Hey all:

Echo's got a bit of wee wee issue going on.

Nothing wrong with his peeing and he's not tender in the area. The best way I can describe it is that he seems to have a build-up of liquidy, fatty tissue all around his sheath area.

Was going to call this thread "Missing Penis" and then thought better. But that's what it's like. The area around his sheath is so full of whatever that it hangs lower than the penis. Feeling under there, you really need to press to know his wee wee is still there. He doesn't seem to have any ill effects from it. As mentioned, he's peeing fine.

It's been about two weeks now since I started noticing it. Thought it might absorb or go down but it's not showing any signs of that. It's not getting any fuller or any less.

Anyone have any ideas what might be going on?

possibly this?

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/reproductive_system/reproductive_diseases_of_the_male_small_animal/balanoposthitis_in_small_animals.html

image googling "canine balanoposthitis" brings up pictures to compare.

Hope he and his wee wee are better soon!

This is pretty common. Sometimes it's a long standing issue that becomes visible when a dog sheds out its winter coat.
Clean it all up. Usually they don't mind. Check for any imbedded grass awns, any "tracts" in the skin, ingrown hairs. Sometimes a ring of shed hair can form around the penis causing irritation. Don't make a huge deal about this -- check when he's relaxed, as in watching TV at night. Slide the prepuce back and peek at the penis. NOT SO FAR AS TO AROUSE HIM which can cause erection, the bulbs of the penis to enlarge, and a dog running around in discomfort.

If you had some Panalog or its equivalent, an ear type ointment with an antibiotic and cortizone with a long nose on the applicator, you could run that in there for a few days.

Betty, can't tell you how good "pretty common" sounds.

Just got off work (posted and ran this morning) and Bob's got the boys out. They're getting more boat time than me. Will check him this evening after dinner.

What you've said makes a lot of sense. Two things came to mind right away. He did have a heavy molt this year. When it's gone it's gone but there are the longer guard hairs, and one of those may have gone inward.

And spear grass is really bad this year. He doesn't seem to get it caught in his coat like Vince does but maybe he got speared with one in that area? Nothing that I felt, which is why I was down there to begin with. That stuff is awful and bad for getting up in their armpits and groin area.

So do you think this could be some kind of infection?

I will clean it good and have a look. Have this stuff called "Vet Solutions". It's a mixture of SD Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Benzoic Acid and Salicylic Acid. No idea what any of this is but it was initially prescribed to clean ears.

I also have Neosporin, a prescription antibiotic. There isn't a long nose on it but he's a big boy and I could probably get it in there?

And thanks for the links Tracy, will take a look at them now.

Oh my gosh Tracy, those pictures are haunting.

I will get in there tonight and have a good look. If there is anything out of the ordinary with his actual wee wee I will take pictures. Maybe I should get a picture of his full sheath any way. We'll see how it goes.

I have no problem making a vet appointment immediately but if it's something simple that I can take care of, wouldn't mind saving the trip and the couple hundred bucks either.

I don't think you want any sort of "acid wash" . More like a wet washcloth, paper towel for the outside -- something like a baby butt wipe---

What you would use for yourself in the female department. The inside, the non-skin area of the prepuce, is highly vascularized and very sensitive.
The inside of the ear is "skin" - the inside of the prepuce is more a membrane, like the inside of your mouth.

Edited by Betty Landercasp (07/08/2014 10:10 PM)
Edit reason: more detail

Thank you. And Echo thanks you too.

They're home, just settling down and eating soon.

His little penis is pink. Not red or black and no white pustule thingys.

Cleaned it up but it was pretty clean already. Didn't see or feel any tracts of anything but he's pretty hairy around all this fleshy stuff. Will check him in the morning again, in the sunlight.

There was no way the end of the Neosporin was going in there so I just squeezed some on. Some went in but most just squished around the opening. Hopefully it won't get licked off.

Need that long nose end, like you mentioned, would be perfect. Where's a little tube of BNP cream when you need it.

He was totally fine with the whole ordeal, enjoying the attention in the netherlands.

He did have a little cut on his inside back thigh, which he was quick to point out to me. It was fresh though. Bob said he scraped it horsing around on the log filled beach. It was nothing but got a dab of Neosporin too.

Didn't want to push it trying to position him for pictures. Bob was all prepared to hold him, he like the fact we were getting help from a vet, but tomorrow's another day.

Thanks for all your help with this Betty.

How old is this dog, anyway? I was thinking he's like 3, pretty young.

You could palpate his testicles as tumors there sometimes cause an enlarged sheath. He's not coughing or showing any other peculiar signs?

Do you guys have the little flies that go for ear tips? Sometimes they go for the tip of the penis too.

If everything about him is completely normal I guess I might either find some Panalog to run in there for a few days -- I think the cortizone is a good addition here--

Or just watch it, see if it goes away. Perhaps he caught himself on a fence or log, perhaps it's swelling from trauma and will go away soon on it's own.

He just turned 5, how time flies.

No testicles to palpitate and the sack seems nonexistent in there. But I did find a little marble sized ball up where his thigh connects with his belly. It's squishy but definitely pronounced.

Flies aren't bad this year. There's little bugs flying around for sure but haven't noticed any really bothering him. When Vince got a yeast infection a few years back they were all over him. They don't seem to be around Echo at all.

And my thoughts were kind of like yours about letting it run its course but it's been about 2 weeks.

Is Panalog something I can get or does it have to be prescribed by a vet. Was reading a bit about it and it say not to let them ingest it. Would this be squeezed up there?

Gotta run to work, will be back later.