title: Diagnosis and treatment of chronic vaginitis in the bitch.
abstract: The diagnosis of chronic vaginitis is made primarily on the basis of the historical and physical finding of a persistent, nonhemorrhagic vulvar discharge. Licking the vulva and pollakiuria are present in some (10%) bitches with vaginitis. The diagnosis can be confirmed with vaginal cytology and vaginoscopy. Treatment for vaginitis in bitches younger than 1 year of age is justifiably conservative, because the majority of such bitches (90%) recover with or without treatment. Chronic vaginitis in bitches older than 1 year of age most often is associated with identifiable abnormalities of the genitalia (35%) or urinary tract (26%). Resolution of the vaginitis is directly related to the resolution of the other abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014621:Vagina / Q000002:abnormalities; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D014844:Vulva / Q000002:abnormalities