Why does my male dog have a rash, swelling, and discharge near his penis?

Hello, and thank you for your question. This looks like a bacterial infection of the skin. Around the penis is a common area to get skin infections due to the proximity to the ground. I would suggest bathing the area with a gentle aloe and oatmeal type shampoo. If Duke's skin does not improve within 1-2 days, I would bring him to the vet, as he may need something stronger such as oral antibiotics. In the meantime, you may need to put an e-collar (cone) on his head to prevent him from licking and further traumatizing the skin. I hope this helps, and that Duke feels better soon!

Was there any chance Gunter had trauma to that area such as being hit by a car or laying on hot pavement at some point. That is a typical lesion comparable to road rash or an abrasion of some sort. The swelling may be edema or a possible hernia in the muscle wall causing the swelling if there was trauma. Because a hernia can be life threatening it is best if he is seen by a vet to check for that. You can keep the area clean with cool water and apply an antibiotic cream to help until you can get him seen. Make sure you monitor for urination since the swelling is close to his prepuce and penis.

It can be quite normal to have a little discharge from the penis in a young male dog, so what you are seeing with Zizou may be completely normal and not a concern. The rash may be something that needs to be addressed, however. It is difficult to tell from the pictures, unfortunately, as they are a tad blurry. The rash could be a local bacterial infection, possibly secondary to the discharge and the area staying damp. I would recommend keeping the area clean with a mild soap and making sure it is staying dry. You also could get an elizabethan collar (lamp shade collar) for him to wear to keep him from licking the area excessively and making it worse. Often when dogs lick a wound or rash, it keeps the area moist and can allow bacterial to overgrow further. I do not think this is an emergency and you can have our vet evaluate the skin when he goes Zizou goes in for an exam in 5 days. Based on how it looks at the time, he may need further treatment like a topical spray, or potentially antibiotics. Zizou is a great name by the way!!!!

There are many reasons Prince could have the rash including parasites or allergies (both environmental and food). If you don’t see any fleas, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a problem. They can have issues with only 1 or 2 fleas running around. Make sure to keep him from licking the area by making him wear an Elizabethan collar at all times if needed. Go ahead and treat him for fleas once a month for at least 2 months. If you want an over the counter product, pick Frontline but there are better products out there like Cheristan or Comfortis. You don’t necessarily need to do anything about the rash as long as it doesn’t get worse. If you want however, you can wash the area daily with hand soap and rinse it wel. If he does not get better within a couple weeks or if he gets worse, take him in to see the veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any further questions.!

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. 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.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Rashes around a penis are typically either caused by allergies to something he is lying on (grass, bedding, etc.), bug bites on the abdomen (ants in the grass), or from a urinary issue where he would be dribbling urine, or licking at his penis making the skin around it wet, and therefore getting a secondary skin infection. I recommend having it seen by a vet if it is irritating Dice or looks infected (any yellow/green discharge, any open wounds, etc). If it is just a little bit red, then I would recommend an E-collar to prevent self-trauma and licking which is likely making it worse, and just washing the area with water and drying it very well. Getting a urine sample checked by your vet is a good idea, especially if Dice is peeing more than usually, or straining to pee, or if there is any red discolouration of the pee. Best of luck with Dice.

Ouch! Poor Dylan! This looks like a little local infection that he has been licking. I would place an e-collar I him to prevent licking. You can clean it with mild soap and water. And I would also put some neosporin on it twice a day. If it is not improving in the next day or two then I would definitely take him in to see your veterinarian for an exam. Your vet will be able to prescribe some oral anabiotics and some stronger topical medicine if needed. If at any point he is not eating or is lethargic then I would also take him to your vet. I hope this helps!