My dog has a UTI. Is a swollen vulva and blood in urine normal?

From your picture, it looks like Val has what we commonly call a recessed vulva. That means that her vulva is tucked up and has a fold a skin around it. The problem with this is that the fold of skin can trap moisture and result in a yeast and/or bacterial overgrowth of that skin which is very itchy. So, I would recommend asking your vet about a topical treatment for the skin folds. We will often use medicated wipes that contain both an antibiotic and anti-fungal medication to help treat and prevent skin fold problems. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The vulva looks swollen indeed. Stevie may have vaginitis, which is not uncommon in young dogs. It is usually mild but irritating bacterial infection of vulva. The other explanation I can think of is a small wound or insect bite the triggered the itchiness and irritation and Stevie by continues licking the area, made it worse. First of all, you need to stop her from licking the vulva. Head cone would be ideal. If she doesn't tolerate a cone you could try a diaper, but a cone would be better. If the swelling does not go down or at least improve in the next 24hrs you will need to take Stevie to your local vets for a check up.

If Lilly is licking herself again, than can be a sign she is suffering from vaginitis again. It can also be a sign of a UTI or bladder stones. If she looks pregnant but has had no contact with a male intact dog, then she may be experiencing a false pregnancy. This is when a dog shows the signs of being pregnant but isn't actually carrying puppies. Without seeing her in person, I can't say what's causing her symptoms unfortunately. I personally do recommend spaying a dog if you aren't going to breed her. Spaying her has many health benefits including eliminating the risk of her developing a pyometra later in life (an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment and requires spaying to treat), and a reduction in the chance of her developing mammary tumors later in life. I would truly consider spaying her. I hope this helps.

The most common thing is the antibiotics may not have been given long enough and she needed maybe another week, so when you stopped the antibiotic there was still bacteria left over in her urine. Clavamox is a great antibiotic to start out with but she may need a different medication that is more broad spectrum. The other thing that could be going on (especially since she is so young) she could have a congenital issue like an ectopic ureter. With this, she will continually dribble or drip urine. An ectopic ureter is when the ureter (brings urine from the kidneys to the bladder) is attached at the wrong location on the bladder. I recommend a urinalysis (if one wasn't done last time). You can bring one when you go to the veterinarian tomorrow. You can also have a urine culture performed. This will state what bacteria is in the urine and what antibiotic is best used to treat it. If you do these tests and treat the urinary tract infection and she is still having issues the next diagnostic would be an ultrasound looking for anything congenital like ectopic ureters. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Frequent licking and blood in the urine are signs of an infection. However if it flared after the start of the antibiotics then I would pursue further testing. Did they do anytime sample tonxhexk for cells and crystals and see what bacteria what present? From there you need an X-ray or an ultrasound to make sure there are no bladder stones as this can require surgery or the problem will keep occurring without.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use chlorhexidine containing pads (such as the Douxo chlorhexidine 3% PS pads) to clean the are twice daily for 7 days. You may find these online or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!


Inflammation in that area can make it look red. Dogs can get vaginitis, infections, tumors or it can get inflamed if she has been licking at it more than normal. Pay close attention to her urination habits as a UTI can cause pain which can cause increased licking. If the redness does not go away after a few days, if she seems uncomfortable or itchy, or if you see a change her urination, have her seen by her veterinarian. It never hurts though to have it checked out right away. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.