Discharge in a pregnant dog is normal. Discharge refers to the appearance of fluid or mucus other than urine from a loop. Normally, in a healthy dog, the loop is always slightly moistened, the discharge is clean, transparent and odorless, does not collect in drops, and does not contain thick mucus. But sometimes the discharge changes and this often worries the owners. Dog breeders pay especially close attention to discharge from dogs during pregnancy. They can be different throughout the pregnancy and depending on whether it proceeds safely. Therefore, it is very important for the owner to monitor his dog.
What are discharges?
Discharge from the loop in dogs can be seen on the fur around the genitals. Sometimes the liquid remains on the animal's bedding or on the floor.
Discharges have a different character and can be:
- transparent;
- greenish;
- mucous;
- white;
- dark.
If you notice something like this, you should not panic. In most cases, the secretion does not cause harm to health, being the norm .
Don't overdo it with hygiene!
In the fourth week of gestation, the dog may release liquid mucus from the “causal site” after urinating.
It looks like human snot. There may be dark veins in the mucous contents. Fresh blood in such secretions is an alarming sign. Most dogs are in a hurry to lick “evidence” such as discharge. But an attentive owner will still notice a drop of mucus on the dog. If it is not thick, without a pungent odor, nothing bad happens.
Inexperienced dog owners are often scared when they see brown discharge from a dog’s vagina. Some people, succumbing to panic, wipe the animal’s intimate area with solutions containing an antibiotic. Of course, this should not be done. After all, antibacterial drugs can harm a pregnant animal (at least by causing irritation of the bitch’s vagina).
Causes of discharge
During pregnancy, the condition and structure of the genital organs change. From this time on, the body begins to work differently.
Dogs have an ovarian type of reproduction, therefore, as a result of the influence of sex hormones, follicles - sex gametes - mature in the ovaries.
The process leads to maximum production of progestins, estrogens, and androgens by the ovaries.
In order for the fertilized egg to attach, a preparatory stage takes place in the uterine cavity.
The endometrium (inner layer) ceases to be dense, softens, and swells. At this point, mucous discharge is observed, which sometimes continues during pregnancy.
After a successful mating, the dog begins to secrete a weak secretion. This means that fertilization was successful and there is no cause for concern. Normally, 3 weeks after mating, the owners notice other discharge.
The secretion makes itself felt only after urination. Having noticed mucus, there is no need to run to the doctor, because the discharge is a reaction to the male sperm. Normal color ranges from whitish to light yellow. There is no smell.
Unfertilized oocytes are released with a light secretion. In the middle of pregnancy, more precisely 20 days after mating, the cervix “closes”. This can be understood by the whitish discharge.
Sometimes blood spots are observed in the mucus, but in insignificant quantities. This physiological reaction of the body indicates the absence of deviations.
When does the first heat occur?
The smaller the dog breed, the earlier the bitches go into their first heat . In pugs, this usually occurs between 6 and 10 months of age, depending on your dog's personality. But the presence of heat does not mean that the pug bitch is ready to bear and feed healthy offspring at such an early age. This is due to the fact that the dog is not ready, both physically and psychologically, to bear and feed offspring. She simply does not understand the changes happening to her.
If you are planning to breed your dog, it is better to do this no earlier than 15 months of age, that is, approximately after the third heat. It is after this age that the psyche and physical parameters of the body are finally formed in pug dogs.
This is interesting! It is extremely undesirable to breed a pug female earlier than 15 months, since the risk of giving birth to either defective or even dead offspring is very high. Males are ready for mating at the age of 12 months.
If you do not plan to breed pug dogs, then it would be more advisable to spay the female dog after her first heat. This may cause discomfort for your pet at first, but will make life much easier for both you and your dog. This will save you from unnecessary worries, and the dog from suffering and worry. The most important thing is that if a bitch does not mate from year to year, then there is a high risk of various diseases, primarily cancer. Sterilizing a dog significantly reduces the risk of developing cancer.
You don’t have to resort to such radical measures, but use special tablets that reduce the dog’s libido. However, such measures will not scare away male dogs, who will still smell it. Many veterinarians do not recommend using tablets as they can be harmful to your dog.
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Is it normal to have discharge from the loop?
The secretion released from the animal's vagina can be observed throughout pregnancy. The nature of the mucus will change, but the liquid will not disappear anywhere.
