Why is my dog's penis swollen, even though he's acting normally?

Dogs can become sexually aroused even if they aren't sexually active, getting an erection. If his penis is swollen and sticking out, I would be concerned that the swelling could potentially constrict his urethra, leading to difficulty urinating. Because he's having trouble walking and his penis is swollen, I recommend you taking him into your vet to have the paraphimosis resolved. It's important to have him seen now, as it's causing him difficulty walking and you don't want it to lead to a constriction of the urethra.

If a male dog is aroused by a female dog that is in heat and close by, the penis will become erect. You typically don't see the penis, as it is "hidden" inside the prepuce, or sheath. Depending on the size of the dog it can be quite long, so I would consider this likely to be normal as long as it returns completely inside the sheath once the arousal is over.

There are a couple of things this could be causing this to happen to Bruzer. It could be that he has an erection, and the penis is swollen and the tip is out because he is aroused. He could also be suffering from paraphimosis, which is an inability to retract the penis back into the sheath. This can quickly turn into an emergency situation, as constricting of the blood flow will lead to a larger engorgement of the penis, necrosis (dead tissue), and potential damage to the urethra. Should you suspect it isn't an erection and it is paraphimosis, I will give you some advice that may help Bruzer. If his penis hasn't been out too long (less than an hour), you can try to put it back yourself. First, thoroughly clean the penis, making sure there is no foreign material (such as fur) that is wrapped around the penis. Take a bag of frozen veggies wrapped in a towel, and apply it to the penis for five minutes at a time to try to reduce the swelling. Packaged peas work very well because they are mobile around the penis. Then apply a lubricant such as KY Jelly onto the penis, and very gently try to move the penis back into the sheath. Very gently try to push the penis back into the sheath, or try to gently pull the sheath over the penis. If this does not work, or if the penis has been outside the sheath for more than 30 minutes to an hour, you will need to take Bruzer into your vet.

Hello. No question in medicine is weird! Best to check things out. Swollen penis and bumps are not normal. This could be an infection or could be masses or other causes of swelling. I would suggest getting it checked out. If the penis itself is swollen vs. the skin around it, then this can be a severe emergency as a swollen penis for more than 4 hours can result in loss of the penis. Good luck with Tonza!

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Cypress. I'm wondering if this bulge was toward the back of his penile shaft. If it was, then what you likely saw was his bulbourethral glands. These are normal structures of the penis, and they become enlarged when the dog is aroused. Even neutered dogs can become aroused. Given that this bulge is now gone and he's totally normal, that would be my suspicion. There's nothing to worry about here! I hope this helps!

This is a serious edematous swelling and needs to be seen by a veterinarian today. This may be located in the preputial mucous membrane, or possibly the tip of the penis. Unfortunately I cannot determine this from the photo. Please take Tyson to a veterinarian or PetER today. You may want to put some vaseline on the swelling to keep it from drying out.

Hello, sorry to hear about Bear. This is a problem with unneutered dogs and excessive stimulation. Ideally, you should not touch his penis any longer and keep him in an area where he is not stimulated. You could sprinkle sugar on his penis to try and bring the swelling down. Ultimately, if his penis does not resolve, he will need medical attention as this can lead to severe complications and his penis may begin die due to lack of circulation. Please have him evaluated by a veterinarian if his penis does not go back into the prepuce within the next few hours after sprinkling sugar on it. If it does go down, you should really consider neutering him soon. Hope this helps and best of luck.