Dr. Marie replied:

I'm so sorry to hear that this is happening to your dog. This may be a condition called paraphimosis where the penis is constantly out of the protective sheath.

Unfortunately if this is what it is, it can be very difficult to deal with. For some dogs, cleaning it and lubricating it with KY jelly to place it back in the sheath will work. However, many dogs will need some type of surgery in order to cure this.

Sometimes the surgery can be relatively simple. In some cases there is a little band of tissue that can be cut and this will solve the problem. But, in many cases there has to be major reconstructive surgery and this can unfortunately become quite expensive.

It is definitely a serious problem because the longer the penis stays out of the sheath, the more damaged and swollen it will become.

You may find, however, that neutering really helps him. The testosterone he is producing will give him erections and this is going to contribute to the problem.

As an aside, if he only has one testicle descended he definitely needs to be neutered. See more information here: Cryptorchidism in dogs.

I wish I had better news for you.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---

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