Is redness under my 2-year-old dog's vulva normal or concerning?

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.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are describing sounds as if the folds of skin around the vulva are red inside. This happens commonly when urine get a trapped in the skin folds and causes irritation. It is especially common in dogs with excessive skin over the vulva and can even predispose to urinary tract infections. I would recommend using malacetic conditioning spray, mal a ket wipes or preva wipes to keep the skin around the vulva clean. If this worsens or does not resolve, I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. Not only the vaginal area is inflamed but it seems that the ventral abdomen is involved as well. She is probably itchy but these redness areas do not seem inflamed because of the rubbing. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Based on the photos you provided, it appears as though Kahlua may have a skin infection with the red bumps on the abdomen and near her vulva. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended. She will likely need an oral antibiotic as well as topical therapy to treat this. The vulva can be assessed more closely on examination as well. Please let me know if you have any further questions and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I think you can try to treat it at home first. I suggest you use these medicated pads topically. If after 7-10 days there is no improvement or they are worse then your vet should take a look. Hope this helps. Best wishes. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-5393-douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-for-dogs-and-cats-30.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20pad+Auto )

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!


Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Dior and including a picture, it's helpful. The area does look a bit red, but it's hard to tell from a picture if there is an issue or not. Diagnosing a UTI would require a urine sample, and I would need to be able to see her in person to diagnose if there is an infection. I'm also not sure if she is showing symptoms like frequent urination, urinating in small amounts, drinking lots of water, trying to go to the bathroom frequently, accidents in the home, or lethargy (these are all signs of a UTI). An infection may be presented with symptoms such as a discharge. If she is showing any of the signs I mentioned, then she needs to see a vet. Just a little redness could be normal, and if she has no symptoms or abnormal behavior, then I suspect she is fine. I hope this helps!