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Dog penis-licking problem
I have a 2.5 yr old yorkie/maltese mix we rescued from the ASPCA 1 year ago. Last month, I noticed his penis was sticking out and not retracting. I called the vet and brought him in. The vet had to use lube and get it back to normal. The sheath (?)/outside skin was folded insideon itself and couldn't go back to normal. It was a bit swollen because it had been a couple days. She gave him a steroid and antibiotic in case there was a UTI. She said some dogs are "too clean" and the skin has a hard time going back to normal.
Now it keeps happening--almost daily. It seems he messes with it during the day while we're at work or at night when we're sleeping. After it happened the second time and I brought him in because I couldn't fix it myself, they put a cone on him. However, he was abused before we got him and he was terrified of the cone and couldn't stop shaking. It was really pitiful.
So I just bought a belly band/male diaper at Petsmart. I figured maybe it would prevent him from licking. Do you have any ideas on why this is happening and what we can do to stop it? I really don't like having to fix his penis every other day, LOL.
Re: Dog penis-licking problem
Ah I thought this was going to be something else! Haha!
Sorry to hear about your pooch's delicate problem. When you say come do you mean E-collar around his neck or covering for his Johnson? The only solution I could think of is perhaps the diaper (which you've got) & some behavioral training? It sounds like it might be a nervous habit when you are gone & he is bored/lonely. Does he have a toy or something to distract himself with while you are gone?
Also, rescues like yours (and mine) have issues with anxiety. Have you tried leaving a radio on softly (like NPR) or a white noise machine (like you would for an infant) while you are away? For some reason this worked for E (my Pom) when we first got him. He was so used to tons of noise from the puppy mill that silence literally drove him to lick various portions of his body (including his nether regions) bald out of nerves.
See if the soothing noises help while you are away & if not you might talk to your vet about some chemical assistance if you think it is a nervous habit. That is what it sounds like to me. Good luck!
Funny, Edith. Slow night?
Betty, yes it was an E-collar. Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate it. I haven't tried the radio, but will. I think it probably is anxiety related. When we're home, he's always following us around or laying on the chair with us. He doesn't want to be away from us.
I take exception to the blanket statement that rescues have anxiety problems. I have seen some that do and some that don't, it totally depends.
I'd try to figure out from your vet what they think is causing it and consider a second opinion if they don't know. I'm not sure you can tell at this point whether the licking is the cause of his problem or him being uncomfortable and trying to resolve that discomfort. If he's uncomfortable the belly band isn't going to solve the underlying problem.