White Discharge From Female Dog In Heat – Why, What To Do?

White discharge from a female dog in heat could mean many things and they are no different from humans when it comes to reproduction.

However, if you are a female dog owner and your dog has already hit puberty, you must observe your dog’s different discharges during its reproductive cycle.

White discharge from female dog in heat

From bloody to white mucus discharge, you must have noticed it all!

Well, there is no need to fret and worry about the different types of fluids your female dog discharges.

All you have to do is keep yourself aware of the pattern of vaginal discharges during your dog’s cycle, and you are good to go!

Female Dogs in Heat

The term ‘heat period’ refers to the mating phase of the female dog, when the dog is ready to reproduce.

Just like humans, a dog’s hormones surge during the heating phase.

This surge attracts them to male dogs around them, aiming to expand their family.

If you are a dog owner who is naïve and new to your female dog’s strange and changed behavior, then that’s not a surprise.

Every dog owner who is new to this finds their female dogs to be discharging a white fluid and chasing male dogs around, which does not usually happen.

There are four distinct phases of a female dog’s heat period.

White Discharge From A Female Dog In Heat During Pre-oestrus

The first or initial phase of a female dog in heat is called the pre-oestrus phase.

Pre-oestrus is the time when you may start to notice that your female dog’s vulva has slightly become swollen.

Moreover, you might notice stains of bloody fluid on your carpets.

This phase is usually almost nine days long but can differ according to breed and size.

During this phase, your female dog has started giving off a strong smell or scent, attracting male suitors.

However, your pet may start barking and acting agitated when a male dog approaches her.

All these things might be new for her, and we certainly cannot blame her!

White Discharge From A Female Dog In Heat During Oestrus

Oestrus is the time when the female dog will not be agitated and irritated when a male dog approaches her.

She would rather be open and welcoming to the advances of the male dog during this time.

She will also show that she is entirely fertile and ready to reproduce.

This time is also called ‘standing heat’ because the female dog becomes receptive to the male advances, where she starts wagging her tail in front of a male suitor and stands sturdily in front of him.

During this phase, the female dog ovulates, producing fertile eggs.

In the oestrus phase, you will observe that the fluid discharged by the dog is like mucus.

The discharge is thick and white and can be a little watery too.

The chances of becoming pregnant in this particular phase are very high.

This means that if the male dog impregnates the female dog, she will conceive and give birth to adorable little puppies of her own.

White Discharge From A Female Dog In Heat During Post-oestrus

This phase comes after the fertile phase of a dog’s heat cycle.

You can identify the post-oestrus by the disappearance of the white watery discharge from your dog’s vagina.

All the signs and symptoms linked with your dog being in heat disappears.

If the male dog successfully impregnates the female dog, a structure called corpora lutea is formed inside the female dog’s uterus.

This is when there is a surge in the hormone progesterone, and the embryo gets implanted.

Another critical hormone called prolactin also starts getting secreted, which encourages milk production in the female dog’s mammary glands.

White Discharge From A Female Dog In Heat During Anoestrus

This last phase is called the resting phase of the female dog because there are no signs of heat or fertility anymore.

In this phase, the normal hormonal levels of the female dog go back to what they used to be.

Once this phase is over, the next heat cycle of the female dog begins.

How To Deal With Your Dog’s White Discharge When In Heat

As discussed above, the types of vaginal discharge of the female dog can greatly vary during different phases of the reproductive cycle.

If you don’t want to get your carpets stained, then it is advisable to follow a few tips to deal with the discharge.

Use Nappies And Diapers

Using heat diapers and nappies is highly advisable if your dog is bleeding during its fertile phase.

The pre-oestrus stains can lead to bloody stains, while the oestrus phase can lead to white stains.

To manage these stains, you must use reliable dog nappies.

Female dogs can easily wear these nappies during the heat period.

It has been observed that female dogs usually follow a strict self-cleaning ritual during the fertile phase, but it might not be enough.

Give Them Proper Hygiene

If you feel overwhelmed by your female dog’s white discharge and are clueless about what to do, it’s best to take care of the dog’s hygiene.

Keeping your pet in a defined space or room when your dog is in heat can also help with hygiene issues.

Moreover, changing the mats and carpets in the dog’s room or space will promote hygiene.

Washing and cleaning your female dog also helps eliminate any bacteria as well.

See A Vet

If your female dog has already reproduced, and you don’t need more puppies, you can also consider ‘spaying.’

Spaying is the process of making your female dog sterile and removing her ovaries.

Sometimes, the female dog becomes too stressed while in heat and bleeds a lot.

You can avoid this by seeing a vet and having your dog spayed.

This can also help reduce the risk of developing uterine cancer at later stages of her life.

Conclusion

Every dog hits puberty at a different age.

It all depends upon the size and breed of your dog.

Hence, if your dog has just reached the age of puberty and is discharging fluids or behaving differently, you must equip yourself with the necessary knowledge to take care of your pet.

Moreover, if you want to know whether your female dog is in heat or not, you must learn to observe the characteristics and signs when a dog is in heat.

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