The phone call started in an ordinary way, “Dr. Randolph, I need to make an appointment for Gus.”
A quick glance at Gus’ file in our computer system showed he wasn’t due for a routine visit, so I inquired of his owner about possible problems as a reason for the visit.
“He has a yellow-green discharge from his penis.”
I closed the appointment book, and pressed F1 on the keyboard, sending the computer software back to the Main Menu.
“No appointment needed,” I explained to Gus’ master. All male dogs have a yellow-green discharge. It’s actually coming from the sheath, not the penis. Quantity can vary from undetectable to a drop, but it’s all normal.”
The material, which looks much like pus to the naked eye, is actually made of cells and lubricant fluid in the prepuce that surrounds the penis inside its protective sheath. It has a pungent, acrid smell and will sometimes be noticed where a male dog has lain.
Discharges from the sheath with other characteristics, such as blood, or a large volume of material that resembles pus, would be a cause for concern.
As for me, I’ll just have to wait for a big, sloppy Gus-kiss until another day.
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.
Leonidas, my 5yr old German shepherd, has been dribbling little diluted bloody spots today. We then noticed his penis is also whitish. He has not urinated since we’ve started watching him (he did earlier today). Hey does regularly run our fence line playing & barking with the neighbor dogs, he could have hurt it there, there is no visible cuts or scratches. Thoughts?
My most important thought is that he needs to see his doctor! Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
In South Sudan Doc. No good vets here. If you suspect trauma and also showed signs of a urinary infection that resolves on meds but constantly (for 6 months) re-emerges dog is a year old German shepherd. What antibiotics or treatments would you suggest. Pretty desperate at this point. He has taken amoxiclav or amoxicillin and has been given in combination with metro and meloxicam
When UTIs are persistent and/or recurrent you need bacterial culture and sensitivity at a minimum. If imaging is available ultrasound would be nice, but, at least, radiography. Double contrast to look for persistent urachus at this age. Good luck to you! Let us know how it works out, Dr. Randolph.
My 10 month old dog has a lot of smegma and it smells like metal. Is this normal?
Only a doctor performing a thorough examination will be able to answer that question. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
Same with mine too. My 20lb Aus Cattle has
My 1-year old boxer mix has vomited yellow greenish bile 2 mornings in a row. Just small amounts. None of the just eaten food comes up with it. He’s also been licking his genital area more than usual and I noticed smegma down there. Is it all related perhaps?
Possibly! Vomiting is never normal. I’d suggest an appointment with his doctor. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
My 10month old chow chow is releasing yellow discharge is it normal or do I need to take him to vet? Please advice.
When in doubt, make an appointment with your doctor. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
Just sat in a pet emergency clinic for 7 hours because I panicked about swelling of sheath and cleaning to put Neosporin on area found out that what I thought was pus was a normal excretion
Next time I’m visiting this site first
Good idea! Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
I have a 17 year old chihuahua who has always peed in the house, on things, marking his stuff. But now…in the last 30 days. He is peeing on PEOPLE. And last night I noticed his penis was swollen with smegma (not just a little – It was 1/2 inch thick in spots). I gave him a sponge bath, and “put the twinkie back in it’s wrapper.” I figure this is the new normal. How often should I be giving him a spa day, and is there anything else I should be doing for comfort care?
It sounds like you’re doing everything this senior citizen needs. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
My dog George has had a discharge he’s about 6yrs old should I worry
He should be evaluated by his local veterinarian to answer that question. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
My 2 yr old small dog is having pus like discharge from penis for over a month. The discharge kept on increasing. Did 4 day antibiotic twice. The discharge decreased while on antibiotics but comes back to same after stopping antibiotics. He also sits cautiously avoiding direct touch on floor as he seems to feel pain there. His penis also sometimes shows an abnormal erection which is more like a swelling. I also did betadine washing..CBC test, culture test, urinary scan. All came normal, however the amount of pus is increasing….shown to several vet but nothing worked….also in the last one year he had this abnormal erection 4-5 times but he never showed PUS BACK THEN…kindly advise wat should I do now…
I would seek an opinion from a board-certified internist. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
10 month old golden retriever has been having on and off (mostly ongoing) green discharge, excessive amounts, and smells pungent. This has been going on for two-three months. The vet did a urinalysis and urine culture, also did some bloodwork. All came back negative. The only thing she noted was his urine was dilute and to bring in another sample from the AM, so they can rule out whether his urine is able to concentrate. We are truly at a loss a this point. We have done rounds of antibiotics, helped very little. She did a steroid ointment around the penis as she noticed some small bumps on his penis and was hoping this would help with the discharge as well. Nope…very worried about our pup. Not sure what to do, as the amount and smell cannot be a good sign or normal. Hoping for any additional suggestions or questions to ask her on our next visit in three days. We have literally been back and forth to the vet 5-6 times for this alone. They are an extremely good vet, heavily recommended here in Santa Barbara. Not sure if I should reach out to the breeder at this point. To ask if his mom has any health issues or if any of the pups in his litter has any health complications. We have had quite a few whether digestive issues with our dog and now this. Luckily we have health insurance, because we would be a few grand deep in just 7 months of having him.
It’s hard for me to comment on a patient I’ve never seen, but, I do say in the article that the normal discharge is greenish and stinks. Certainly it is concerning that the volume seems large to you. Let us know if you get the answers you seek. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.
Hi Sara, I also have a 10mo old golden retriever and have experienced on and off (mostly ongoing) green or yellow discharge…. He doesn’t seem to have a smell though. Just wondering if you have a follow up you can share about your experience, and most importantly, hope all is well with your little one!
Hello,
My dog is is just over a year now and he often has discharge that is greenish in colour. I kept noticing small drops on my floor and finally realized that it was coming from him!
After reading your acticle I feel that this not a cause for concern however, I would like to ask…will this ever stop? I have to clean my floors all the time and I can’t let him up on the couch because he leaves marks everywhere. Just curious if this will slow down at some point.
Thanks.
Sorry, but I doubt the volume will change. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.