure you let your vet know that he isn't what you would consider normal. If everything is looking better, his change in behavior may just be part of him adjusting to the new living area and being away from the previous living arrangements. Any change in a dog's life can cause them to stress and become anxious and/or lethargic. I hope this helps and he starts to warm up to his new forever home.