My dog's penis is white with a red tip. Is this normal for dogs?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your pictures that is actually normal . The tip of the prepuce can look like that because you can see the inside tissue of the prepuce. I would assume that you can see if better now since the hair has been removed. Unless he is uncomfortable and licking his penis I wouldn't take him in. I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for your questions about Jonesy. It's difficult to know if this is normal or not without being able to examine him. Some dogs do have a protrusion above the urethral opening on their penis and it's often lighter colored than the rest of the tissue. This is normal. However, if you are noticing him licking more than normal, this often indicates discomfort. Young male dogs, especially if they are not neutered, often get infections in the prepuce and this can cause excessive licking and often an increase in discharge. Male dogs can also get bladder infections which can also cause increased licking. Since Jonesy cannot talk and tell you why this is happening, I recommend to have him examined this week. This is the best way to know what is happening and if treatment is needed. I hope this gets figured out quickly. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would recommend checking other places on his body to see if they are turned from pink to white also,. You can check the inside of his mouth. The mucus membranes should be a nice pink color. If his gums are not pink I would recommend taking him to the vet. This could be a sign of anemia (low RBC count). if his gums are pink I would not be concerned as long as he is urinating and feeling normal. I would take him to the vet if he is not eating, drinking, urinating abnormal or seems to not be feeling well.

Male dogs have a structure called the *bulbus glandis* along the shaft of the penis. The gland swells when they get excited or sometimes when they have to urinate. These glands are responsible for the "tie" that occurs during breeding. Even though your dog is neutered, he can still get erections, so likely something excited him causing the glands to swell. It is a perfectly [normal part of his anatomy](https://www.petcoach.co/article/anatomy-and-function-of-the-reproductive-system-in-dogs) and no cause for concern.

Unfortunately it is hard to tell when we cannot see exactly where on the penis this purple spot is. If it is a round swollen area, then that would be the bulbus which swells during copulation and locks the penis in the vagina of the female. If people separate the two dogs rather than wait until they part themselves, this bulbus can get injured and the female can also get injured. It is not a good idea to let this male mate with the three females in heat as he will introduce bacteria into their vagina and possibly uterus and so could cause a uterine infection (pyometra). If you could take some good photos of your dog's penis, we could better assess the situation and give you a more specific answer.

Your dog may have been licking his penis tip a bit excessively and therefore it appears swollen, If the swelling does not subside within the next day or two and/or if he cannot retract the penis tip all the way into the prepuce, or if the color changes, then you will need to have him examined by your vet, He may need some medications or ointment to reduce the swelling and to keep the tip from drying out.

That is just a normal pigmentation of the skin, nothing to be worried about. 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.