Why did my French Bulldog start bleeding then stop? Is she in heat?

Hello. It is very normal for young dogs to have split & prolonged heat cycles the first few times. They usually regulate to a more normal rhythm later on. As long as every test turned up nothing abnormal, you can definitely wait a bit. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for posting this morning. It sounds like Penelope is having her first estrus or 'heat' cycle. Dogs come into heat twice a year- once in the spring and once in the fall. Dogs do not have menstrual cycles like humans do- they are quite different. Small drops may be all you will notice-that is normal. Each estrus cycle lasts for about 4 weeks or so, the vaginal discharge she is experiencing may last for two weeks. No need to take her into your veterinarian unless you are still concerned, but it sounds like her estrus cycle has begun which is normal to start for smaller dog around 9 months-1 year of age. I hope this helps and best of luck to you and Penelope!

A dog's heat cycle lasts for around three weeks, so if she started on February 26, it should be ending soon. It's normal that she is spotting occasionally, and you know when she's out of heat when the discharge stops. Now if the bleeding continues for longer than three weeks or Sophie develops other signs such as anorexia, thick pus filled discharge, vomiting, increased bleeding, and/or lethargy, this is not normal and she will need to see a vet immediately. Good luck, I hope this helps!

This doesn't sound like a miscarriage. The blot clot is probably just normal from the heat cycle. I would not be worried about it unless bleeding persists. As a side note, a puppy at 9 months old is probably fertile; rarely are they "blank". They become sexually mature and able to breed a female at about 6-7 months of age. I suspect that she will get pregnant. If you don't want this mating I suggest you speak to your vet about a mis-mating injection.

Yes, it is possible that Peanut is in heat for the first time, as dogs may not always have obvious bleeding during heat. If she cleans herself very well, she may be licking up any bloody discharge. To be safe, I would keep her away from any intact dogs, and do not allow her out into the yard unsupervised. It's never recommend to breed a dog on their first heat, as she will not be mature enough physically and emotionally to raise puppies.

Bleeding from the vulva is normal in intact female dogs during their heat cycle. But if Riley isn't currently in heat, or if the amount of blood you're seeing is more than normal for her, then I would be concerned that something else may be going on. Bleeding from this area can be caused by bladder stones, infections, a bleeding disorder of some kind, or even a vaginal tumor. It would be best to have Riley examined by a vet as soon as possible to determine what is causing the bleeding and get her started on appropriate treatment.

I'm not sure where Cuddles is having the bleeding from, but if it's coming from her vaginal area, the most likely explanation is that she is in heat. Dogs go into heat twice a year, and bleeding is normal to see during that time. Sometimes dogs can have silent heats where you don't see bleeding, or they can clean themselves up before owners notice the bleeding, so that may be why you've only seen it once before (but I'm not sure how long you have had Cuddles). If the bleeding is coming from another area, it would be great if you could post again so I can tailor my answer to that. Otherwise, I would suspect she is in heat, and you can get doggie diapers from the pet store to prevent her from bleeding over surfaces in your home.