Hi
My bitch was mated 2.5 weeks ago. A friend has just been round and she got excited and a green blob with something that looks like dried blood inside came out of her (have taken a photo but can’t attach). I’ve got an appointment at the vets but any ideas? Thanks

She would have still been in season for the normal length of time, regardless of being mated.   However, that doesn't sound good so, thinking about the possibility of an open Pyometra, I'd have my vet involved- and sooner rather than later.  That's not normal.

UPDATE:

I phoned my vets and they said they don’t need to see her as she’s behaving normally, eating/drinking normally and isn’t actively bleeding. They said all they would do is take her temperature. Has anyone ever seen this before?  And if so did they go on to have any healthy puppies?  I have a scan booked for a couple of weeks which feels like an age away. Any help gratefully received

This does sound truly weird.  Even if a dog did abort a pup at that stage, it wouldn't usually make its way out like that - it would be reabsorbed....

Cockers can get really manic and crazy, which probably isn't best for her in pregnancy anyway, so I would try to keep things calm for the remainder of her pregnancy and reduce visitors to the house if that gets her excited...

It’s a nightmare trying to stop her. I’ve only been taking her on short lead walks but she’s constantly jumping on and off the sofa and beds etc. I know two breeders who have seen it before - one at the start of whelping and the foetus was large and hadn’t developed beyond five weeks and the other was in the first few weeks. I wish there was a wayof attaching photos - you could make out the head, body and umbilical cord ☹️  I’m just anxious to know if she’s still pregnant and if so if the others are ok.

you could make out the head, body and umbilical cord

Two and a half weeks post mating? It sounds a bit unlikely that you would be able to make out anything. Before we even know if a bitch is pregnant or not there shouldn't be any need to do anything differently. I wouldn't go to shows or training classes or similar due to the presence of lots of other dogs/possible bugs, but I wouldn't restrict her from jumping on the furniture and running around.

At this stage after mating the embryos are still free-floating but will start to implant soon - which is why you don't scan until 28-30 days post-mating. It's possible that one has been expelled but I'd wonder why the cervix hasn't prevented that. All you can do is wait and see, fingers crossed. If she was mine I'd let her behave as normally as possible - stress can be more dangerous than activity, and remember that any failed embryos were probably not viable anyway.

You’d have thought so goldmali but you could certainly make out a head, body and umbilical cord. Vets and other breeders all agreed.

Jeangenie that’s my thinking too at this stage in the pregnancy.  I can’t wrap her in cotton wool. There must be millions of dogs that are active and go on to have a healthy litter. Like you say there was possibly an abnormality with the embryo and it’s better for it to have come away now rather than later on.

I’m still really interested to see if anyone has seen this too and if their bitches went on to have a successful pregnancy and litter.

> My Cocker is two and a half weeks post mating.

> a green blob of mucus/jelly on the floor with what looks like a little embryo inside

At this stage after mating is only the implantation stage, where the fertilised cells implant into the uterus to start forming a placenta.  At this stage it would not be recognisable as an embryo.

Many fertilised eggs fail to implant into the uterus.

I would keep an eye on her, check temperature etc, or any signs of her being unwell and potentially brewing a Pyometra. Green discharge normally signifies infection, though a very pale whitish cream with very pale green could be normal discharge.

> You’d have thought so goldmali but you could certainly make out a head, body and umbilical cord. Vets and other breeders all agreed.

Then perhaps there is something more going on....only 17 days after mating

This may help to show what is visible at certain stages https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/embryonic-puppy-and-dog-development/

Is there anyway of posting a photo?

save it elsewhere and post a link on here.
Or profile pic?

> Is there anyway of posting a photo?

Photos are not allowed on here

> you could make out the head, body and umbilical cord <br /><br />Two and a half weeks post mating?

Indeed.   At that early stage in a pregnancy, the embryo would be no bigger than a pearl/pea so I'd suspect you'd be lucky to see as much as you thought you were seeing, at that stage.   I've never been in that situation however, thankfully - I do believe one of mine reabsorbed at around the 5 week stage - she didn't expand any further and then only produced 2 puppies.  The subsequent needed 'Section didn't show any sign of other puppies, reabsorbed or not however.

As for confining her, no.   What will be will be and if that was an aborted embryo, it probably wasn't viable in any case.   Just like us, bnitches needs to stay 'lean and mean' until their size may mean she has to be less lively in any case.  I'd not take a pregnant bitch to any gathering of other dogs, or my other hounds for that matter, because of the risk of picking up infection, but I didn't otherwise restrict normal activity.  Some did take more care of themselves during their pregnancies, not joining in the rough and tumble with the others as much but others just carried on for as long as they could.   Far better for their mental well-being!

I would stay aware of the possibility of a pyometra.

This might give you some idea of what the fetuses look like.

The photos are not in sync with the development but the text content is

I have now changed my profile to show what came out of my girl.  As I said in my initial post this was surrounded by a blob of mucus/jelly.

It's really difficult to see in such a small picture, but I would hazard a guess at it being some old clotted blood left over from the season.

> I have now changed my profile to show what came out of my girl.  As I said in my initial post this was surrounded by a blob of mucus/jelly.

If you have/get a Flickr account you could upload the pic there then post the link here, or Facebook but the image would need to be set to public.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7918/46879335962_2b6af7069e_c.jpg

Does this link work?

Yes

Very interesting. At a first glance it looks like just blood and mucous, but I saved the picture and zoomed in as far as possible until it became too blurred, and yes it does look like a pup that's been dead for a while (i.e. dead for days before expelled). What I cannot understand (if that is the case) is the size. Too big for just 2.5 weeks. Is it toilet paper or kitchen paper? In either case though, a pup that age should only be around 1 cm.

It is lay on a baby wipe. Her first mating was early morning 11th Jan. So this came away 17 days after ☹️

If that's an embryo it's at about 20+ days development. Useful info

So the mystery continues...

An embryo at 25 days means she would have conceived around 3rd January, which I know definitely didn’t happen. We were away on holiday and with her 24/7.

It is a mystery at the moment, but surely you will see when she whelps, how far along in development this pup would have been at this time - so will get an answer eventually!