Callie, 6 and a bit months old, has started showing signs of a season..........I think

Being a large breed and having at least 3 generations of females before her start anything between 12 & 18 months, I wasn't really expecting it. But now I'm not sure if she is or she isn't.......

2 nights ago, when bouncing around playing as we do, in the kitchen, she started dropping discharge. When I put my finger in the discharge to check for colour and consistency, it was a very slight rust colour and water like.

I did the tissue test and nothing showed. I looked at her genitalia and it's perfectly normal in size and colour, ie, no swelling and the labia is a very pale pink. There is no obvious "season odour" either.

She has been licking a little more around the rear end, but nothing excessive. She's not one of those bithes to bother much around there.

She is a little more whiney than usual but apart from that there are no other signs.

Today, Murf has been pacing and restless, very unusual for him but not unheard of. Am I paranoid now? He didn't eat breakfast this morning and had the devil in him all day :rolleyes: But when they are wandering about the place (very close eye kept on them, of course) he doesn't show the slightest interest in her, but she does have a tendency to, every so often, slam her butt in his face which he totally ignores!

I have had lots of bitches over the years and they have all been very obvious/positive when they've had first seasons.

Is she just being hormonal and clearly gearing up for her season?

At the moment I have decided to keep them seperate in case she is in the early days of it. I realise a bitches first season can be so slight that you hardly notice it, but this has totally confused me.........

Any advice or experience of it.....Just goes to show, you think you would recognise it having had lots of bitches before, but there's always one that fools you.........*scratching head*

It could be a season.  My Lana who was in season 9 weeks ago and is due on Monday looked as though she wasn't.  There was only 2 drops of blood, she didn't really swell and if I hadn't of had a dog there's no way that she would have been mated becaus I wouldn't of known when to do it.  So if I were you I'd be careful :d

Most of my breed don't come into season until at least 12 months and quite a few of them not until they wree nearly 2 though I have known a few now come into season just before 9 months.

I have been using the tissue test on her again, so much so, that I'm starting to give her a complex :D

I just cannot believe that she can be in season this early She is still such a baby she has still got her puppy coat, missing teeth...............yes, I know, that this goes for nothing.......

I'm still vigilant and confused

Any chance that she has an infection ??

Daisy

A friend of mine had this happen wiht her Border Collie. Turned out it was a massive urinary infection which made her lose blood.

Marianne

Or cystitis?  With this heat and young immature bitches being more prone????

To be on the safe side I have called the vet this morning to make an appointment.

I discussed the symptoms with the vet on the phone and he has said that that it doesn't sound like cystitis but to put my mind at rest he would try and see her tommorrow.

My last bitch had cystitis and a course of AB's cleared it up. From memory they described it as a bacterial urinary tract infection. Callia definitely isn't showing any signs of this.

She's not peeing more than usual, appetite and behaviour are the same and because she chooses to pee on flagstones outside, I have been looking at the results and her urine is a pale yellow with no blood in it.

She still is having a very slight discharge, but it is now clear with no colour to it.

Thanks for the input, I'll wait and see what the vet says.........:)

Just a quick update...........

Callie has seen the vet, he did a check over, examined her vulva, took the list of symptoms from me. I also took in a sample of wee which he said that he would get tested for any abnormalities but he is doubtful that she has any infection. *sigh of relief* :)

Couldn't answer my question on seasons, just told me to be vigilant and then asked when I would be booking her in for spaying   and Murf in for castration Won't go into that old chestnut again!

Have spoken to my breeder again, they still say that although not unheard of at her age and breed, they still think that she could be a bit young for a season and have put it down to hormones that are possibly being secreted in preparation for a season, although not common, they've experienced this in the past.........When it will arrive, is the million dollar question :P

I will get the urine results in a couple of days, at least my mind's at rest, for the time being ;)