Canine Paraphimosis

Warning: This is a graphic description of a veterinary medical issue which I am posting in the hope that someone who reads this might learn from the incident and be able to quickly deal with it.

Last night our little dog Stewie, a chihuahua mix, got into a humping rut with the comforter on our bed. By the time he was done he’d come down with a case of Canine Paraphimosis. Somehow the skin on his preputial cavity had folded back during the humping session preventing his penis from retracting and his penis swelled up until it sort of looked like a fifth leg. Never seen anything like it, all purple and glistening. Should have taken a picture but my first instinct was to help him rather than document it. I figured a cold shower might help so I ran downstairs and got an icepack from the freezer. I wrapped the icepack in a wet towel. After icing his penis for a bit the swelling went down and his penis began to retract. It took a bit of digital (ie, using my finger digits) manipulation to actually get the skin on the preputial cavity to unfold to it’s normal position.

He’s all good now.