You should go to the veterinarian when:
- discharge is abundant;
- the dog behaves restlessly, which is excluded in the early stages of pregnancy, the animal may rush about, hide, whine;
- mucus becomes dark in color;
- the secretion contains blood;
- the animal refuses food.
Such deviations should not be normal, although many bitches behave strangely for the first time. However, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Early discharge
During this period, there must be a secret. Its absence may indicate an unsuccessful mating or a false pregnancy.
Transparent mucous discharge, reminiscent of what happens with a runny nose, is a signal that the body is rejecting embryos that died earlier. There is nothing wrong with this, the process is natural.
All embryos cannot take root, otherwise there is a risk of a large number of puppies that will not be able to gain the required weight during intrauterine development. Sometimes the secretion is so abundant that it sticks to the fur of a dog that does not have time to lick it.
In this case, the animal should be helped by removing the mucus. A clot is sometimes found in the discharge; it can be green or black.
However, in rare cases there may be no discharge, in which case the embryos will be released during childbirth.
Dog mating
Before breeding dogs, it is imperative to carry out special training. This applies to both females and males. The first thing that needs to be done is to carry out a comprehensive treatment of your pet against parasites. Next, your pug dog needs to have all its vaccinations.
It is best to select a pair for mating through a pug breeders club . This way, you will avoid your dog mating with an unclean member of the breed. Such clubs have databases where they will select a suitable “groom” for your “girl”. In some cases, when none of the dogs have mating experience, it is worth inviting a dog handler to help. There have been cases when the aggressive behavior of a bitch scared away a male dog.
This is interesting! Estrus usually lasts 23-25 days, but not every day the bitch will allow a male dog to approach her. The most favorable period for mating dogs is 8-10 days of estrus and later. This favorable time lasts at least a week.
If your pet is over seven years old, then at this age you need to carefully monitor their weight, as at this age they lose activity and become sedentary. Excess weight can also affect your Pug's reproductive abilities. Since these cute dogs are prone to such problems as excess weight, the owner should pay close attention to this.
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Late discharge
The next stage of secretion occurs at the moment before childbirth. The mucus plug comes out, along with the unnecessary contents. The discharge can be white or transparent. Green and brown ones are less common.
Often the secretion contains a small amount of blood, which enters the mucus when the cervix dilates. The process is accompanied by a small rupture of the capillaries, therefore, there may be red clots.
It is important to monitor the dog’s behavior: it may become less active, but there will be no changes in its general condition.
Visit to the veterinarian
After detecting the listed signs, make an appointment with a veterinary clinic. Plan a visit no earlier than a month after mating. By this time, relaxin, a sex hormone, will appear in the blood of the expectant mother, on the basis of which an interesting position is confirmed.
Determining the number of fruits
In addition to examination, palpation and blood tests, diagnosis involves ultrasound and x-rays. These procedures help determine the exact number and condition of the fruits, but not earlier than the beginning of the 2nd month.
Exclusion of pathologies
A visit to the veterinary clinic is recommended even if your four-legged pet is in good health. Not all pathologies are determined visually. Diagnostic procedures help to detect hidden complications and prevent their development.
The secret of different colors during pregnancy
The dog should be closely monitored throughout the entire pregnancy. This will allow you to detect the problem in time and fix it. Discharge while waiting for puppies is normal, but sometimes mucus released is a harbinger of serious trouble.
Bloody
Blood is a bad signal. Normally, the secretion is very scanty and soon stops. The discharge is not bloody, with red streaks. Scarlet, dripping blood is a reason to immediately contact a veterinarian.
At any stage, blood impurities can indicate serious pathologies:
- death of one or more fetuses;
- miscarriage;
- uterine rupture;
- premature birth.
The problem leads to a general deterioration in the dog’s condition, which should be an additional alarm signal.
Greens
Green secretion usually appears in the early stages, when mucus accompanies the physiological process without disruption. In the middle of the term, this should not cause concern if the discharge is a short-term phenomenon.
It is more dangerous when the birth is approaching, and the dog suddenly begins to lick himself, although there is no reason for this. You need to carefully monitor the animal’s behavior and pay attention to the nature of the mucus. The unpleasant sour smell is alarming.
An admixture of greenery usually indicates inflammatory, sometimes even purulent processes, up to pyometra.
For a dog expecting offspring, this is serious, because puppies can be born with pathologies or die inside the womb. With hidden diseases, the secretion periodically disappears, then appears again.
The depressed state of an animal is another bad sign.
