My dog's vulva is swollen with a hard lump. Why is she licking it?

This could be an infection but could rarely indicate a type of skin tumor like a mast cell tumor. You can try to keep her from licking the area and apply an antibiotic ointment to see if it helps. However if it gets worse, does not improve, she has any vaginal discharge and/or odor it can indicate a more serious problem and she needs to be seen by a veterinarian

Poor girl! This could be a number of things from a benign tumor, an infection, a cancerous tumor and much more. I would first put a cone collar on her to prevent her from licking it or it will only get worse. Since the bump is really swollen and obviously bothering her, I would have your vet take a look at it. Your vet will be able to determine what it is and recommend the best treatment for her. They will likely put her on antibiotics and may or may not recommend to have it surgically removed. I hope this helps!

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Cinammon. If Cinnamon recently had puppies it is possible that she may have some swelling and irritation secondary to inflammation in that area. Since Cinnamon was also spayed recently, I recommend that she wear an e-collar or something to prevent licking of her incision during the healing process. This will also help prevent her from licking at her vulva. Licking can predispose pets to further irritation and infection. If the swelling does not resolve or you begin to notice any colored or odorous discharge please have Cinnamon seen by a veterinarian. Hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about Stella! I would recommend that she sees her veterinarian for an examination. We can have dogs get infections of bacteria or yeast in the vulva area, but we can also see this symptom as a sign of a urinary tract infection or some urinary incontinence. Your vet can examine her and check for signs of infection, and based on their findings make a treatment plan. Your post states that your dog is spayed, if she was not spayed we would also be concerned about the chance of a pyometra, or infected uterus, which would need to be seen right away.

Yes. A lump can mean many things including a prolapse. The licking is a concern that Gabby is uncomfortable. I recommend to getbher examined today. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

Thank you for the photo of the lump on the side of Lily's vulva, I can see it clearly in the photo. From the photo, it doesn't appear to be ulcerated, bleeding, or look otherwise "nasty" on the outside. That doesn't necessarily rule out it being a malignant lump, but this appearance is better than it being what I described above, if that makes sense. While there is a chance it could be malignant, given her age, there is also a possibility that it could simply be a benign growth, a good possibility given its appearance. Again, I can't say that for certain, but benign growths and malignant growths tend to have certain characteristics, and appearance can be one of those characteristics (but not always!). Sorry that I can't be more specific, but unfortunately I cannot be specific without seeing her in person. I do think it's good that you are having her seen by a vet for this, especially since it has grown in size a little, and waiting another 10 days does not seem like a big deal in this case. If you are especially concerned, you can ask to be put on the cancellation list, where they can call you a spot opens up sooner. I hope this helps!