Female Labrador irritated genital area

Question
My 7 year old spayed yellow lab has been licking her genital area and the fur around it has turned reddish as opposed to her light yellow color. I've been told it could be related to allergies but I had her on benedryl and it did not help. Any suggestions?

Answer
   Hello Wendy,
        Thank you for being a responsible pet owner and having your dog spayed. The same thing happened with our 3 year old female black Lab. This is caused by the anal glands being filled with stool remains. They end up being filled every couple weeks, and you should have them expressed at your local Petsmart groomers. It doesn't hurt her. It's just uncomfortable, but it only takes about 4 minutes.