Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My dog has red, scabby sores near his private area. What is it?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 9 years old | 85 lbs

Found 3 red spots near my dogs penis area not exactly sure what it is they did have scabs on all of them

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 25th, 2017

That appears to be moist dermatitis. Rukas really needs to see a vet for this condition. He also has some dermatitis in the groin area that I can see in the picture. Since the sores next to the penis are open and weeping he will likely need oral antibiotics to get that to clear up.

While you are waiting to get him an appointment at your vet you can apply a thin layer of Neosporin to them 2-3 times per day but he will likely just lick it off. If he is licking it you can go to Petco and get him an E-collar (cone).

https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-first-aid/dog-recovery-cones

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Makenzie Kurth, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on March 30th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I see what you are talking about and I would describe them as erosions or ulcers. Honestly I’ve not see this on the penis like this before but I would start with topical therapy. So gently rinse the whole penis with diluted iodine or chlorhexidine solutilon. Then pat dry, put on some sterile lubricant and replace the penis. I would do this once daily for a few days to see if that helps.

Other thoughts are an antibiotic trial, and antifungal trial. a culture of the area, a biopsy (maybe, if deemed possible by your vet) or, if getting much worse or spreading, talk to your vet about the pros and cons of a course of steroids in case it is some unusual auto-immune disease.

Best of luck to you and Lucky!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Cara, DVM, cVMA
Veterinarian
Published on September 8th, 2017
If you have any water-based lubricant (KY Jelly, etc), you can try to apply that so that his penis may retract back into the prepuce. Otherwise you can clean it with a very dilute antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine or betadine), but as long as he is not licking at it excessively it can wait until you see your vet tomorrow. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on December 13th, 2016
Ouch, poor Jango! He could have injured his penis leading to the sore, or this sore could be an ulcer`that has developed from a bacterial infection. I would take him into the vet today to have his penis examined and treatment. Treatment depends on the cause of the sore, and once the vet makes a diagnosis, they can prescribe a treatment.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

My dog has weird sores around his private parts. What can I do?

This presentation could be due to a trauma initially or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). For sure there is an over infection due to scratching or licking. A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. 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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog keeps biting his private area. Why is it red and chapped?

The first thing you need to do is put a cone collar on him to keep him from continuing to lick the skin. He has scrotal dermatitis (an infection of the scrotal skin) and no matter what you use to treat It with, if he just continues to lick, it will not get better. So, get the cone collar ASAP and then apply this Vetericyn spray (linked below) to the affected area 2-3 times per day. If after about 5=7 days of doing this, it is not better than you need to have him checked by your vet. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-e-collar ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-hot-spot-antimicrobial-gel-for-dogs ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a big, moist sore. Is it serious and does he need a vet?

This is very concerning and appears to be a moist dermatitis, likely caused by a bacterial infection. Your dog needs to be seen by a veterinarian asap for an exam, clean up of the lesion which includes shaving the hair off all the way into healthy areas of the skin to see the extent, a possible skin swab and, depending on the diagnosis, prescription antibiotics in tablet or ointment form.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my unneutered dog licking his penis and getting infected sores?

This looks like scrotal dermatitis, which is not uncommon in unneutered dogs. Often, there is an infection present, which will need prescription medication to treat it. This particular problem tends to take a long time to heal and can get worse without proper treatment. For these reasons I recommend taking Dexter to the vet for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. For now, wash/spray the area with cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least twice a day. It's important not to put any ointments or creams on this, because they will likely be licked off and may not be helpful anyways. I hope that helps and Dexter gets better soon.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has moist sores on his leg and neck. What should I do?

The spot in the picture looks infected, it will need to be clipped and treated with antibiotics. he will also need to wear an e-collar in order to prevent him from licking the area and making it worse. i would recommend taking him to the vet in order to get it treated.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why does my dog have red scabby lumps and yellowish penis discharge?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the photo you provided, I suspect that Viking may have a skin infection. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian right away, I would recommend the below following products which can be found online quite easily. If there is no improvement or the condition worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at it. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected area 2-3 times per day until resolved 3. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent 4. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for dogs.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What's causing my dog's red, dry, bleeding skin near his penis area?

Hi there. Thank you for posting the picture of Larry. It is actually very helpful. The area just in front of the penis as well as the inguinal area both look inflamed. I suspect the has a skin infection. This could be bacterial or fungal, or both. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by a veterinarian soon. They will likely recommend oral medications such and antibiotics and maybe antifungal medications as well as possibly a special shampoo to help clear up the infection. Sometimes these skin infections can take weeks to resolve. Often they are secondary to skin allergies. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share