My bitch has just had her first season. It will be 4 weeks on tues since she started. How long is it before everything gets back to normal? The swelling around her vulva has gone down but she still has quite marked swelling around her nipples and in places it feels hard. Is this normal? She is well in herself, eating ok no sign of being unwell. Should I continue to keep her away from other dogs or is it ok to exercise her as normal now? 
jane

I'd say give her a good bath and wash her bedding, then treat her as normal - plenty of exercise and activity to minimise any phantom she might have. Her vulva will always be slightly larger than it was before.