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My dog's vulva is swollen and hanging out during heat. Is this normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 35 lbs

My 18 month old female german shepard/husky mix is on her heat cycle but her vulva is extremely swollen and is hanging out a good bit is this normal ...skin seems to be dry and she is bleeding not alot but the flow amount differs through out the day

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 17th, 2018

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Athena. Your pictures are a bit fuzzy, but she does appear to have tissue protruding from her vulva. This may be a vaginal prolapse. She will need to see her veterinarian to confirm this suspicion. If this is the case, it will likely repeat with each subsequent heat cycle unless she is spayed. In the meantime, prevent her from licking the area. I hope this information helps!

4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Mara Howard, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 23rd, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Kemena may be having issues. If she has issues or abnormalities that you are seeing with her vulva, I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian to determine if there is a possible issue going on. If there is a prolapsed uterus, spaying her may be a necessary treatment. I would have her evaluated, see if there is an issue that needs to be addressed and any further treatment determined from there. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Sarah Derksen, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 3rd, 2019
Hi. If she is showing signs of heat, it is possible that some ovarian tissue was left behind unintentionally. There are blood tests that can be done to check hormone levels or you couls schedule an ultrasound or an exploratory surgery to look for any reminents. I would see if the swelling occurs again in approx 6 months. Good luck
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog is in heat and has a growth near her vulva. Should I worry?

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!

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My small dog's vulva is very swollen during heat. Is it a prolapse?

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!

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My dog is in heat. Is a swollen private part normal during her period?

Yes, this is normal to see a swollen vulva during a dog's heat, and in this picture, Stormy's vulva does not look abnormally swollen. Thank you for providing a picture, as it really helped with my answer. So to answer your question, yes this is normal!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's vulva is very large and swollen during heat. Is it normal?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's vagina is swollen after heat. Could it be prolapse?

This looks like a vaginal prolapse. That is when the vagina turns inside out. This is very swollen and needs to be lubricated and then manipulated back into place. You can clean it gently with a warm wet cloth, then apply KY Jelly to it or Vaseline to protect the sensitive skin from injury, then I'd bring her in tomorrow morning to get this examined and treated. I'm afraid if you leave this it may not get back to normal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Piper.

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My dog's vulva is swollen, but she's not bleeding. Is she in heat?

Vaginal swelling is itself a sign of estrus/heat even without discharge. If it is the first season it may be that you won't notice any discharge at all. It is actually possible that the estrus is over already and vaginal swelling will go down in the next week time. 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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My dog has greenish-yellow vulvar discharge. Is it normal?

The discharge pictured is a greenish-yellow, so I'm concerned that Athena may have [pyometra](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pyometra/), which is a potentially deadly infection of the uterus that can happen in dogs. A tiny bit of white vulvar discharge can be within normal variations for puppies (called a "puppy vaginitis"), but a greenish-yellow discharge is never normal. I recommend having Athena evaluated by her vet or an emergency vet right away. Your vet will likely [recommend spaying](https://www.petcoach.co/article/spay-and-neuter-basics-for-dogs-and-cats/) Athena right away if they [diagnose a pyometra](https://www.petcoach.co/article/pyometra-infections-of-the-uterus-in-dogs/), as this removes the pus-filled uterus and ovaries. Spaying stops the heat cycle, eliminates the risk and cost of unwanted breeding, reduces the risk of breast cancer, and prevents the a pyometra from developing.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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