My dog's testicles are black with open sores. Is this serious?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Tomy sat in something irritating, it may have lead to him licking and chewing at his scrotum. I would recommend getting a plastic cone and placing this around his head and using an ointment such as Sentry Wound Cream which can be found online or at your local PetCo. If the wound does not improve or it worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Tomy so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

The sac can be on the black side, it's not uncommon, but if it is very black and does not feel relatively smooth and elastic like the rest of the skin, then there might be a problem that will require you to take him to the vet.

The picture does not show anything concerning but I would continue to monitor for any sweliing or discomfort which may indicate a painful infection or assymetry which can indicate a tumour. Rapid increase in size can occur with scrotal hernias which although rare are a surgical emergency.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Messiah! It looks as though he either has a scrotal infection or is having a contact reaction or suffered a burn or trauma to the scrotum. If he is licking them excessively he needs to wear an E-collar. I would use a triple antibiotic ointment on the scrotum twice daily. If there is no improvement over the weekend have him seen by your Vet next week. Good luck

If the area around the scrotum has changed in appearance (ie turned black) or is bothersome or painful to Prince, then it can indicate something wrong is going on. Injury to the area, testicular torsion, allergies and more can all cause pain, irritation or swelling and should be checked out by your vet ASAP.

I've seen this one time, and it was a hunting dog that I suspect had a disease transmitted from a tick. Tick diseases can cause vasculitis, which means inflammation of the small blood vessels. It's not uncommon for the scrotum to be affected, as the blood supply there isn't great. Sometimes we also see it on the tips of the ears. This could be an infectious problem (from a tick bite as mentioned above) or an auto-immune problem. Also can't rule out plain old trauma, like running around in a field with prickly grasses and the like. Get him checked out to rule out serious illness, and to get some relief for what I'm sure is a painful condition.

It is not unusual for the scrotum to darken slightly with age, but I agree that this is a marked change. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon to make sure there are no signs of infection or cancer. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.