Just as your puppy is getting used to potty training, you might notice them urinating more than usual, having accidents in the house, or licking their genital area. Sometimes, this can be a sign of a behavioral problem. Other times, excessive licking and inappropriate urination could mean that your dog has a condition called vaginitis in dogs. Vaginitis means swelling or inflammation of the vagina and occurs in female dogs that are spayed or intact.
This condition is usually seen in puppies but can also affect adult dogs. If you notice any changes in your dog’s potty habits or an unusual discharge from their vagina, make sure to book an appointment with your veterinarian. Read on to learn about vaginitis in dogs, including the causes, symptoms, and treatments.
When bacteria enter a dog’s vagina, they can reproduce and result in an infection called vaginitis in dogs. Other causes include viral infections and hormonal imbalances. You can think of a dog’s urinary tract as a river, starting with the kidneys, which filter blood, and the ureters, which are tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder, says Dr. Josh Smith, DVM, a small animal veterinarian and owner of Pawspital Animal Hospital. Urine travels through the ureters and is stored in the urinary bladder until it’s expelled from the body through a tube called the urethra.
©mutluproject - stock.adobe.com
“There are a lot of places where something can go wrong,” he says. If there’s a growth of bacteria in the bladder, this is called a urinary tract infection (UTI). Since symptoms like frequent urination are seen in both UTIs and vaginitis, sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate between these conditions. The treatment for vaginitis is also similar to that for UTIs.
The main difference between vaginitis and a UTI is the location of the infection, the former affecting the vagina and the latter affecting the bladder and urinary tract. Vaginitis tends to be more common in puppies than older dogs, while UTIs can occur in dogs of all ages, including male dogs. In addition, vaginitis may resolve on its own after the puppy’s heat cycle.
Aside from genetics, a dog’s anatomy can also increase a dog’s risk of vaginitis. Some dogs have a recessed or hooded vulva, meaning they have extra skin surrounding the vulva. Moisture and dirt can become trapped in these skin folds, leading to an infection. Excess skin folds and a recessed vulva tend to be more common in breeds like the French Bulldog, Bulldog, and Pug, but vaginitis is also seen in other breeds like the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever, he says.
Symptoms of vaginitis may come and go. Some dogs may not have any noticeable symptoms, while others may experience recurrent infections, especially younger dogs and dogs with a structural abnormality (e.g., a recessed vulva), Dr. Smith explains. If your dog does have symptoms, they may include:
If vaginitis is suspected, your veterinarian will conduct a urinalysis, which is a screening test to check for signs of infection or disease. There are two ways to collect a urine sample: free catch and cystocentesis.
Capturing urine in a container while your dog is urinating is known as free catch. One problem with this method is that the urine sample could be contaminated by bacteria in the vagina, the dog’s environment, or the container itself, he says. “It’s not a sterile collection.” Another concern with using free catch is that it doesn’t tell you which part of the genital tract is infected.
A urinalysis can confirm that your dog has an infection but not whether it’s located in the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, or vagina. Because of the potential for contamination, “it’s a little bit difficult to say, this is vaginitis,” he says. “So, usually you treat it like a urinary tract infection because wherever you collected the urine doesn’t tell you if the vagina itself is infected unless it’s swollen and red and irritated, which isn’t always the case.”
gilaxia/Getty Images Plus
A second way to collect urine is cystocentesis, which involves using a needle and ultrasound. The vet will put the needle directly into the bladder and collect a sterile urine sample. “Since you’re getting it directly from the source, it’s not going to be contaminated,” he says.
Cystocentesis can tell you if there are bacteria in the bladder, but it doesn’t tell you if a dog has vaginitis because the sample you’re collecting is higher up in the genital tract. So, this procedure would be more appropriate for a UTI, he explains. You can also take a bacterial culture on the urine collected via free catch or cystocentesis. A culture can tell you which bacteria are present and, therefore, which antibiotics will be most effective.
If the urine was collected using free catch, there may be bacteria growing but not necessarily in the vagina. It can be frustrating and expensive for owners to continue testing for vaginitis and treating recurrent infections. “Thankfully, most puppies grow out of it, but it takes time,” he says.
Keeping your puppy at a healthy weight can help them avoid developing excess skin where bacteria tend to proliferate. If your dog has skin folds or a hooded vulva, you’ll want to keep the vulvar area clean and dry in addition to sanitizing their bedding and living environment. Dr. Smith recommends daily cleaning of skin folds with medicated wipes that contain chlorhexidine.
Aside from using wipes, the treatment for vaginitis is oral antibiotics. But even with routine cleaning and medication, vaginitis tends to come back in puppies. It may be that “you’re not using the right antibiotic, and in puppies, it can be very frustrating trying to find the source of the infection,” he says.
For dogs with a hooded vulva, you can do a surgery called a vulvoplasty “to get rid of that excess tissue that brings that vulva out, so it’s not underneath all that skin,” he says. You’ll want to wait until they’re fully grown to do this surgery. It’s also important for them to wear a cone while recovering to prevent them from licking the vulvar area.
If the infection recurs, it’s a good idea to conduct cystocentesis, especially if this screening test wasn’t done the first time. A negative result means that the infection is further downstream from the bladder. With most dogs, cystocentesis can be done without anesthesia. The vet will have your dog lie on their back and use the ultrasound to determine where to extract a urine sample from the bladder.
The post Vaginitis in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments appeared first on American Kennel Club.
