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My dog is leaking brown discharge from her vagina. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog is leaking brownish liquid from her vagina. I don't know what it is or what is causing it.

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on October 19th, 2015

If your dog isn't spayed, this could be a heat cycle. Or it could be a very serious condition known as 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 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.

42Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on December 10th, 2016
This could be old blood or discharge from an infection. If your dog is not spayed, then this is very concerning and she needs to be seen by a veterinarian ASAP, especially iof she is drinking mire than usual. She may have a uterine infection, which can be life threatening .
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on December 21st, 2018
Brown discharge can occur with pregnancy or a life-threatening infection in the uterus. I would recommend that you have Tara evaluated by a vet. They will do an exam and may recommend diagnostics to determine if either is the case. If she has an infection, spaying is the best and safest treatment.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 21st, 2018
Pyometra is not possible as she does not have a uterus. Did they just spay her at the shelter or was she spayed already before she got to the shelter. If they spayed her there (just recently) and she was in heat when they did the surgery then this discharge would be normal.

A stump pyometra is possible but I don't think it is very likely - this is where the part of the uterine body that is left over when the uterus is removed becomes infected. An ovarian remnant may be the case. Is she showing any signs of being in heat? Is she showing any signs of illness at all?

Remember, discharge from the vulva could also be from the urinary tract and not the reproductive tract. Did your vet run a urinalysis? She could have a UTI or bladder stones. I suggest you talk to your vet about these possibilities.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on October 30th, 2017
It's much more likely to be a uterine infection (pyometra) which is a very serious medical condition, you need to take her to the vet ASAP today in order to get it checked, if it is confirmed she will need an emergency surgery to have her uterus removed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My unspayed female dog has creamy white discharge. What's wrong?

Uh-oh, this is quite concerning. This could be vaginitis, but probably is a uterine infection (pyometra, open). This is an emergency and she needs to be seen by a vet preferably today. Your vet will give Daisy a thorough exam, and then probably will want to do an x-ray to verify his diagnosis. Treatment is surgery to remove the uterus with all the pus contained. Antibiotics sometimes work, however that would only delay the surgery as she will have another uterine infection when she has her next heat. Please take her to your veterinarian ASAP.

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My dog has white discharge after heat. Should I be worried?

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.

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I recommend to have Izzy examined by her veterinarian today. Dogs who are in heat will have a bloody discharge that is usually very light colored. Infections in the uterus can be severe and even fatal if not treated quickly so it’s best to have her checked for this today. Cancer and vaginitis are also possible. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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Why does my unspayed female dog have brown bloody vaginal discharge?

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My dog is bleeding again after her heat cycle. Should I worry?

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Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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