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Our dog often licks her vaginal area and bites the bony part of her thigh. The vet is inclined to think that her anals are the problem as they fill up often with very thick stuff. Expressing the anals improves the behavior but does not eliminate it. What else could be her problem? Maybe something with the vagina or urinary tract?

I'm a little confused about what is meant by "the bony part of her thigh" but there are a number of reasons a dog may lick her vagina and its environs. It's not unusual for overweight female dogs to develop moist skin infections in the fold around the vulva. If this area on your dog hasn't been examined I suggest that it be done. It's also conceivable that a low-grade urethritis or cystitis (bladder infection) may account for her behavior although other signs would typically be present. At any rate, a urinalysis is a good idea. Female dogs often develop urinary incontinence and while it's customary to find small pools of urine on the surfaces where the dog sits or sleeps or to detect an odor of urine on the dog or in the room, it's feasible that your dog is suffering from mild incontinence. Last an allergy would be a possible explanation though with the exception of a mild flea problem, I'd expect an allergy to result in a more generalized pattern of itchiness.

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