Very swollen vagina

My chihuahua has had a very swollen vagina and won't stop licking it. She has to walk bull legged  and stops suddenly and starts licking againI don't have money for a vet right now,she's 18 yrs old and been like this for 6 days. What is it &what will help  stop it?

Hello and thank you for asking this question.  Your dog sounds to be in a lot of pain - licking is a typical sign.  Their welfare needs to come before all things and licking the skin in that area can tend to make things worse, so a veterinary visit sounds to be an immediate necessity.  Vaginal swelling can be caused by benign lumps, polyps, cancers, hormonal irregularities, skin problems, trauma and complications of pregnancy (unusual given her age, but issues that were previously hidden can suddenly come to the fore in old canines).  However, the underlying cause may turn out to be irrelevant if they are experiencing pain that cannot be relieved.   Please seek out an assessment of the appropriate treatment for this patient.  Your vet is the best chance of restoring comfort and dignity if this is possible - and if this is not possible, then you need to know and it sounds as though any suffering needs to be eased.  Wishing you both all the best on this journey.