By Carrie Hyde, The Spaw Pet Life Coach | December 26, 2022

Innie vulva is a surprisingly common occurrence among young female dogs considering that most people have never heard of the condition. If you’ve landed on this page, it’s likely you’ve just found out your dog is one of those afflicted and are looking for information on how to move forward.

Many veterinarians recommend surgery to correct a recessed vulva. Given how common skin and bladder infections are with this condition, you may feel compelled to follow that advice. Luckily, with a little preventative care, infections and surgery can usually both be avoided.

Below, we’ll take an in-depth look at what an innie vulva is, what problems typically arise from this condition, and how you can address these issues naturally to avoid surgery and complications.

What Is a Recessed Vulva?

Formally known as hypoplastic vulva, a recessed or innie vulva occurs when a female dog’s vulva is covered completely or partially by the surrounding skin. This condition is very common in puppies and young dogs and is sometimes referred to as a juvenile vulva.

Often, puppies with innie vulvas outgrow the condition as hormones change the physical appearance of the reproductive tract. By their second heat cycle, the vast majority of dogs will no longer have an innie vulva.

But if your older intact dog still has a recessed vulva or your dog, like most, was spade long before sexual maturity, then the odds of their innie becoming an outtie is very unlikely.

Common Problems Associated with Innie Vulva

The extra folds of skin next to the vulva provide the perfect place for bacteria to thrive. The dark, dampness typical of skin folds is exacerbated by the presence of urine, which often drips into the folds during urination.

The urinary tract is set up to be self-cleaning. Bacteria that get into the urethra from the outside world are flushed out each time your dog pees. But with an innie vulva, this bacteria often gets trapped in these excess skin folds instead of being flushed onto the ground (or fire hydrant). This means bacteria build up in the folds around the genitals and get into the urinary and reproductive tract much more quickly than they typically would.

And this is where all of the problems associated with a recessed vulva lie.

Here are the most common infections your dog is likely to experience.

Perivulvar Dermatitis

Perivulvar dermatitis is the term used when the tissue of the vulva becomes red and inflamed. In the case of an innie vulva, this usually happens in response to a high bacteria or yeast load in the folds of the skin surrounding it.

The condition is often exacerbated by the dog licking, chewing, or rubbing the area on the floor. The inflamed skin can be itchy or painful, which is what draws your dog’s damaging attention.

When the inflamed skin is chewed or scratched at, it can split. This gives the bacteria more places to thrive and can cause the infection to worsen.

Vaginitis

When bacteria and yeast are present in high numbers around the opening of the vagina, it doesn’t take much for them to find their way inside. If the dog’s system is out of balance due to frequent antibiotic use, poor diet, stress, or other health issues, an infection of the vaginal lining may follow.

Vaginitis, which is the term for an inflamed vaginal canal, happens frequently in dogs with innie vulva.

Symptoms of vaginitis include obsessive licking of the genitals, vaginal discharge, and redness and swelling at the vaginal opening.

Urinary Tract Infection

Situated very close to the vaginal opening is the opening of the urethra. This is the gateway to the urinary tract and the avenue bacteria use to gain access. When bacteria are present in high numbers in the skin folds beside the vulva, they are also very likely to be present in the urinary tract.

When bacteria have the opportunity to thrive in the urethra or other areas of the urinary tract, an infection develops. This is known as a urinary tract infection or UTI. Due to the frequent presence of bacteria in the urethra, UTIs are common in dogs with innie vulva.

Symptoms of a UTI in dogs include frequent urination, painful urination, and, occasionally, blood in the urine.

Bladder Infection

Outside of urethral infections, bladder infections are the most common type of UTI. They can occur alone or in conjunction with infections in other regions of the urinary tract. Bacteria that ascend the urethra and multiply in the bladder cause bladder infections. Again, these are far more common in dogs with innie vulvas.

Bladder infections also present with frequent and painful urination. Blood may be present in the urine. And the dog may show signs of pain in their lower abdomen.

Kidney Infection

Kidney infection, also known as pyelonephritis, is an infection of the upper urinary tract, which includes the kidneys and the ureters—small tubes that connect the kidneys and bladder. Bacteria get into the kidneys after infecting the bladder. In most cases, the dog will show symptoms of a lower urinary tract infection before a kidney infection develops.

Addressing UTIs quickly can significantly reduce the odds of a dog getting a kidney infection. But certain outside factors, like diabetes, kidney disease, and, yes, an innie vulva, can increase your dog’s risk.

Outside of symptoms associated with lower UTIs, kidney infections often don’t show any clinical signs initially. As the infection progresses, the dog may develop a fever and show signs of pain when the kidneys are palpated.

How to Address Skin and Urinary Tract Infections Naturally

The problems associated with a recessed vulva can be serious, especially if your dog is prone to UTIs. With each bladder infection comes an increased risk of kidney infection. While many dogs get through their first 4-to-6-week antibiotic treatment for pyelonephritis without issue, frequent fliers are more likely to develop kidney damage, kidney failure, and systemic infections.