Black
Black discharge is a dangerous symptom . The condition indicates problems inside the uterus - an inflammatory process, possibly infection. The animal becomes lethargic and its body temperature rises.
Sometimes in the later stages the movement of the puppies can no longer be felt. Any delay or waiting for improvements can cost the animal its life.
White
White clots coming out of the loop are observed periodically during pregnancy. The absence of odor and the excellent state of health of the shaggy friend speaks louder than any conclusions.
Before childbirth, a light-colored secretion signals upcoming labor. The cervix is ready to dilate to allow the puppies to be born.
Transparent
In later stages, such a secret does not always appear. Scanty mucus comes out of the loop, which does not cause concern to the dog. The absence of inclusions of a different color indicates a normally occurring process.
An unpleasant putrid odor should alert you, indicating problems that have arisen.
Brown
The secret of brown, like white, is a sign that the dog will soon whelp. At the initial stages, discharge confirms the course of the natural process - fertilization, filling of the amniotic sac with fluid, blockage of the cervix.
There is no point in seeing a doctor unnecessarily. The dog feels great, the appetite is good, mucus is not secreted often - in this case, you should not pull the animal again, exposing it to stress.
Possible complications
If you notice any alarming symptoms, including a significant deviation from the planned date, call your veterinary clinic immediately. It is better to be wrong in your guesses than to allow the death of your four-legged pet and her babies.
Ectopic pregnancy
The development of embryos outside the uterus is fraught with death due to internal ruptures and bleeding. It is accompanied by pain and bloody discharge from the uterus. If the animal whines and blood flows from its loop, call a doctor.
False pupishness
False whelping, or false pregnancy, can be easily determined independently only by the absence of mating. This condition is accompanied by similar symptoms, but instead of labor, it can result in mastitis or other complications. Due to the likelihood of such an outcome, veterinarians recommend not to refuse blood donation, ultrasound and x-rays.
Frozen pregnancy
Partial or complete death of embryos is fraught with mummification with subsequent intoxication of the body. If the dead fetuses do not come out on their own, they are removed by artificial stimulation of the uterus or by sterilization.
If the dog paces
A delay of more than 10 days is an alarm bell. In addition to the death of the fetus, the reason may lie in a delay in its development, pathologies of the genital organs of the bitch, or other diseases of the four-legged woman in labor. Healthy babies are removed by caesarean section.
If the discharge is strong
Mucus coming out of the loop may appear in the middle of the term. Remnants of the secretion remain not only on the fur, but also on the floor and bedding.
The dried crust has a yellowish-brown tint. A day before labor, abundant mucus appears, but this does not last long.
Animals sometimes show slight restlessness: they improve the place, lick themselves. There is an appetite, but sensing the approaching climax, the pet will not eat much, which cannot be said about drinking.
Is there anything I need to do?
In the wild, no one helps an animal produce offspring. Sometimes that's good. The dog takes care of itself independently and leads a measured existence. A person, observing mucus from the vagina, usually panics, wanting to stop the process.
The dog owner should be prepared for discharge within 56-72 days - that’s how long gestation lasts. To prevent your shaggy friend from walking around dirty, you can wash the dog.
There is no need to stop the copious secretion with an unpleasant odor either. You should contact the veterinarian observing the animal and consult with him.
How to determine pathology
Pathological processes are accompanied by a number of unpleasant moments.
This:
Dark, persistent mucus coming out of the loop.- Unsatisfactory condition of the dog (whines, worries, hides, refuses to eat, drink).
- Increased body temperature.
- Fetid odor emanating from the secretion.
- Lack of movement of puppies in the womb.
If you notice one of the symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only an experienced specialist will make an accurate diagnosis. No doctor can determine the problem by eye.
It will help in diagnosis:
- Blood test for biochemistry, usual.
- Ultrasound.
- Blood test for infections.
A timely visit to a doctor is an opportunity to save not only the mother, but also the babies.
Under no circumstances should you self-medicate, trying to find the problem and fix it.
Diet
A female dog in heat should be fed almost like a puppy. At this time they are made moody and vulnerable. Food is given 5 times a day, in small portions. Finely chopped meat and fermented milk products, to which honey can be added, should be given. Boiled eggs should be given once a week.
This regime will help the dog’s fragile body cope with shock, this is especially true for the first or second heat. It is also worth pampering your pet with delicious treats. The main thing is not to overfeed the pug, as they are prone to overeating and, as a result, obesity. After the heat has passed, feeding is transferred to normal.
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