Why is my dog bleeding and limping a week after giving birth?

When puppies nurse, it releases oxytocin in the mother dog, which in turn causes uterine contractions. These uterine contractions can cause the blood to come out, and can cause her to shiver from pain. I'd have Ellie and her puppies seen by a vet on Monday to make sure everything is ok.

After the delivery, your dog may leak fluids and discharge for several weeks. This discharge is called lochia, and its color may be a shade of red. Lochia should be odorless -- if it has an unpleasant smell, contact your vet, as an odor indicates infection. Otherwise, general intermittent bleeding around the vulva may continue for weeks or, in some cases, months. If you notice that your dog is actually still bleeding a few days after birth, contact your vet. While it may be normal, you need to rule out complications like postpartum hemorrhage, which can result from poor blood clotting.

Limping means Koshy is in pain. Please do not give her any human pain medications. Many are toxic to dogs, and can be fatal if given. Plus they aren't safe for nursing puppies. I'd take her and her puppies into the vet for this problem.

Hello. It is not unusually for a bitch to blow her coat while nursing. There is such a great demand for nutrients to go into the milk that often a mother dog's weight & coat will suffer. Dogs can spot for up to 12 weeks after whelping, so as long as the discharge is not getting worse, I would not worry. I do not know why she is favoring her left side. Arthritis is a possibility if she is an older dog, but it certainly can be other things like tick disease to a sprain/strain. If you have not wormed her or the puppies, do so. Pyrantal pamoate is usually started when the puppies are just 2 weeks old. This does not get all the worms, but is safe for mom & the puppies. If the blood spotting or the limp gets any worse, please have her seen by your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

While shivering can be normal occasionally it can also be a sign of pain or fever. It could also be seen with a low calcium level. I’d recommend having your vet take a look at Cocoa - they can take her temperature and determine if she seems painful. Some blood can be normal for awhile but they can also look at the discharge from her vulva and make sure there are no signs of infection. They might recommend some blood work.

Poor girl. It appears they may have a bacterial infection on the skin. This can be due to trauma to the skin or a weakened immune system stemming from just giving birth. The puppy also may have had an abrasion that occurred during the birthing process. This doesn’t seem urgent at the moment and can wait until Monday to have your vet address this issue. A short course of antibiotics and topical treatment from your vet should be able to resolve this. In the meantime you can try cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water or Chlorhexidine 3% diluted. Thes are effective antiseptics used in dogs. Best of luck with Mom and her pups. I hope everyone’s skin issues resolve soon. Best wishes and take care.

Yes, I would be somewhat worried. It is possible there is a retained piece of placenta or puppy (likely non-viable) still inside her. Panting is usually indicative of pain/discomfort. I suggest you take Luna to the vet for an exam. If you take her in, be sure to take the puppies with you.