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Expert: - 3/26/2010


Question
My dog is a 9yr old female, old english sheepdog. She has been out of sorts lately, whining a lot, and now is bleeding from either her anus or vagina (she was in heat approx a month, maybe 2months ago). She keep licking herself constantly and seems uncomfortable. Any idea what is wrong? Many thanks.

Answer
She has an infection most likely. She could have a nasty uterine infection called pyometra. This happens with intact females. Basically what it is is that the uterine horns become full of pus and instead of it draining out, it gets seal off and it just fills up- but they can bleed also. Even if she hasn't gotten too far with it, she has some type of infection, hence the bleeding and pain she is in.

She could also have a  bladder infection, bladder stones, or vaginitis. However, since she just had a heat cycle, chances are pretty good that it could be pyometra.

This requires veterinary intervention right away. This can become a very serious infection if not treated.

So call your vet and get her in quickly.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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