Why is my Frenchie's first heat cycle so long? Is it normal?

Hello. It is very normal for first heats to be longer than normal & quite irregular. As long as Chanel is feeling & acting normally, then she should normalize her heats over the next few cycles. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like Lilly is probably in her first heat cycle now - bleeding and vaginal swelling are completely normal. Some dogs bleed continuously for an entire week or two, while others may only bleed or a day here or there. Some don't bleed at all, and it can be very hard to tell when they're in heat. Every dog is different, just like people :) As long as she is acting normal, I wouldn't be concerned. If you're worried, you could always have her checked out by your vet to confirm that she's in heat and doesn't have any other issues.

This is unusual in dogs. Typically smaller breeds have 2 to 3 heat cycles a year. I am assuming this is a new change in the frequency for her and that you are seeing vaginal discharge or bleeding. If so, it is possible these are not normal heats and that she has disease in her reproductive tract. I would recommend a visit to your family vet for an exam. Additional testing to evaluate her reproductive tract may be recommended such as vaginal cytology and abdominal ultrasound. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Some dogs are in heat only for 10-12 days. It often happens with the first heat. As long as your Oggy is bright, alert and has good appetite there is nothing to worry about. However, if you notice that she is drinking more water, her appetite is poor and she has vaginal discharge, you should take her to your local vets for an appointment as these symptoms are consistent with uterine infection.

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!

I would not be overly concerned about the single episode of vomiting/hard stool and would advise a bland diet of chicken and rice for 2-3days to see if the bowel issue resolves. I would howver be concerned about a heat cycle that has persisted for 7weeks+ and would recommend a check up with your vet tomorrow to rule out infection or other medical complications. I would recommend neutering her unless you have a need to breed from her in at the next heat cycle as excessive blood loss could become a significant issue with each cycle

Hi there. If Izzy has never had any vaginal discharge during her heat cycles previously, that's very odd. I would be concerned that what you are seeing now may indicated a pyometra (uterine infection), as this is a common cause of vaginal discharge in middle-aged and older intact females. If she does have a pyometra, this is a serious problem that can be life-threatening - so I would recommend taking her to the vet today for an exam to find out for sure what's going on.