# Help! Have to douche my dog!



## FosterGolden (Mar 10, 2014)

Are you sure you're supposed to get it inside the vagina, not the area around the vulva, which is where the bacteria is collecting, like a moat? You should have your vet show you what to do so your dog is not injured, and frankly, I'd rather get my dog the surgery than do this twice a week, for life, especially if the dog hates it. My friend just got her boxer a vulvaplasty after years (7 to be exact) of UTIs and expensive antibiotics. She could have bought the surgery three times with the amount of money she spent dealing with vet visits, cultures, meds, cleaning her carpets, etc. The dog healed remarkably well and has been UTI-free for nearly a year. I think it cost her $700.


----------



## Parker16 (May 30, 2016)

Yes, I agree that the vet should show you how to do it by modeling it once. If I were you I would go for the surgery and get it fixed instead of the rather tedious task of douching her every week for the REST of her life and she's only 3! Poor thing. Good luck!


----------



## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

I am guessing your girl is already spayed? Usually a vet will tell you if your dog has one before they are spayed so you can make some choices at that time. An inverted vulva can be tricky depending on how inverted it is and if your girl is a low squatter which allows the hair to come into contact with the ground which makes it easier to pick up bacteria that can get trapped with the urine around the folds. Tink had one it was pretty inverted and we fought it constantly when she was a puppy. The first thing I did was a lot of research and spoke with vets and breeders who had dealt with it. My vet who pointed it out, who is a serious dog competitor herself told me that usually a normal full heat will resolve the issue without surgery the reason being is the hormones cause the vulva to swell during heat and causes it to pop out. Even after the swelling is gone the vulva is bigger and does not usually go back in. In Tinks case she has a puppy heat first very mild not much swelling but with the first full heat the inversion was gone and no more UTI's. I then got her spayed 

You can read some information about inverted or a hooded vulva here Recessed/Inverted/Hooded Vulvas and Chronic Infections ? Hearty Pet Talkin' Tails Blog
There are some pictures and information about keeping the area clean that may help you.

for Tink during that first 14 months before she went thru a full heat I used cranberry pills and baby wipes along with keeping the hair trimmed. To get her UTI's under control we had to have a sterile culture done to find out the correct antibiotic to give her and we needed a very long course to make sure she was actually clear. My friends golden who was spayed first before they realized her condition had the surgery after she suffered from repeated UTI's I mean 5-6 a year and it was very successful but make sure your vet is skilled it this surgery not all are and it basically a kind of plastic surgery and needs to be done well or you may have worse problems. I was never told to do the douching just asked to keep the outside as clean as I could and that really worked well for us. Sorry to hear your going thru this and you can also google inverted vulva or recessed or hooded vulva to read other stories I know when I researched I found lots of information so I could make and informed choice.


----------



## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

Altairss said:


> ...usually a normal full heat will resolve the issue without surgery the reason being is the hormones cause the vulva to swell during heat and causes it to pop out...


I was just going to post this. 

I've known a lot of puppies that had this and in all but one the issue was corrected when they went through a normal heat. I don't remember any of them having to go through douching, but their owners had to clean the area really well all the time. I think I remember one breeder that mentioned using Apple cider vinegar.


----------



## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Betting she was spayed before she had a heat. 
This is something I firmly believe all vets should consider before spaying prior to puberty as it can be a lifelong problem. I'm surprised if she has such an inverted vulva that she has only had 3 UTIs.

Cut the hair on the vulva. 
Keep is short .

Wipe her after she goes potty with a baby wipe. 
Add some cranberry/vit C to her food. NaturesFarmacy makes a tasty one. There are those who say Braggs Vinegar added to food does the same. I'm not convinced either really could lower the pH of a dog's urine but some swear it does. 
Get her urine cultured- like, by a lab,not the vet eyeballing it- and get her on antibiotics that the bacteria is sensitive to. Get rid of it this way and then stay on top of keeping her clean.If she gets another, the vulvoplasty is probably your option. 
And if you want to take a photo of her vulva and post it, that'd be helpful. I'd like to see how inverted she is. 

There is absolutely zero chance I would ever douche a dog. I think it is dumb advice. You'd just be giving any bacteria a ride closer to her bladder imo. I've done hundreds of AIs so I understand bitch anatomy pretty well and I truly would advise against this. Maybe SianDVM or one of the other vets here can comment but for me, a non-vet but vulva/vagina familiar, it is not something you should do (or your vet should do).


