Dog acting irrationally

[POPULARrainbow]

Hello,

we have a 9 year old dog. She has a very sore vulva. We took her to the vet yesterday and she was diagnosed with some kind of bacterial infection. We’ve got the treatment from the vet (anti inflammatories and an antibiotic cream).

however, the vet had to shave the area and whilst our dog walked into the vets quite normally despite the pain, she is now refusing to walk and when I make her walk she hugs the walls and runs around like she’s terrified.

she’s eating just fine but seems to find the shaved area very distressing. Just wondering if anyone had any tips please? Does she need a sedative until the hair grows back.

thanks in advance

Someone on social media shared a video of their dog who had to have due shaved around his bottom and he was really unsettled by it. So they put him in a pair of boxer shorts (tail thru the fly!) and he was fine.

*fur shaved

What has the vet said? I assume you have reported this new behaviour to rule out any side effects from the medication prescribed?

She did it from the moment she walked out of the vet office so before I even gave her any treatment: she walked in just fine, got shaved and then refused to walk! I feel really bad for her because it’s clearly distressing her.

Ooh that’s a good shout: I’ll try that tomorrow.

I would imagine she's still a bit sore and now itchy from the short shave as well.
Dogs who aren't used to having such a close shave often find it irritating to begin with. Her discomfort should start to ease in a few days to a week as the hair gets long enough to stop feeling so prickly and uncomfortable.
Oftentimes they've never had so much cool air around there either and their tails can tickle the area, which can be unsettling for them.

I occasionally have to do this to dogs with matted groins and always suggest owners apply either colloidal silver spray or leucillin to the area a few times a day, which helps to soothe the itch.
You can purchase both online easily and most PAH stores stock leucillin as sprays and drops if you have one locally.

For some relief tonight you could just bathe the area in some cool saltwater and make sure to pat it dry gently aftwards, if she'll tolerate it.

Well that rules out the Brazilian ever being a doggy fad then!!
Poor ddog.

Ok well in that case, it is probably chafing in a way it wasn’t before. If you check in with the vet, they may be able to prescribe some pain killers to help her feel more comfortable. The boxer shorts (or surgical suit? - it will stop her licking when the hair starts growing back and making her itchy) is def worth a try

Thank you- we’ve been bathing it twice a week and there’s already an improvement in the swelling etc. I think you might be right about her tail irritating her.

Thank you - I’m going to take her back tomorrow. She already is on painkillers. She’s normally such a brave girl. She’s had painful infections all her life and doesn’t normally flinch but this is really upsetting her.

she’s better today than yesterday but has refused to walk since Tuesday night.

she is a cross breed and her shape means that she can’t actually physically reach the area to lick or itch.

Poor baby. It’s horrible to watch too, isn’t it
A few days without walks will not do any harm whatsoever though, A quick plod outside for the occasional toilet break is all I would be insisting on until she feels better

Twice a day not twice a week. Sorry, I’m really stressed and barely slept last night in case she needed anything