Took Penny to vet a couple of days ago as she has a very swollen and sore vulva, just one side. No infection, not due in season, Only thing I could think of was taking her onto verge when milktanker passed us while walking, Tia jumped back as her nose had touched the nettles, but Penny always sits. Vet gave me some Fuciderm but it is not helping. Penny is now constantly licking and has made herself very sore, more cream I put on the more she licks, Will go back to vet tomorrow, but for now any help on suject would be great. I am now thinking it is not a nettle sting. One side of the vulva is very swollen, red and hard, the size of a large marble, and is now very distressing to her.

Kay

I had a similar thing with one of my bitches, the vet thought she had been bitten by something or perhaps stung. The symptoms were almost the same. When the swelling and redness finally subsided we could distinctly see a bite mark. I can't remember what the gave her, but it was antibiotics and something for the inflamation.

Does not seem too bad now, I spent most of the night discouraging her from Licking. It is still swollen and red but the irritation seems to have gone. Will keep an eye on it for a couple of days.

In the days when I had my old Dalmatian he was always getting stung by nettles. I first noticed that he always seemed to come home covered in spots after going for a walk. I watched to see what he was getting near and it was immediately obvious that he was pushing about in stinging nettles! It never seemed to bother him! Anna was stung in the mouth during the summer retrieving from a nettle patch. She jumped back in surprise and shook her head but still went back to complete the retrieve.

Regards, John

Hi John, thats how I noticed the nettles originally, because Tia came onto the verge face first and jumped back, but they have not bothered her. Penny only turns her rear end in and sits facing the road so I assumed she had sat on the nettles. The swelling has gone down a bit now, but it is still very red although not so irritating. I am now more inclined to think it was a bite of some sort. She was getting really distressed about it, and I spent most of the night sitting up with her.
Kay

In the case of my Dalmatian the spots had gone down within an hour or so. There are still plenty of wasps flying around so I agree with you that the chances are it is a bite or sting rather than nettles. I had to chase a wasp off who was after my food in the field last Saturday lunch time!!

Regards, John