----------



## goldenSkye1 (Oct 9, 2014)

Thank you all SO MUCH for your replies. I am on the verge of tears just feeling less alone with this and less unaware of what to do. Yes, she was spayed before her first heat, so I guess that's what did it. I also agree with those suggesting surgery is the better option; however, I am definitely going to try to do what the vet suggested first (and what all of you have suggested) to see if we can avoid it. Thank you so, so much for your tips. I am going to purchase all the things you've suggested ASAP! As for the douching, I totally agree that it sounds ridiculous, and I am very inclined to question it, but I respect and trust the vet big time, so I'm struggling with thinking he may be wrong. He really is an outstanding vet. I will update you all as soon as anything changes (hopefully for the better). Seriously, thank you so very much for taking the time to reply and give such wonderful advice. I am VERY relieved.


----------



## tikiandme (May 16, 2010)

Please try what Prism suggests before you go the douching route. I have never heard of doing that. Nothing against your vet, but I would also get a second opinion with a specialist if things go on much longer. I'm big on second opinions. Your vet should be able to refer you to someone. Good luck with your girl.


----------



## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Unless your vet is a canine reproduction specialist, I would get a second opinion about the douching from a more experienced/specialized vet. Every time you try to insert the douche tip you are introducing bacteria into her vulva. In my opinion, the treatment for this is the surgery.


----------



## Tosh's Legacy (Oct 2, 2013)

When we adopted Roxi at age 1.5 years, the vet records showed several incidences of UTI's and yeast infections because of the inverted vulva problem. She is over 12 years now, and the best way I have found to keep the bacterial or yeast infections from getting out of hand is this (sometimes in daily life, you may miss wiping or washing, but do the very best you can, and be consistent). Try to wipe her with a baby wipe (hypoallergenic) each times she urinates. I wipe the anal area also.

The way to prevent the area from growing bacteria or fungus is to keep it as clean and
dry as you can. You can't run around with a rag to keep her dry constantly, but do as
best you can. I use pieces of old flannel for wash cloths, because they are soft and thin
enough to feel around the vulva and "moat" area and be certain that you are washing
and drying everything well.

Believe it or not, women's Vagisil Daily Intimate Wash has worked great for us! It is very mild, hypoallergenic and also smells good. I dilute mine about 50/50 with water and
put it in a small spray bottle. It's much easier to spray the area, wipe the vulva area and the belly skin all around, and then rinse with fresh water. It does keep her from smelling and helps keep bacteria from traveling up the urinary tract and causing an infection. At night, I sprinkle some cornstarch or a cornstarch/baking soda mix on the areas to keep
them dry. It also helps with bacteria and fungus. It all works great for us, and she doesn't go crazy itching and licking all the time.

Micanazole cream also works to keep the area from itching, etc. (Also found in the
women's sanitary section in the store.)

My vet also recommended canine cranberry extract.

And also trim the hair around the vulva as best you can. I use an electric shaver for dogs to keep the area on her belly relatively short, too.

Because I am retired, my budget doesn't allow for expensive medications and constant trips to the vet. And constant use of antibacterial medications is not healthy, either.

These methods have worked great for us, and she actually seems to like being
pampered and cleaned.

Douching? Not being a vet, that sounds a little risky to me. It seems as if it would be
another way to introduce bacteria if not done correctly.


----------



## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Maybe your vet meant to clean the vulva w a douche. I asked my daughter today (3rd year vet student) and also two vet friends specifically about your dog because I find the idea of douching a bitch so odd. None of them could imagine a vet sending you home to buy some summers eve and douching her, and one of the vets is a repro specialist- a boarded theriogenologist (I may have spelled that wrong). I know you respect your vet- I get that- but I just question the wisdom of doing what you believe he told you to. And actually, the opening that her urine comes out is in her vagina, she doesn't have an exterior opening like women do. If you do not know where that is, and how to feel for it, you could actually wash all that vaginal bacteria right into her urethra. 
Spaying her early did not cause this. Her vulva was always like this. What spaying early did cause was hormonal influences to be absent, so it did not correct itself as a result. I think it is wrong for a vet to spay a puppy without checking to see if she has an inverted vulva since the cost of continuous UTIs is far more than the cost of boarding her when she's in season that first time. And it harder on her poor body as well. 
At a minimum, take her in for him to do a hands on how- to with you, show you how to feel for the safest place to squirt the douche. Maybe he was even kidding? 
Did he do a urine culture? Did he collect it by cystocentesis ( using a needle)?
There is nothing 'less than' about not being a repro specialist, and nothing wrong with getting a repro to look at her. A second opinion is a good thing, especially when you're considering an action that might be harmful to her. 

I like the idea that Tosh's Legacy suggested- use it to clean her exterior parts. It'd smell good. 
Do keep her dry, cut that hair, and post a picture of her vulva after you trim the hair.


----------

