My unspayed beagle has swollen vulva, licks, looks pregnant. Why?

This would be quite soon for Lila to go into heat again, and I'm wondering if she possibly had contact with an intact male dog during her first heat. Her symptoms could be indicative of a pregnancy, but it could also be due to a false pregnancy. This is when a dog shows signs of being pregnant without actually being pregnant. I would have her seen by a vet tomorrow, who can confirm if she is pregnant or is experiencing a false pregnancy. As for spaying, should she be pregnant, she would be far along in her pregnancy that at this point, spaying may not be an option. If she is having a false pregnancy, yes she can be spayed but keep in mind that if there is an increased blood flow to her uterus, the surgery will cost a little more due to the increased risks. You can speak to your vet to find out the costs involved. I would recommend having her spayed if you can, however, as it will reduce her chance of developing mammary tumors later in life (she will have an 8% chance of developing them), and will eliminate the risk of developing a pyometra, which is a life threatening infection of the uterus. Take her into your vet tomorrow for an exam and a discussion. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about Lilo. It looks like she has a recessed vulva. This can predispose a dog to developing a urinary tract infection. If you have closely examined her vulva before and it did not look like this, I suppose it is possible she could have inflammation from licking resulting in swelling of the area but it is less likely. I would recommend having your vet examine the area in person to see if they feel this is a recessed vulva. Sometimes medicated wipes can be used to clean between the folds and prevent infection, but in cases of recurrent infection surgical alteration of the area can be helpful.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Is she was allowed access to intact male dogs she could be pregnant but you wouldn't see symptoms this soon. She may be experiencing a false pregnancy this is a hormonal imbalance where the body makes hormones that mimic pregnancy. The dog will nest, act anxious, carry stuffed animals around, the mammary glands can become enlarged and they can even produce milk. It lasts a few weeks then resolves. The only thing that doesn't fit is the excessive licking. Possible causes for excessive licking of the vulva is a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine or a skin infection around the vulva. I would collect a urine sample and bring it with you to have Milah examined. I wish you the best!

It's not common in younger dogs, but a pyometra can happen and would cause these symptoms. A pyometra is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. I would be very concerned about this possibility, and I would take Luana into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

The vulva looks swollen indeed. Stevie may have vaginitis, which is not uncommon in young dogs. It is usually mild but irritating bacterial infection of vulva. The other explanation I can think of is a small wound or insect bite the triggered the itchiness and irritation and Stevie by continues licking the area, made it worse. First of all, you need to stop her from licking the vulva. Head cone would be ideal. If she doesn't tolerate a cone you could try a diaper, but a cone would be better. If the swelling does not go down or at least improve in the next 24hrs you will need to take Stevie to your local vets for a check up.

The question is, is it an vaginal infection or a uterine infection? if she is lethargic, drinking a lot, seems bloated and in pain then it is most likely a pyometra (uterine infection), this will require urgent surgery to have the uterus removed as medical treatment fail to resolve this condition in the vast majority of cases. if she is suffering from a vaginal infection this can be treated with antibiotics prescribed by your vet. either way you will have to take her to a veterinarian ASAP.

Licking and biting excessively at the vulva is often a sign of a urinary tract infection, vaginitis, or certain types of allergies. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do at home to treat any of these problems effectively, so I would recommend taking her to the vet tomorrow for an exam if possible - she will probably need prescription antibiotics or other medication to treat the problem.