If your dog has experienced complications associated with an innie vulva, you may be tempted to have the surgery to reduce their chances of kidney infection. Or at least leave them on antibiotics permanently (since they’re probably on them pretty frequently anyway).

But neither of these is the best option for your dog when there are noninvasive ways to treat and prevent UTIs naturally.

If you’ve just discovered your dog has an innie vulva, you have a very good chance of preventing future complications by implementing a few simple treatments. Even if your dog has already experienced kidney infections, there is still time to turn the tide to prevent permanent damage.

Weight Loss

The first thing to address if your dog has a recessed vulva, regardless of if it’s caused problems or not, is to get them down to an ideal weight.

It is possible for skinny dogs to have innie vulvas, but it is far more common for overweight dogs to suffer from this problem. That’s because fat tends to accumulate on the tummy of female dogs. All that extra flesh leads to even more exaggerated rolls around the genitals.

Weight loss may not completely correct the problem, but it will remove some of the additional folds, which will mean fewer areas for yeast and bacteria to culminate.

Water Wipes

One of the most effective preventatives you can use against external and internal vulva and urinary tract infections is simply to wipe the area clean after your dog urinates.

It’s the urine getting trapped in the folds of skin that cause many of the problems associated with innie vulva. Wiping the folds after potty breaks not only removes this urine, but also reduces the number of yeast and bacteria naturally present in the folds.

This can be accomplished by simply wetting a paper towel or microfiber towel and gently wiping the skin inside the folds. Avoid commercial wet wipes as these can contain irritating fragrances and additives that will make inflammation worse. If absolutely necessary, opt for free and clear baby wipes.

Probiotics

In addition to manually keeping the area clean to avoid infection, you should also work to strengthen your dog’s immune system to help them fight bacteria from the inside. One of the easiest ways to do this is to focus on gut health.

Assuring your dog gets plenty of active probiotic cultures in their diet can help restore balance to their gut biome. This is especially important if your dog has been on antibiotics for previous infections.

Adding raw or fermented goat’s milk to your dog’s meals can work wonders to undo the damage caused by antibiotic use. Not only does goat’s milk provide probiotics, but it also supplies prebiotics to help beneficial bacteria thrive and contains compounds to soothe the gut lining and reduce inflammation.

For general maintenance, feed 1 oz of goat’s milk for every 10 pounds of body weight per day.

For dogs coming off of antibiotics, it may be worth doing a goat’s milk cleanse. You can do this by:

1. Reducing your dog’s regular diet by ½ and adding ⅓ cup goat’s milk per 10 pounds of body weight.
2. Continuing this each meal for 2 days.
3. On the third day, completely remove the dog’s normal food and feed only goat’s milk at a rate of ⅓ cup per 10 pounds of body weight twice a day.
4. Continue with goat’s milk only for three days.
5. Slowly add back your dog’s normal diet over the following few days, reducing the amount of goat’s milk each day.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is made up predominantly of medium-chain triglycerides including lauric and capric acid. These fatty acids have been shown to disrupt the cell membrane of both yeast and various types of bacteria, thereby killing the organisms(1).

These characteristics combined with the fact that coconut oil can soothe inflammation make it a great natural product for treating skin infections.

When used early and often, coconut oil can clear up perivulvar dermatitis without the help of antibiotic creams or pills. And it does so without disrupting the normal balance of flora in the body. And the soothing effects can help strengthen the skin around the vulva and heal cracks and sores.

Coconut oil can also be used as a preventative to keep bacteria and yeast from building up around the vulva. After using a water wipe to clean the folds of skin, apply some coconut oil (doing this once a day before bed works best). The oil will knock out any pathogens brewing in the folds and greatly reduce the odds of excess bacteria traveling into the vagina or urethra.

You can also use coconut oil as an oral supplement to help with internal infections and yeast overgrowth. Simply add about 1 tsp of coconut oil to your dog’s food per 10 pounds of body weight. Start this remedy as soon as your dog shows signs of perivulvar dermatitis, vaginitis, or UTI and continue until symptoms subside.

Oregano Oil

Oregano oil has powerful antimicrobial properties thanks to carvacrol and thymol, two compounds shown to kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria(2).

This essential oil can be used internally and topically to fight infections caused by innie vulva. But it is a “hot” oil that is highly concentrated and needs to be diluted for either application.

For topical use to treat perivulvar dermatitis, mix 1 drop of pure oregano essential oil with 1 tsp of coconut, MCT, or almond oil. Apply to the folds around the vulva twice daily. This is especially helpful for infections that are not responding to antibiotics.

For UTIs and vaginitis, give 2 to 3 drops of oregano oil diluted in 1 tsp coconut oil or MCT oil up to three times a day.

NOTE: Check with your naturopath vet before using this for dogs with a history of seizures.

