What causes a rash near my puppy's vagina and why is she licking it?

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.

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.

That does look a bit irritated. Issues such as allergies, or even issues like bladder infections can cause itching or irritation. If Laika is licking the area, it can also increase irritation. I would place an Elizabethan (cone) collar on her to keep her from licking it and keep the area clean with pet wipes or a washcloth. If the irritation continues, or you see signs such as straining to urinate, bloody or cloudy urine, strange discharge, etc, then seeking veterinary care is best.

Rashes in that area are common. It can be whats called Puppy Pyoderma or it can be more of a hygiene issue (puppies aren't very good at cleaning themselves after using the restroom). You may try using a pet wipe and cleaning her vulva and the area around it after she urinates. If it's a hygiene issue, the rash will generally start to look much better within a few days. If the rash is still present after a week or if you see it gets worse, I recommend to have Daisy examined by the veterinarian. Make sure Daisy is not excessively licking at the area as this can make it worse. I hope this helps.

Wow, this rash looks quite painful to Lexi! It could be due to a contact allergy or a skin infection caused by yeast or bacteria. Coconut oil likely won't fix this rash, as she will simply lick off the oil. I would not apply anymore as too much oil can lead to pancreatitis. Lexi will need to see a vet for this rash first thing tomorrow morning. The vet can diagnose what is causing the rash so she can be treated. Tonight, you can try giving her an oatmeal or Epsom salt bath which may be soothing to her. As for rubbing her butt on the floor, that can be due to anal sac impaction or intestinal worms. The vet can also diagnose what is causing that behavior and can either express her anal sacs for you or give her a deworming treatment.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be 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 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). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. 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!

We will commonly see skin problems that we call perivulvar dermatitis (infection of the skin around the vulva) when dogs have a recessed or tucked vulva. That infection can be due to a bacterial or yeast overgrowth as a result of excessive moisture that can develop in those skin folds. Treatment is geared towards drying the area (with a medicated drying wipe or solution), treating the infection (with an antibacterial or antifungal solution) and decreasing inflammation. The only concern that I would have with waiting until Tuesday would be if Ella makes the infection worse by licking at it, so you might consider using an e-collar until her vet appointment on Tuesday. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Ella feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.