Vaginitis in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options

Booty scooting, butt dragging and licking the hind quarters can all signify a number of canine health conditions. But if your dog is female and this behavior is accompanied by vaginal discharge, she might have vaginitis.

Continue reading to learn more about canine vaginitis, including what causes it and how you can help your pup.

What Is Canine Vaginitis?

Canine vaginitis is the clinical name for an inflamed vagina in dogs. It's often characterized by the dog's vulva and inner membranes appearing enlarged and swollen, and by white or red vaginal discharge. It can affect female dogs of any age or breed, regardless of whether or not they've been spayed.

Veterinarians categorize vaginitis in dogs into two types, depending on age: puppy vaginitis and adult-onset vaginitis.

1. Puppy vaginitis

Also called juvenile vaginitis, this happens with female puppies who have not yet gone through their first heat cycle. It usually clears up on its own once the puppy either experiences her first heat or after she's spayed.

2. Adult-onset vaginitis

This affects sexually mature female dogs. It occurs most often with dogs who have been spayed, although it can also happen to intact (unspayed) females. In the latter case, a vet needs to examine your dog to make sure it's not actually pyometra, a dangerous uterine infection that can mimic the outward symptoms of vaginitis.

What Causes Vaginitis in Dogs?

Canine vaginitis has a number of possible causes. In a lot of cases, it's categorized as idiopathic, meaning the vet is unable to determine an underlying cause. But these are some of the known causes:

• Bacterial infections. Secondary infections affecting nearby parts of the body, like the anal glands or the urinary tract, can cause a dog's vagina to become inflamed. Less common is a primary infection of the vagina itself.
• Congenital abnormalities. Sometimes dogs are born with an ectopic ureter (the ureter is a tube carrying urine from the kidney to the bladder). In the case of an ectopic ureter, the tube doesn't attach to the bladder as normal. In female dogs, this can result in its contents emptying into the vagina instead of the urethra. This causes urine to pool in the vagina, which can lead to vaginitis. Other anatomical birth defects can also be a cause.
• Fecal matter. With puppies, it's not unusual for fecal matter to get into the vulva and vagina and cause irritation and infection.
• Folded skin around the vulva. In overweight dogs and dogs with excess skin, dirt and bacteria can become trapped in skin folds near or surrounding the vulva, which can cause infection.
• Foreign bodies. Seeds, burrs and other foreign bodies that get trapped in a dog's fur can make their way into the vagina and cause irritation.
• Hormones and hormone disruptors. Low estrogen can cause vaginal inflammation in dogs, and so can androgenic steroids in some medications.
• Poor hygiene. While dogs are normally good at keeping themselves clean, conditions like obesity, arthritis and diarrhea can prevent dogs from cleaning their anatomical area well enough to prevent infections and inflammation. Dogs who have just given birth may also need help keeping clean^.
• Systemic illnesses. Vaginitis can occur as a complication of an underlying systemic illness, such as diabetes.
• Trauma. Vaginitis can result from injury to either the dog vulva or the vagina.
• Tumors. Tumors and cysts located within the vaginal region can also cause vaginitis.
• Underdeveloped sex organs. In puppies, vaginitis can result from the vagina and vulva simply not yet being fully developed.
• Urinary incontinence. When female dogs are unable to hold their urine because of a weak urinary sphincter, urine can leak into the vagina, causing vaginitis.
• Urinary tract infections. Vaginitis typically goes hand in hand with UTIs in female dogs, with the localized infection affecting the vagina as well as the urinary tract.
• Urine with abnormally low or high pH. Another cause of vaginitis, especially in puppies, might be a chemical imbalance that disrupts the urine's pH balance.
• Viral infections. Viral infections like canine herpesvirus can cause vaginitis.
• Yeast infections. Yeast infections and yeast overgrowth from other underlying health conditions can also cause vaginitis in dogs.

Symptoms of Canine Vaginitis

Because symptoms of vaginitis in dogs include a swollen vulva as well as female dog discharge and bleeding, it may be confused with a heat cycle in dogs who haven't been spayed. But vaginitis in dogs is usually accompanied by some, if not all, of these behavioral signs that can help distinguish it from dog heat:

• Licking the affected area
• Scooting and rubbing
• Increased urination

Also, intact females may experience changes in their discharge, which may increase in thickness and volume. Spayed females, intact females who aren't in heat and puppies too young to be in heat should be seen by a vet if they produce any type of vaginal discharge.

