Dog in heat: swollen, whimpering, struggling to pee. Is it serious?

No, it isn't normal that Bella isn't eat or move a lot. While a dog's reproductive organs can get quite swollen during a heat, I would be concerned that her additional signs indicate that she is suffering from a systemic illness. If she is peeing blood, it could be there is blood in her urine coming from her bladder in addition to her uterus. This could be due to a UTI or bladder stones. I would have Bella seen by a vet right away for a health check.

If Carly is showing any other signs of illness such as vomiting, lethargy or drinking excessive water go to the vet asap as she may be developing a pyometra which is a life threatening uterine infection. If she is otherwise normal I still recomend a vet visit asap but it may be ok to wait until Monday vs an ER clinic. But please have her checked as any signs of infection of reproductive tract in a dog that recently went through a heat cycle could be serious. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

An immediate check up is required as bladder and urethral compression/obstruction is possible and uterus infection may be present. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. 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.

I am sorry to hear about Hueso! It does like quite irritated here and I would be concerned he could have developed an infection of the skin or of the penis beneath the prepuce (the skin sheath of hte penis which is what we are seeing here). It is possible if he was repeatedly trying to breed with your female he caused repeated trauma to the skin and made it susceptible to bacterial infection. I would recommend getting him to the vet to examine the area. In the meantime, I would get an e-collar for him (the cone shaped collar) so he isn't licking the area and causing more irritation, and clean the area with a mild soap and apply a topical antibiotic ointment.

Straining to urinate could be a medical emergency, and I would recommend having Blacky examined by a vet ASAP to determine if she has a urinary blockage. The vet may need to do an x-ray or ultrasound to look closely at the bladder.

Most dogs will have their first heat around 6 months of age. Smaller breeds may go into heat sooner than large breeds. Aries may have a UTI (urinary tract infection). Symptoms include frequent urination, straining to urinate, foul smelling or bloody urine and a change in thirst or urination. You would need to have her physically examined by your veterinarian and submit a urine sample, for urinalysis and culture, to definitively diagnose a UTI.

It is the skin around the vulva that is irritated and swollen, not the vulva itself. The vulva will swell when they are going into heat. This is a skin infection. I suggest you have her to your vet for an exam.