My large female dog's vulva is small. Is it safe to breed her?

Hello Christian! Mila Mumu is adorable! It is never recommend to breed a female to a larger male due to the increased size of puppies and the subsequent increased risk of dystocia (difficulty giving birth) leading to a c section. I would choose a male who is her weight or small than her to avoid any danger, so pick a breed of male that smaller than she is when she is fully grown. Please know that it is never recommend to breed a dog on her first heat. That's because she will not be fully mature either physically and emotionally, and that leads to an increased risk of dystocia as well as possible poor mothering. You should wait to breed her until at least her second or third heat (around 18 months of age). I hope this helps!

The vulva is swollen indeed but it may be normal for Francis. To be on the safe side, apart from abdominal scan I would suggest digital examnation of the vulva to make sure that there is notthing abnormal going on (for example partial vaginal prolapse). I don't think the swelling itself, providing that the birth canal is fully open and not obstructed during the labour, will cause any problems for Francis.

No this isn’t entirely correct. She does however have a greater chance of needing a C-section if the puppies end up being bigger than her birth canal. Which is why it’s best to have her examined by your vet and radiographs taken to look at the size of the fetuses. If they are too big to pass, then a simple C-section can be scheduled for the Mama dog. I hope this helps. Best wishes and take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tootsie. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. The vulva will swell with heat, but you want to ensure there is not a complicating factor such as a vaginal prolapse starting. I hope this information helps!

Yes, swelling of the vulva is normal during a heat, and it can get large especially if Poke already has a relatively large vulva. It can also be caused by an allergic reaction or an infection. It's always good to have it checked out by a vet just to be safe. I hope this helps!

Hello there, I am so sorry to hear that you are suspicious this could be happening with Summer. I do not see anything obviously wrong in this photograph. Her vulva may be a bit recessed, which is common in this breed and can be helped with a vulvoplasty surgery and weight loss if it causes secondary problems like urinary tract infections. Sometimes this is an incidental finding that doesn't cause other problems though. Best of luck at her appointment with her veterinarian. Hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. Her swollen vulva and the blood tinged discharge are consist with her heat cycle starting. However, the lesion in the pictures is abnormal. She could have traumatized herself by licking. If there is tissue protruding from her vagina, then I worry about a prolapse. If the area enlarges or seems to bother her, then she will need to see her veterinarian. I hope this information helps!