These symptoms can also be caused by other health conditions, including pyometra, colitis, UTIs and anal gland obstructions. A veterinarian should examine your dog to rule out other conditions before diagnosing and treating vaginitis. And if your dog hasn't been fully spayed and there's a chance she could have pyometra, she should be seen by a vet ASAP.

Diagnosing Vaginitis in Dogs

Regardless of the age of the dog, veterinarians usually begin diagnosing by collecting information about your dog's history. They'll likely ask you about the following:

• Their health history
• Whether they've been spayed
• Any discharge they've produced
• Changes in their behavior

Next, they'll do a physical examination of your dog, checking them all over for signs of other health issues, and conducting a thorough exam of the vulva and vagina. Afterward, they may swab the vagina in order to do a bacterial culture, as well as test a urine sample for signs of infection.

Your vet might also run blood tests to check for any underlying systemic illnesses that could cause vaginitis. If necessary, they may also sedate your dog to do a vaginoscopy and get a better picture of the condition of the vagina.

How to Treat Puppy Vaginitis

Vaginitis in puppies usually clears up on its own once the puppy is either spayed or has her first heat cycle. Until then, daily cleaning of the area with unscented baby wipes will help with irritation and discomfort.

More complicated cases may require further treatment, including antibiotics to treat underlying infections or surgery to correct any anatomical abnormalities that would cause the problem to keep recurring after the puppy is grown. However, as puppies grow, abnormalities sometimes resolve themselves, so your vet may want to wait until the pup reaches adulthood to consider surgical intervention.

How to Treat Adult Dog Vaginitis

Treating adult-onset vaginitis in dogs mainly involves determining and treating the underlying cause. Most commonly, vets will prescribe antibiotics to treat UTIs or other infections.¹A round of antibiotics for dogs typically costs anywhere from $20 to $50, depending on the type and brand of antibiotic and the dosage required for your dog's size and weight.¹

In recurrent cases, surgery may be needed to correct physical abnormalities or remove excess skin folds that are causing vaginitis flare-ups. Known as a vulvoplasty or an episioplasty, the cost of this surgery ranges between $1,000 and $2,000.²

Whether or not your vet is able to identify the underlying cause of vaginitis, they'll also want to treat the symptoms. They may prescribe medicated wipes to help keep the area clean and provide relief from irritation, or they may simply recommend using unscented baby wipes. They might also prescribe anti-inflammatory medications to reduce the inflammation. Your dog might need to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent them from licking and further irritating the area while she recovers.

A more holistic vaginitis treatment approach might also include giving your dog a probiotic supplement to restore healthy bacteria, which has been shown to improve vaginitis. Probiotics for dogs start at around $15 and come in chewable forms as well as powders and liquids.³

Prognosis of Vaginitis in Dogs and Puppies

By and large, puppies will outgrow the condition without further treatment. Having vaginitis as a puppy doesn't mean that female dogs will continue to have problems with vaginitis as adults. However, structural abnormalities that don't correct themselves as the puppy reaches adulthood may eventually require surgery to correct.

Vaginitis in adult dogs typically responds well to treatment and clears up within a few weeks. Recurrent cases may require surgery to correct or indicate a systemic underlying condition that needs to be addressed. Ultimately, your dog's prognosis will depend on successfully treating the underlying cause.

Preventing Canine Vaginitis

While it may not be possible to prevent vaginitis entirely, making sure your dog stays clean will go a long way to keeping her from getting it. This is especially important if your dog gets diarrhea or has mobility issues that prevent her from cleaning herself.

Whenever you groom her, check to make sure the vaginal area is clean, and take extra care to clean and dry between skin folds when bathing a wrinkly pup. Also, brush her to remove burrs and other items that get caught in fur after she spends time outside, especially if she has a long, thick or curly coat.

Keeping your dog healthy and at a good weight by feeding her a healthy diet in the correct amount and formula for her size and age will also help reduce the chances of underlying health conditions that can cause vaginitis.

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Expert Reviewer

Dr. Kathy Wentworth, V.M.D.

Dr. Kathy Wentworth was the Medical Director of the VCA PetPoint Medical Center and Resort, located in Irvine, California. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine and became board-certified as a Diplomate in Canine and Feline Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2010.

Author Bio

Jean Marie Bauhaus is a freelance writer and novelist who has been writing pet content since 2013. Her work has appeared on Forbes.com, Hill's Pet, Chewy, AKC.org and more.