My dog is licking his penis, should I take him to the vet?

For the past few days my 1yr old dog keeps licking his penis. My husband looked at it and notice some yellow fluid at the tip and some irritation. My dog has been just sleeping and laying around the house not his usual self. Is there anything I can do at home for him or should I take him to the vet. We are pretty tight with money right now.

  • Vetinfo

    By: Erika Raines El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    For a one year old dog, licking his penis could be just a normal grooming behavior. However, the yellow colored discharge, penile irritation and lethargy are not normal. This could be an infection, or the penis may be normal and the lethargy may be related to another illness. You can gently clean his penis with plain warm water, but this will not solve an infection. You should seek veterinary attention if the condition worsens, fails to improve or if your dog continues acting lethargic and depressed as the attitude change in particular may signal a more serious condition that needs to be taken care of.

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