Why is my female dog licking her raw privates? Are fleas the cause?

Hello, sorry to hear about Ollie. Occasionally, female dogs can have a hooded vulva which can cause a dermatitis around the area which may elicit itchiness and a mild infection. Other causes such as allergies and fleas can also contribute to being itchy around that area. I would inspect the region and if you see dark brown pigmented fur or red skin, I would make an appointment with your veterinarian to have her evaluated. Hope this helps and best of luck

Poor Phoebe! This sounds quite uncomfortable. There are several possible causes of irritation to the vulva and may be due to excessive licking as a result of a skin allergy or urinary tract infection, or urine scalding. Phoebe should be examined by her vet and have a urinalysis performed to assess for the presence of a urinary tract infection. In some cases, when the skin becomes overly irritated and ulcerative, it can become infected and require antibiotics for treatment. In the meantime, closely monitor Phoebe and if she seems to be licking excessively, put an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further irritation.

Those spots on Lucy could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like Honey is in pain or has an infection. Since she is licking her vulva frequently and walking stiffly there is a possibility that she is suffering from a urinary tract infection or, especially since she was not spayed, a uterine infection, which is potentially life threatening. Please take her to your vet for an exam as a urinary tract infection can potentially turn into a serious kidney infection , and a uterine infection is potentially fatal. A UTI is usually treated with a course of antibiotics, and a uterine infection is usually treated by surgery, ie the pus-filled uterus and ovaries are removed and your dog will also be prescribed pain medicine and antibiotics.

Constant looking on the vulva can indicate an infection in the bladder. There’s not anything you can do for that at home so Bailey needs to see the veterinarian to have her urine tested for an infection or crystals. Try to get her examined today. Constant licking on the hind legs can have many causes but fleas are very common in the area. I recommend to discuss using an oral flea preventative such as Simparica with your veterinarian. If you give her this product and the licking stops, then you know it was due to fleas. In general you can wash her in an oatmeal type dog shampoo as this can help with itching as can an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thanks for posting! Licking near the tail base region can be a sign of a flea allergy, especially if Lucas is not on any flea preventative. It only takes one flea to induce a flea allergy! Another possibility may be pain near the lumbar area of the back (lower back), perhaps from arthritis of the spine or hips or another condition of the spine. I would recommend Lucas have an exam done by a veterinarian soon and perhaps an x-ray done to differentiate a possible flea allergy from spinal or hip pain. I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Lucas!

Some dogs do have allergies that can make them focus on the vulva and sometimes they can even end up with an infection around the vulva. You could use a warm washcloth to wipe daily to see if it will help. If she’s not improving in a few days or if you start to notice urinary issues I’d recommend having your vet examine her.