Labs first season

[frozenmad]

Hi, my 7 month old lab had a yellowy discharge in her crate this morning & has spent most of the day spraying/urinating in the garden & is just not herself. I am assuming that she is about to come into her first season. Should I stop walking her off lead now? Any advice gratefully received.

[digerd]

Normal seasons start off with bleeding when she first begins with constant licking. 2 weeks later when she is ovulating the discharge changes to a yellowish slime.
At this time she is ready to get pregnant and if you scratch her back infront of her tail she will curve her tail over to one side to provide access for the mating. She will wee more often to advertise for a mate .
Her vulva will be very swollen at this time.

Think it is a bit early for a lab, though.
Do not let her off the lead until her season is over. You probably missed the bleeding early stage.

[daisydotandgertie]

Put a white sheet or similar in her crate overnight to spot exactly what sort of discharge you're dealing with. What does her vulva look like? Has it changed at all?

My labs produce a straw coloured liquid when ovulating though, it isn't at all slimey.

7 months is young for a labrador first season - unless you spot red blood I would take her to the vet to rule out a UTI too.

When a bitch is in season it is wise to always walk on lead, especially from days 8 - 20 when the bitch is likely to run off to find a mate if she can. The instinct can be very strong. To be honest, unless you live very rurally, and can guarantee to find a place with no dogs she shouldn't really be walked from days 8 - 20.

[frozenmad]

Thanks for your replies digerd & Daisy. I haven't spotted any blood but she has been cleaning herself a lot today. She is desperate to get in the garden and is quite literally just wandering around urinating/squatting. I've tried scratching her back and there is no reaction. Her vulva is a little bit swollen (I think!). Thanks for the advice Daisy. I'll find an old sheet to lay down tonight & phone the vet tomorrow. Out of interest how do vets diagnose a UTI?

[daisydotandgertie]

It really doesn't sound like a season to me. Is she weeing just a little bit as well as frequently?

IF she was at ovulation stage, her vulva would be vast - you really, really couldn't miss it. They take on a life of their own. In the early stages of a season, the vulva changes from its neat, puppy cone like appearance to something much puffier.

To diagnose a UTI, the vet usually takes a blood test and asks for a urine sample. If you see no blood in the morning, take a baking tray out with you for her first morning wee; when she squats down, slide it underneath her and catch the wee. Leave it there while you get her inside the house and then go back to it to decant into a clean jar or similar. Then if the vet wants a sample, you'll have it to hand. If you don't see blood in the morning, I think a vet trip is in order asap to eliminate an infection.

[daisydotandgertie]

Also, try blotting her bits and pieces with a tissue after she's been horizontal for a while. If she is in season, there will be a few little bloody spots on the tissue.

[frozenmad]

Thanks Daisy. Pup has had me up 3 times in the night crying to go outside (this never happens!). I've checked the sheet this morning and there's no blood but she has wee'd in her crate (this also never happens). Yes, she is squatting in the wee position very, very frequently & I'm not actually seeing anything come out. I'll try the tissue in a bit & will be phoning the vet shortly. I wondered how I was supposed to get a urine sample from a dog!! That will have to wait until it stops pouring down outside.

[chocolatelime]

This really doesn't sound like a season to me, but definitely more like a UTI. Hope you manage to get an appointment with your vet. She will soon be back to her normal self with the right medication.

[BlueberryWafer]

Sounds like a UTI to me, poor pooch :( my lab had one at 6 months and she was so unsettled. 5 days of antibiotics and lots of water cleared it up

[frozenmad]

Thank you all for your advice. Novice first time dog owner here! The vet said my pup has cystitis & has prescribed antibiotics & pain killers. He did say that labs normally come into season between 6-10 months so at least I know what to expect now. Thanks.

[frozenmad]

Hmm, this is strange. When you rub pup on her back, her tail is swinging over to the side!

[daisydotandgertie]

Tails do move sideways if you rub a dog's back, but if they're in season they sort of lift too. It's known as flagging. They flag roughly when they're ovulating, not at any other point of the season.

There is no way on earth your pup is in season though. The vet would have spotted it, she would be dropping blood and her fanny would look like a baboons bottom. Really it will. Huge. Enormous. They sway from side to side when they run. You can't miss it.

[frozenmad]

That has made me chuckle! Think I might be going slightly mad, thanks for the reality check Daisy. I'll blame it on the lack of sleep .

[daisydotandgertie]

Hope the a/bs work quickly - poor little thing must be wondering what is going on. The symptoms you described really did sound like a UTI rather than a season.

They don't pee that much during a season - one of mine is in season at the moment. There is a little bit more weeing, variable amounts of licking and little smears and splatters of bright, bright red blood wherever she has been. The mop is busy! This bitch is always more clingy during a season, more defiant leading up to it but otherwise no different. She is still playing with her puppy like a loon (she had a litter about 6 months ago) .

I have debated taking a photo of her fanny to post - just so you can see what I mean - she's on day 5, but decided it might be a bit of a shocker to thread visitors!