Garlic

Garlic contains a number of sulfenic acids that have been shown to be helpful in fighting bacterial and fungal infections. Allicin, a short-lived sulfenic compound that forms when garlic is crushed, appears to be one of the most effective.

Studies into the efficacy of crushed garlic components on topical infections have found them to be as effective as some medicated creams. Internally, garlic helps fight pathogens of various types and also has other benefits such as anti-cancer activity and anti-inflammatory properties(3).

While many are quick to claim that garlic is toxic to dogs, there is absolutely no proof that small amounts of garlic pose any risk. The idea that it’s toxic and can cause anemia stems from a study in which dogs were given 2.5 grams of garlic per pound of body weight. This is equal to over a head of garlic for the average medium-sized dog consumed every day for an entire week.

If humans consumed the same amount of garlic per pound for that period, they would also suffer from anemia. At normal levels, garlic is well tolerated by both humans and canines.

To use garlic to help your dog fight UTIs, give ½ tsp minced garlic per 15 pounds of body weight once daily.

For dogs under 6 months and pregnant females, it is best to skip the garlic and opt for one of the other natural treatments listed here.

Turmeric

Turmeric has a range of benefits including being antibacterial and antifungal. The key lies in a polyphenolic compound called curcumin which exists in high amounts in turmeric. In laboratory tests, this powerful antibiotic effectively destroyed the membrane and killed all bacterial cultures tested.

You can use this bright orange spice topically or internally to help your dog battle frequent infections. It can also be given as a preventative to stave off future infections.

To fight UTIs and vaginitis, add ⅛ tsp of turmeric per 10 pounds of body weight to your dog’s meals twice a day. To increase absorption, mix the powder with a little coconut oil and a small pinch of black pepper. For maintenance, cut the dose in half and feed every day.

For topical infections around the vulva, mix a pinch of turmeric with coconut oil, MCT oil, or fresh aloe vera juice and apply it to the area twice daily.

Olive Leaf

Olive leaf is a powerful antimicrobial agent with extra benefits that promote healing and help balance the gut. It is an especially good option for dogs who experience yeast infections due to their innie vulva.

Oleuropein, one of the major compounds in olives and olive leaves, has been widely studied for its pharmacological effects, especially with regard to anaerobic bacteria and yeast(4).

Feeding your dog olive leaf powder (which you can find at health food stores), is a great way to prevent and treat yeast infections and other common UTIs.

Add ¼ teaspoon (small dogs) to 1 teaspoon (large dogs) to your dog’s food once a day for maintenance. Use twice daily for active infections.

When first introducing your dog to olive leaf, start with a ¼ the recommended dose and slowly increase to avoid stomach upset.

Calendula

Calendula, which is often used in lotions and first aid ointments as a natural healing agent, is a great thing to have on hand to treat perivulvar dermatitis. This soothing flower has multiple compounds that make it anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.

We recommend adding a few drops of calendula tincture to your wet paper towel each time you wipe your dog’s folds after urination. You can purchase calendula tinctures at your local health food store.

For active infections, forgo the tincture, as the alcohol may sting inflamed tissue. Instead, make calendula tea by steeping 2 tsp of dried calendula flowers in 1 cup of boiling water. You can apply the tea using a damp rag or spritz the inflamed area using a spray bottle multiple times per day.

Long-Term Outlook for Recessed Vulva

Learning that your dog has an anatomical problem that could potentially cause serious kidney damage can be a scary thing. But the take-home here is that most dogs with innie vulvas live completely normal lives with few complications. And those dogs that do suffer frequent infections can usually be managed with a few simple natural treatments and preventatives.

The most important factor for reducing infections in dogs with a recessed vulva is to keep the area clean. That means wiping it with a wet rag (and some calendula tincture) after each potty break. This combined with oral preventatives like coconut oil, garlic, and turmeric can reduce your dog’s risk of UTI significantly.

When infection does strike, reach for the oregano oil or olive leaf before the antibiotics to avoid compounding the problem.

With a little extra effort, your innie vulva dog can live a normal, infection-free life without surgery or antibiotics.

By Carrie Hyde, The Spaw Pet Life Coach | December 26, 2022

Written for The Spaw by Sara Seitz, Professional Freelance Writer and Novelist with Pen and Post

Carrie Hyde is the founder, owner, and Pet Life Coach of The Spaw in Tustin, CA. Carrie’s extensive experience and understanding of pet nutrition and coaching enabled her to create The Spawdcast, a podcast dedicated to educating pet parents and pet industry professionals on ALL the options available to their pet. Her mission is to open pet-owner’s eyes to the questions they may not even know to ask, to shine a light on the many myths that have been part of pet care for decades, and to offer whole solutions for their pets. Carrie Hyde is a certified pet nutritionist with the goal of helping pet parents & pet professionals with a new understanding about how to care for pets in a “whole and natural” way.