Case 11: Vulvar mass in a juvenile bitch

CASE 11. Vulvar mass in a juvenile bitch

Case Information: You are presented with a 7 month old intact female Pug for the complaint of a vulvar mass. The dog has no history of difficulty urinating or any clinical signs of disease. She does lick at the mass and it does appear to be getting larger very slowly.

Question:

What are rule-outs for this mass? Which is most likely?

Answer:

Rule-outs include clitoral hypertrophy, neoplasia of the genitourinary tract and abscess or another inflammatory mass. Clitoral hypertrophy is most likely based on her age and breed; Pugs are among those breeds reported to have hereditary forms of intersex. It is common for these problems to arise at this age, since this small breed dog likely is going through puberty now and the clitoris is becoming larger in response to secretion of testosterone. This bitch was spayed and the gonads submitted for histopath. She was a true hermaphrodite, with both ovarian and testicular tissue present (see histology below).