how long before i worry- length of season

[Principality]

Hi there,

Wondering if any of the vets or more experienced bitch owners could reassure me, pls.

Ddog is 15months and having season number two. She is now on day 18 and still bleeding.

Season number one was much more what I had expected from reading up. She bled for 11ish days, was super "hot" according to our male from day 13 (promptly went on his holidays to grandma) several days before calming down and finally becoming uninteresting by day 27/28. I gave her a bath and took her out again on day 29 and we had no issues with other dogs finding her exciting.

[Principality]

Sorry, posted too soon.

She seems fine in herself. Very bouncey and happy. She isn't as keen on her food as usual.

Will call her breeder later for advice but wondered if anyone else had seen similar?

Thanks

[Principality]

Also ddog1, our male was very sadly put to sleep in September so I don't have his nose anymore to tell me what's going on.

[midori1999]

It's absolutely fine and normal. First seasons are normally quite light and not really a true indication of what seasons will be like. Second seasons are sometimes worse than than they will usually be, in terms of bleeding etc IME.

I wouldn't worry until she has been bleeding more than 28 days and even that could still be within normal. Some bitches will continue to bleed after they have ovulated.

[Principality]

Thank you for your help.

[daisydotandgertie]

Precisely what Midori said!

[Principality]

Thanks. I just spoke to the owner of one of her sisters and they said she bled up to day 21!

If they bleed longer does it mean its likely that the season will last longer than 28days?

I'm planning to have her hip and elbow scored between seasons as apparently the hormones can cause ligaments to relax and a poorer score close to seasons. Just wondering if I should be still be scoring her jan/February? She is optigen clear by parentage and had her first annual hc test this month which was clear.

[daisydotandgertie]

It'd be very unusual for a season to last more than 28 days - give or take a day or two. I think it's unlikely tbh.

What breed of dog do you have?

[Piffle]

My eldest bitch had a season lasting 7 weeks with her first and 9 weeks with her 2nd...
She was diagnosed as hypothyroid and since being medicated she has had one season lasting 3 weeks...

[Principality]

Thank you. Good news that it shouldn't last more than a month. The lack of walking is killing us both!

She is a lab. :) from some lovely show lines.

She hasn't been shown herself, which was what we had in mind when we bought her, as at 9 weeks her ear started to curl up. There was a tiny lump of what the vet thought was scar tissue and what we now all think is that she got a tiny nick from playing with litter mates. Unfortunately as she grew the scar tissue did not. :( it therefore pulled on the surrounding skin and does not fall flat, as it should. I was gutted as obviously you never know how a pup will turn out in terms of show potential, but this turned up. Lots of people my breeder spoke to said it would drop as she got older... But it didn't.. :(

We haven't decided whether or not we will have a litter yet, but several experienced people have told me to get the tests done now and not leave it just in case she gets knocked/injured etc later on, which could affect get score.

If we do go ahead, I am very lucky in that I have a very experienced mentor (her breeder) who is heavily involved in the breed clubs and showing. The plan would be to keep a bitch to show ourselves.

But it wouldn't be for a long while yet. She is very immature mentally still. She is still a big puppy so I don't think she will have grown up enough at 2. I think it will be more like three when she's ready. But that's great as it gives me lists of time to go to several champ shows to husband hunt! ;)