# Female dog bleeding again in heat cycle.



## Chapler (Jun 24, 2013)

I adopted a female, unspayed, 4year old cavalier King Charles spaniel from a rescue centre about 5weeks ago. Unfortunately for her (and us!) she came into season 1week later. This Thursday it will be 4 weeks since I first noticed the blood spots. We have been extra careful and have booked her in to be spayed in September. However, this weekend I have noticed blood on the sofa and her bed again and also her bottom is still very swollen. Does she bleed again when coming out of season? She is very lethargic and not keen on her food. Any advice would be great. Many thanks.


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## Nataliee (Jul 25, 2011)

I would get her to the vets ASAP it could be pyo especially if she's lethargic


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Chapler said:


> I adopted a female, unspayed, 4year old cavalier King Charles spaniel from a rescue centre about 5weeks ago. Unfortunately for her (and us!) she came into season 1week later. This Thursday it will be 4 weeks since I first noticed the blood spots. We have been extra careful and have booked her in to be spayed in September. However, this weekend I have noticed blood on the sofa and her bed again and also her bottom is still very swollen. Does she bleed again when coming out of season? She is very lethargic and not keen on her food. Any advice would be great. Many thanks.


Usually the first two parts of the season pro estrus and estrus when they have the swelling vulva and discharge and the fertile period lasts around 3 weeks so by now externally at least things should be pretty back to normal.

The stage following that di-estrus which she would likely be in now, hormone levels are still high and there are internal changes still. If they are going to get things like uterine infections then di-estrus stage of the cycle is usually when it happens.

Off food, lethargic, can be a sign that they have an infection, other signs that can develope are drinking more then usual and peeing more then usual, they can also start to vomit and possibly have diarrhoea as the infection progresses and some will have a temperature too.

There are two forms of uterine infection, open pyometra and closed. With open the infection drains and you see a discharge, which can be anything from pretty normal looking or much like the season discharge too very odd coloured and thickened. With the closed version the infection gets sealed in the uterus and you dont see a discharge at all and the toxins get absorbed into the body and blood stream, with the closed form you dont often know until the dog becomes ill with the symptoms above.

Given her age, the fact that shes discharging still, and is showing symptoms of lethargy and off food, I would take her to the vets to have her checked out, she will need antibiotics minimum to get on top of the infection if it is and you may find they will need to do an emergency spay too. If the infection isnt too bad and you catch it quickly and as it sounds like its open rather then a closed infection, then the ABs may be enough to clear it for now and she will be able to be spayed later.


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## RachRubyx (Jan 23, 2013)

I'd take her to the vets like others say just in case. However before I got my cav sprayed she did actually bleed quite alot more than other dogs in seasons i've seen and she was not herself at all. As you say lethargic and very quite and off her food (which is totally out of character) She be like this for a week or so just before and during her heat. 

Maybe cavs just suffer more than other dogs am not sure.
Go the vets and get it checked I remember my partners dog was very lethargic and off food and turns out she had pyometra infection and had to have emergency op to save her life.


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## rose (Apr 29, 2009)

Very strange for a bitch to be rehomed from a rescue centre Unspayed. Needs to go to the vet.


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## WeedySeaDragon (Oct 7, 2012)

rose said:


> Very strange for a bitch to be rehomed from a rescue centre Unspayed.


I don't think it's that odd. If a bitch comes into a rescue with little reliable information they can only guess as to whether she's been spayed or not. I presume the only way to find out for certain (other than to wait for a season) would be an exploratory op which would probably be costly, not to mention potentially risky.

Even if they're confident she's not spayed, if they don't know when her last season was it's preferable to wait than risk doing the op very close either side of a season.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

As others have said, there is a risk of pyometra and it's a killer. Please take her to the vet asap.

Let us know how she gets on


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

WeedySeaDragon said:


> I don't think it's that odd. If a bitch comes into a rescue with little reliable information they can only guess as to whether she's been spayed or not. I presume the only way to find out for certain (other than to wait for a season) would be an exploratory op which would probably be costly, not to mention potentially risky.
> 
> Even if they're confident she's not spayed, if they don't know when her last season was it's preferable to wait than risk doing the op very close either side of a season.


I don't find it odd either. When I got Ziggy from a rescue, she'd just had a season there. What's best for her - to go to a good home with me (with an undertaking I'd have her spayed at the right time) or be stuck in a kennel for 3 months before they could do it themselves?

OP, let us know what the vet says. It could be pyometra.


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