Girlie Problem

[frenchie]

Hello....my 18 month old frenchie has a little problem....she gets a rash rash around her "private part"...it is uncomfortable for her.....I had her desexed before she first came on heat.....I've taken her to the vet this week (this is probably our third visit for this) and now they tell me that it is because I had her desexed when she was a puppy her private bit hasn't grown out enough to be open and get air in and remove the moisture...........why do the vets advise desexing if the puppy isn't mature enough? Does this sound right? The vet can operate.......and stretch and cut the skin making private bit more exposed..........I don't know....I don't want her to be uncomfortable.......not sure if the operation will fix the problem.....will it look ugly........I'd really love to hear from anyone that knows or has heard about this before....her urine has been tested and is ok..........I am losing my confidence in vets I think

[puggy_puggy]

Not sure about the fact that their vulvas need to develop more to prevent infections. I think it might just depend on the dog and not be to do with desexing when they are puppies.

How often do you bath her? Whilst it is red and inflamed I would probably bath the area with warm salty water every day and make sure you dry it well. Also using an ointment like Panalog, which you can get from your vets, would be a good idea. My vet said it is fine to use in the vulva area.

Has the vet suggested anything but surgery? Has he given you anything to put on it?

[frenchie]

Not sure about the fact that their vulvas need to develop more to prevent infections. I think it might just depend on the dog and not be to do with desexing when they are puppies.

How often do you bath her? Whilst it is red and inflamed I would probably bath the area with warm salty water every day and make sure you dry it well. Also using an ointment like Panalog, which you can get from your vets, would be a good idea. My vet said it is fine to use in the vulva area.

Has the vet suggested anything but surgery? Has he given you anything to put on it?

Hi.....I bath her once a week......yes, the vet said I could bath it with salty water every day.....she's on some tablets to clear it up...the rash isn't that bad she doesn't lick the area but she tries to rub the area on the ground/carpet so it obviously is uncomfortable for her.

The more I think about it the operation it sounds drastic but I don't want her to be uncomfortable.....maybe I should continue with the salt bath and get some of the ointment you suggested and see how she goes with that.

[Sam&Saki]

Frenchie, it is called a recessed vulva.

A bitch with a recessed vulva will likely have recurrent vaginitis, vaginal dermatitis and UTIs until the recessed vulva is rectified.

Recessed vulvas will grow out by themselves as long as you don't get them spayed before it grows out, as getting a bitch spayed the standard way is by ovariohysterectomy, meaning the ovaries are removed - once the ovaries are gone, normal reproductive horomone function is gone, meaning reproductive development will cease.

Your vet was absolutely wrong to desex your bitch when she had a recessed vulva, if you had gone to a specialist they would have told you not to desex until after it had grown out to a stage where it had corrected itself.

It's a pity you didn't go to a specialist earlier but definintely go to one now. The operation to correct the vulva is not a nice one, but neither is a life of infections, itchiness, etc.

Where are you based? I can recommend a good specialist in this field in Melbourne. God luck and hugs to you and your poor pup.

[frenchie]

Frenchie, it is called a recessed vulva.

A bitch with a recessed vulva will likely have recurrent vaginitis, vaginal dermatitis and UTIs until the recessed vulva is rectified.

Recessed vulvas will grow out by themselves as long as you don't get them spayed before it grows out, as getting a bitch spayed the standard way is by ovariohysterectomy, meaning the ovaries are removed - once the ovaries are gone, normal reproductive horomone function is gone, meaning reproductive development will cease.

Your vet was absolutely wrong to desex your bitch when she had a recessed vulva, if you had gone to a specialist they would have told you not to desex until after it had grown out to a stage where it had corrected itself.

It's a pity you didn't go to a specialist earlier but definintely go to one now. The operation to correct the vulva is not a nice one, but neither is a life of infections, itchiness, etc.

Where are you based? I can recommend a good specialist in this field in Melbourne. God luck and hugs to you and your poor pup.

Thanks for your advice

[morgan]

Ditto on any vet spaying a pup with a recessed vulva. Disgusting.

In the meantime you could try putting a good quality calendula ointment (in a lanolin base) on the affected area a couple of times a day. It will heal the irritation as well as protect the skin from further urine scald and retained moisture. Even if she licks it off within a few minutes the calendula will have had time to penetrate the skin and start the healing process. What she licks off will go into her system and help from the inside. Generations of mothers used to use lanolin to protect their babies from nappy rash!

The ointment from Newton's Pharmacy in York St Sydney is excellent and they will post it to you if needed.

This will give you time to work out whether or not to have her operated on.

[GoldiesRgr8Poodles2]

My Standard poodle Isabella had an "innie" Inverted vulva. I was told to let her go through a season to help it pop out further but had an entire male Golden here so that wasnt an option. She was desexed at just over 6 months and I had the vet sergically fix her vulva. When he came out of sergery it looked like she had been butchered. But anout a month or 2 later the hari grew back around the wound site and now you woudlnt even know but for a tiny white scare in a smile face shape around the outside of the skin near her vulva.

Its not pretty especially when you pic them up with stitches but once the stitches are out it all looks better. I personally recomend the sergery and think it works well. Isabella was so bad that everytime she urinated i had to pat her dry with a tissue and i woukld apply a cream that acted as a barrier but she still got rashy.

I noticed probem before her spey and the vet noticed the problem on a consultation before spey and we opted to do both at the same time. Pity your vet didnt notice her vulva looking funny back then

Hope thats helped.

[Garloch]

Frenchie,

What a dreadful vet! They should be ashamed. Imagine a human Dr doing surgery without a prior consult - they'd be de-registered. Can't help that now, but a specialist vet sounds the best idea.

In teh meantime, I agree with Morgan - Calendula is great stuff. Another very good cream to use is Pawpaw ointment. The brand is Lucas's Pawpaw Ointment, and it comes in a bright red tube about 10cms long. It is sensational stuff. I have a scottie that is constantly scratching her snout, and has a big itchy red angry looking welt with no fur left on it, and nothing has helped so far, except the pawpaw. She was on antibiotics, then a daily irimine tablet, bathing, lotions, potions etc - none of which did a damn thing. The the pawpaw ointment materialised. Coincidentally, most teenagers around here use it as a lipgloss! Go figure. Its magic stuff, non-toxic, cleans up her dermititis inside 24hours, and relieves the itch as well. Can't have high enough praise for it. Only about $4 a tube too.

[StaceyB]

I feel your pain Frenchie. Gypsy has some health problems because I had her desexed at 6 months and the vet didn't tell me that her problem could be a possibility (she has spey incontinence). Had I known I would have waited until Gypsy was mature. Now she has to be medicated just so she can control her bladder.

I know these a different problems, but I just wanted to let you know that you and your girl are not alone in your suffering due to some vets inability to recognize and inform owners of potential problems that desexing can cause if done as a pup.