good morning !!1

this morning i have woken up to blood spots on my bitches bed!! i have dabbed her bits and its def from there!!......i'm confused as we had her from a dogs home in september 2009 and this has never happened before. people kept telling me if it hasn't happend by now (in the first year) it wont happen!! she is approx 3.. what do i do now???

Louisa

is her vulva swollen?

not really

then prob not in season, take her to the vet.

oh no!!! what else could it be??

No panic, could be a UTI or she may have sat on something that has caused some damage but think she would be licking if the latter.

definitely a vet visit, you have to know for sure.  You can't not take her.

she is licking but i have put pants on her so i don't end up with blood on my cream carpet!! why do you think its not her in season? (just wondering as sat here worried) :(

i will def take her in the morning!! Wish i knew a vet now :(

Not all bitches swell right at the beginning of their season - I've had some that swell then bleed, and others that bleed for a couple of days then start swelling.

But it certainly is odd if it is a season, bearing in mind the length of time that you've had her.

she is very dominant dog and the specialists i have taken her too (for dog aggression) seemed to think she hadn't been spade from how she reacts to things!! the dogs home didn't know if she had been done or not (although when she first went in they said they thought she was pregnant), and said wait and see for the season, there are no visible scars either way! feeling sad now!! good job i have insurance on her if it is something not good!!! :( :(

most likely cystitis, if so she will be very uncomfortable so get her seen by a vet for some antibiotics.

Hope she is feeling better soon

Was not suggesting that a visit to the vet was not needed just not to panic, infection or season is the most likely and the vet will tell you which and if infection give you medication. (Well, sell it to you)

It is possible to be a season unless she has deffinately been spayed...some bitches do have very long intervals between seasons(yes even 18 months(not that I have had one go that long). Very good idea to get a vet to check her out even if she has been spayed though, just to put your mind at rest.

thanks everyone i will take her too the vets tomorrow! hope they can get her in!!

just for information - what can cause a uti if it is that?? (i raw feed her)

> hope they can get her in!!

They will as this is an emergency.  The vet should be able to tell from a scan if she has been previously spayed.  I would remove the pants as unless you are changing them very frequently, you could be encouraging the growth of bacteria in creating an enclosed, warm, damp area.  Just keep her off the carpet :)

my whole house apart from kitchen and bathroom is carpet! maybe silly i don't know but i have put a sanitary towel (cut up) in her pants on her vulva as this is sterile but will change it very often! she is not off her food and is only sad cause i wont let her on my sofa!! 

I would remove the pants as unless you are changing them very frequently, you could be encouraging the growth of bacteria in creating an enclosed, warm, damp area.  Just keep her off the carpet :-)

Ditto, your bitch should be free to clean herself.

As she is only 3 years old, you may be able to see if she is spayed, if you turn her over checking her abdomen area look for a fine scar that runs vertically down her stomach, the scar is usually between the base of her teat to just above the genital area, sometimes you can feel it, granted often hair is now covering the area, but if you wet her or shave that area you should be able to still see the scar.

Although she has never spotted before, has her vulva ever been swollen? It's possible that she may have been having silent seasons or maybe just a very late bloomer I guess it can happen.

A vet can do an ultrasound to see if she has been neutered if the scar is difficult to see. :-)

thanks to all who commented i took Roxy to the vet on monday and the vet said it seemed like a season but needed a scan too be sure its wasn't Pyometra! they didn't have a scan machine there so took her to there sister surgery and had her checked today!! She is in Season and said she is either a late developer or has been having silent ones!!! now i get the joy of having her Spade!!

Thanks again for your comments
Louisa

Glad there was nothing nasty going on.

Don't get her spayed till 3 months after the season when her reproductive organs have had a chance to return to normal it will be less vascular and safer then.

Also glad it was nothing serious, dogs eh............... like to keep us on our toes. :-D

she is still bleeding nearly 3 weeks on!!!!

Seasons normally last three weeks but some are nearer four.

Provided it isn't smelly let it run its course then wait 3 months and get her spayed.

thats very normal my lot to it all the time