My dog's vulva has bumps after her heat. Could it be herpes?

Canine herpes does not show as bumps around the vulva like human herpes can do. Canine herpes causes a fatal hemorrhagic disease in puppies less than two to three weeks old. Mera doesn't have canine herpes.

This presentation could be due to a localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may 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. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! Based on the photos you provided, the bumps appear to be papules / pustules that indicate a skin infection. This could be from her licking at the area when she was in heat (which is common). I would disinfect the area with and keep clean with a spray called Miconahex. This is a antimicrobial / antifungal spray that can treat superficial skin infections quite effectively. You can find this spray online quite easily. If you begin to notice any irritation after using the spray, discontinue immediately. If the skin condition worsens or does not resolve, I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian to have this looked at. Additional medications may be needed to treat this. I hope this helps!

I would recommend that you have these spots examined by a vet. It could be a small pyoderma or skin infection, which is common in young dogs, or could be related to urine pooling in the area (especially if she has a recessed vulva). Or it could be something else. The vet will examine it and may take a small sample to be examined under a microscope.

Oh great! The picture worked this time. The picture sure looks like pustules, which is what I was describing in my first answer about pyoderma. However, this is not a diagnosis without a veterinarian seeing the patient and perhaps even sampling the bumps to determine what they are. Transmissible venereal tumors are also possible. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I am sorry to hear about your dog! These look like they could be pustules, or small spots of bacterial infection, perhaps from some minor trauma to the skin during mating which then became infected with bacteria. I would recommend having your vet examine the area, as they may want to prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.

These are probably pustules from a minor skin infection. Since she is not spayed, she may continue to get these due to underlying increase of hormones. If she is not a breeding bitch you should have her spayed which will hopefully stop them from recurring. In the meantime you can try to use these medicated pads to see if they will help: ( https://www.amazon.com/Sogeval-Douxo-Count-Chlorhexidine-Pads/dp/B00G3D8JL0 )