Surgery of the canine vagina and vulva

Surgically treatable conditions of the canine vagina and vulva have a biphasic age distribution. Conditions that primarily affect younger dogs include perivulvar dermatitis, rectovaginal fistula, anovulvar cleft, vaginal edema or prolapse, and vaginal stenosis or stricture. Older dogs are primarily presented for diagnosis and treatment of vaginal neoplasia. Surgical management of these conditions often results in resolution of clinical signs and can be simple or extremely complex. This article describes the approaches and specific techniques required for management of these conditions.