My dog has brownish discharge during heat. Is it normal? What to do?

The color of discharge during a heat cycle can be extremely variable throughout the duration of the cycle and it can even change from cycle to cycle. Based on what you've described it sounds like Precious is experiencing a normal heat cycle. If the discharge becomes smelly or she begins to act lethargic or ill, have a veterinarian evaluate her just to be safe.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Nymeria. The flow can vary throughout a dog's heat cycle and from one cycle to the next. As long as she is eating, drinking and acting like herself, it is most like a normal variation. If the flow does not decrease soon or she starts to act ill, then she will need to see a veterinarian. If the discharge starts to look like pus, this can be a sign of a serious uterine infection. In this case, she would need to seen right away. I hope this information helps!

If your dog isn't [spayed](https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-dogs/), this could be a heat cycle. Or it could be a very serious condition known as [pyometra](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pyometra/), which means infected uterus. Especially if she had her heat cycle a couple of months ago, and if she's lethargic or has a fever you need to take her in to a veterinarian to be examined tonight. If she is spayed, this could be several things. She could have a [urinary tract infection](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-signs-of-urinary-tract-disease-in-dogs) and you're seeing her leak blood-tinged urine. I hope not, but depending on her age there could be cancer in the urinary tract that's causing bleeding (blood doesn't always look bright red). Very occasionally spayed dogs will continue to bleed if a piece of an ovary was left behind. Get her checked out by your veterinarian as soon as possible to figure out what's going on.

This discharge may be normal, but it could also indicate infection. Ideally, Cocoa should be physically examined by your veterinarian to confirm all is well and the pups are doing fine. Monitor her for lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, excessive discharge or active bleeding.

It's not normal for a dog to have a black bloody discharge with a bad smell during her heat, and I would have Pip seen by a vet right away. I would be very concerned that this dark blood and bad smell could be indicative of an infection of the uterus. Have her seen by a vet ASAP for a health check.

Brown and stinky is not good as stinky always implies the participation of bacteria. Therefore I would be worried about Snowball having a uterine infection (Pyometra). Please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam ASAP. Your vet may want to do xrays and possibly some bloodwork. Should she be suffering from a uterine infection she will have to have her uterus surgically removed.

When you say you saw a white discharge you do not indicate where you saw the discharge coming from. Since you discussed heat later in the question I assume you mean you saw discharge from the vulva. An occurrence small amount of whitish discharge can be a normal finding. However, if you are noticing a yellow or blood tinged discharge, if she is drinking more than usual, if she isn’t eating well or otherwise acting “sick” then I would be concerned. Pyometra is an infection of the uterus and can be fatal. So if you are concerned that you are seeing abnormal vaginal discharge then she should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. If this is the problem they will recommend to have her spayed immediately . Best of luck and I hope she is back to normal soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.