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This condition is usually seen in puppies but can also affect adult dogs. If you notice any changes in your dog’s potty habits or an unusual discharge from their vagina, make sure to book an appointment with your veterinarian. Read on to learn about vaginitis in dogs, including the causes, symptoms, and treatments.
What Causes Vaginitis in Dogs?
When bacteria enter a dog’s vagina, they can reproduce and result in an infection called vaginitis in dogs. Other causes include viral infections and hormonal imbalances. You can think of a dog’s urinary tract as a river, starting with the kidneys, which filter blood, and the ureters, which are tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder, says Dr. Josh Smith, DVM, a small animal veterinarian and owner of Pawspital Animal Hospital. Urine travels through the ureters and is stored in the urinary bladder until it’s expelled from the body through a tube called the urethra.
©mutluproject - stock.adobe.com
“There are a lot of places where something can go wrong,” he says. If there’s a growth of bacteria in the bladder, this is called a urinary tract infection (UTI). Since symptoms like frequent urination are seen in both UTIs and vaginitis, sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate between these conditions. The treatment for vaginitis is also similar to that for UTIs.
The main difference between vaginitis and a UTI is the location of the infection, the former affecting the vagina and the latter affecting the bladder and urinary tract. Vaginitis tends to be more common in puppies than older dogs, while UTIs can occur in dogs of all ages, including male dogs. In addition, vaginitis may resolve on its own after the puppy’s heat cycle.
Aside from genetics, a dog’s anatomy can also increase a dog’s risk of vaginitis. Some dogs have a recessed or hooded vulva, meaning they have extra skin surrounding the vulva. Moisture and dirt can become trapped in these skin folds, leading to an infection. Excess skin folds and a recessed vulva tend to be more common in breeds like the French Bulldog, Bulldog, and Pug, but vaginitis is also seen in other breeds like the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever, he says.
How Is Vaginitis in Dogs Diagnosed?
Symptoms of vaginitis may come and go. Some dogs may not have any noticeable symptoms, while others may experience recurrent infections, especially younger dogs and dogs with a structural abnormality (e.g., a recessed vulva), Dr. Smith explains. If your dog does have symptoms, they may include:
- Swelling or irritation of the vulvar area
- Excessive licking of the vulva
- Unusual discharge (clear or yellow color or bloody)
- Frequent urination
- Unpleasant odor
- Discomfort or difficulty urinating
- Redness
If vaginitis is suspected, your veterinarian will conduct a urinalysis, which is a screening test to check for signs of infection or disease. There are two ways to collect a urine sample: free catch and cystocentesis.
Free Catch
Capturing urine in a container while your dog is urinating is known as free catch. One problem with this method is that the urine sample could be contaminated by bacteria in the vagina, the dog’s environment, or the container itself, he says. “It’s not a sterile collection.” Another concern with using free catch is that it doesn’t tell you which part of the genital tract is infected.
A urinalysis can confirm that your dog has an infection but not whether it’s located in the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, or vagina. Because of the potential for contamination, “it’s a little bit difficult to say, this is vaginitis,” he says. “So, usually you treat it like a urinary tract infection because wherever you collected the urine doesn’t tell you if the vagina itself is infected unless it’s swollen and red and irritated, which isn’t always the case.”
gilaxia/Getty Images Plus
Cystocentesis
A second way to collect urine is cystocentesis, which involves using a needle and ultrasound. The vet will put the needle directly into the bladder and collect a sterile urine sample. “Since you’re getting it directly from the source, it’s not going to be contaminated,” he says.
Cystocentesis can tell you if there are bacteria in the bladder, but it doesn’t tell you if a dog has vaginitis because the sample you’re collecting is higher up in the genital tract. So, this procedure would be more appropriate for a UTI, he explains. You can also take a bacterial culture on the urine collected via free catch or cystocentesis. A culture can tell you which bacteria are present and, therefore, which antibiotics will be most effective.
If the urine was collected using free catch, there may be bacteria growing but not necessarily in the vagina. It can be frustrating and expensive for owners to continue testing for vaginitis and treating recurrent infections. “Thankfully, most puppies grow out of it, but it takes time,” he says.
How Do You Prevent and Treat Vaginitis in Dogs?
Keeping your puppy at a healthy weight can help them avoid developing excess skin where bacteria tend to proliferate. If your dog has skin folds or a hooded vulva, you’ll want to keep the vulvar area clean and dry in addition to sanitizing their bedding and living environment. Dr. Smith recommends daily cleaning of skin folds with medicated wipes that contain chlorhexidine.
Aside from using wipes, the treatment for vaginitis is oral antibiotics. But even with routine cleaning and medication, vaginitis tends to come back in puppies. It may be that “you’re not using the right antibiotic, and in puppies, it can be very frustrating trying to find the source of the infection,” he says.
For dogs with a hooded vulva, you can do a surgery called a vulvoplasty “to get rid of that excess tissue that brings that vulva out, so it’s not underneath all that skin,” he says. You’ll want to wait until they’re fully grown to do this surgery. It’s also important for them to wear a cone while recovering to prevent them from licking the vulvar area.
If the infection recurs, it’s a good idea to conduct cystocentesis, especially if this screening test wasn’t done the first time. A negative result means that the infection is further downstream from the bladder. With most dogs, cystocentesis can be done without anesthesia. The vet will have your dog lie on their back and use the ultrasound to determine where to extract a urine sample from the bladder.
The post Vaginitis in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments appeared first on American Kennel Club.
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