Why does my dog have a genital infection 8 weeks after giving birth?

The question is, is it an vaginal infection or a uterine infection? if she is lethargic, drinking a lot, seems bloated and in pain then it is most likely a pyometra (uterine infection), this will require urgent surgery to have the uterus removed as medical treatment fail to resolve this condition in the vast majority of cases. if she is suffering from a vaginal infection this can be treated with antibiotics prescribed by your vet. either way you will have to take her to a veterinarian ASAP.

I agree with your veterinarians, there may have been an infection of the uterus which requires antibiotics. The swollen vulva could be a normal finding but in my opinion the vitality of the puppies should be checked by performing an ultrasound . Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This presentation could be due to a localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use chlorhexidine containing pads (such as the Douxo chlorhexidine 3% PS pads) to clean the are twice daily for 7 days. You may find these online or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!


I am sorry to hear about your dog! These look like they could be pustules, or small spots of bacterial infection, perhaps from some minor trauma to the skin during mating which then became infected with bacteria. I would recommend having your vet examine the area, as they may want to prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.

This is definitely possible that she is already back in heat. She could also have an infection so be sure to keep an eye out for any abnormal behavior like not eating, lethargy, or vomiting. If you see any abnormal behavior or just want to be sure, I would have your vet take a look at her to ensure she is healthy. I would not breed her during this heat cycle since she just had a litter. I hope this helps!