Male dog question - Vet UPDATE !

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Ok.. this is my second question about males dogs here.  I feel so clueless, Oliver is my first male dog.  I had posted a while ago about that at times I noticed that Oliver's pee-pee was very swollen and the glands on the side of his pee-pee were swollen as well.  The general DK response was that this was normal and that this happens when male dogs either have to go to the bathroom or excited. 

 

Now I have another similar question....  Several weeks ago when I was home on lunch to let the doodles out, I let Oliver out first and the just stepepd outside the door and just stood there with his back hunched like a cat and a real strange look on his face.  He kept looking in the area of his pee-pee, I stood there and watched for a bit, once he moved his head I saw his pee-pee was huge (no red rocket present) just very, very, very swollen and the glands were like the size of two golf balls (he is neutered).  He looked to be in such pain.  I slowly walked him around a bit and it finally went down and back to normal and Oliver was off running around.  I chalked it up to a fluke but kept it back in my mind to ask the vet when he goes in for his check up. 

 

So today when I was home for lunch the same thing happend, hunched back, strange look on his face, does not move, etc. so I walked him around a bit, the swelling went down and he was fine.

 

Is this normal for male dogs ???  Oliver is close to 80 lbs, he will be 2 years old in June and is neutered. 

 

My second question regarding male dogs - LOL (I feel so silly asking this).  Is it normal NOT to see his red rocket ?  I have only seen it once and that was when he was about 4-5 months old just prior to his neutering and I have never ever seen it since.  I have had many friends and family with male dogs and of course at the most unappropriate times the rocket would make a appearance.   Do you think that this all could be connected some how or is it a condition he has???  Oliver has a check up on the 28th which I will be sure to tell the vet about this but I just wanted to see if I could get some information from all you knowledgeable male doodle owners - or am I just simply nuts anking these questions ?  :}

 

UPDATE:  OK.... I took everyone's advise and took my boy to the vet - I needed piece of mind.  His vet examined him and she said that since it happend infrequently and within a minute or two the swelling is down and he is acting normal she said that it just might be his anatomy.  She asked if there was any blood, mucus, puss, or if he could not pee - to which I said there is nothing and he pees like a race horse :)  But he still does not lift his leg -lol he kind of stretches and pees.   He got a clean bill of health and off we went.   He also said that it is totally normal for his rocket NOT to ever come out - some dogs do and some dogs don't.  I now am relieved - its time to have my glass of wine - Cheers everyone and thanks for all your help and guidence - I will get this male dog thing down sooner or later ( I think females are just a tab bit easier - LOL).

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I would take him to the vet as soon as possible as that does not seem normal to me at all. IMO I would not wait until the 28th .  It sounds like he is in some pain or discomfort.    Riley is 11 months old and was neutered at eight weeks.  I have never seen any swelling, hunching or his red rocket!!!

[Jennifer and Jack]

I would take him to the vet right away.....that can be so painful !!!

[BG and Gavin]

I don't think that swelling and hunching is normal at all and would take him to the vet ASAP.  Gavin is 2.5, neutered at 6 mons and I have never seen his red rocket.

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

I am wondering if it has anything possibly to do with maybe a consricted urithral opening...maybe it's to small or the skin is to tight and when his "rocket" tries to appear it is being pushed back so he appears swollen and this could cause the glands to swell too....Just a thought but I would not wait til the 28th.. 

 

Keep us posted

[F, Calla & Luca]

On a couple off occasions I have seen Luca's unsheathed penis, let's call a spade a spade. But it really is small. He was neutered at about 9 or 10 weeks though. I think having an erection on occasion is normal and I have seen this with Luca although his penis is still sheathed. So Oliver's hunching and immobility may indicate something is wrong. Here are some possibilities, maybe Oliver has phimosis?

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/reproductive/c_multi_paraphimos...

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Thanks for the information F, I also thought that it was phimosis and did the research but Ollies symptoms just don't add up to phimosis.   I thought a dog erection was when the rocket comes out??  Am I reading correctly that they can have a erection "without" the rocket coming out?  Is it the penis shaft is just more stiff?   I'm trying to learn as much about the k-9 male anatomy as possible so I can be less freaked out when something is going on with Oliver.  I always had female dogs and know them inside out :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

On the swelling, I agree that Oliver needs to see the vet, that sounds like he's in pain.

However, on the subject of red rockets, JD's has never made an appearance yet. I adopted him in January 2006, he was 14 months old, and had been neutered 5 days before I got him. No red rocket ever, and he is perfectly normal and healthy in that department.

 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

I feel better now that other doodle rockets have never made an appearance :) 

[Donna K & Quincy]

The hunching and swelling does not sound normal, as for the red rocket, Quincy is 3, I have seen the red rocket once just before he was neutered at 6mos. Did these episodes start after he was neutered?

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Hey Donna... this has only happened 2 times, once about a month + ago and just again today.  Ollie will be 2 in June and was neutered @ 6 months.  Since it happened and would always check him when he first came out of the crate or right before he went outside.  Sometimes he was slightly swollen and by the time he walked to the back door it would be normal other times not.  When  posted a while back other DK'ers said this swelling was normal because of excitement or having to pee.  But these two times he was extremely swollen and his back was haunched.  The rest of the time when it is slightly swollen there was absolutely no haunched back.  I am so glad to hear that other doodle rockets don't come out either - not that I am complaing... LOL  Thanks for your help.

[Jennifer Tramell]

 If you are worried, call the vet and ask - they may tell you that it is nothing to worry about, or may suggest that you come in prior to the 28th.  I have a hunch that it is not a problem, it almost sounds like he was sleeping and woke up with an (well, if F can say it, I can too, maybe) erection.  Even though he is neutered, they may still go through physical development stages that result in these sorts of things.  He got up, stretched out, and things got back to normal.  I think I've seen this happen to my Webster, but I didn't worry because there were no other symptoms - chalked it up to a fluke. 

Again, if you're worried I'd give the vet a quick call before normal office hours are over and you have to consider what to do on the weekend. 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Thanks Jennifer... it sounds like Ollies symptoms happened with other doodles as well, not a common thing but it happens.  Ollie has no other symptoms and when the swelling goes down in  a minute he is totally normal.    I needed piece of mind and just had to take him to the vet, its way better to be safe than sorry when it comes to my babies :)