As an experienced dog owner by now, you may have encountered different kinds of sticky situations, especially if you own a boy. This does not mean that female dogs are spared from that type of situation. Today we will talk about something called paraphimosis in dogs.
What is paraphimosis in dogs?
Paraphimosis is a situation where the male dog is unable to retract its penis back to the preputial cavity. Even though it sounds embarrassing this could quickly turn out to be an emergency, because the constriction of the blood flow complicated the situation even further, making it impossible for the penis to go back into the sack on its own. This could lead to necrosis of the head of the penis and necrosis as well as damage to the urethra.
What can cause paraphimosis in dogs? How is it diagnosed?
There are different reasons why paraphimosis can occur in dogs. Among those are sexual excitement especially after semen collection, excitement in general or chronic licking of the area. In some more serious cases, a herniation of the disc could lead to a state of paraphimosis as well, as well fracture of the penile bone or some other muscle disorders.
The diagnosis of this situation is pretty much obvious to the owner, hence why they usually call the vet with awkward questions. The penis is protruding outside of the preputial sheath for no obvious reason and it will not retract on its own.
Can I help my dog when he gets paraphimosis?
Yes, you can and it is pretty simple. What I always recommend to my patients is to put some sugar on the penis. Sugar is a hygroscopic substance, meaning it draws out water, which helps in decreasing the swelling of the penis.
If the swelling is not that big the owner can also use some lubricants that he can apply to the penis and gently try and push it back.
However, our best recommendation is to give a call to your vet and maybe take the drive, because it is always better when a trained physician will give it a look and propose treatment.
In more severe cases, surgical intervention may be the only option.
The price for preputial reconstruction will vary, depending on the severity and the complexity of the procedure. The owner should expect to pay between $200 and $2000.
