Experience of older dog in season?

[Wonderingwhyme]

I have recently acquired a dachshund who is 10. Last season unknown. It looks like she is/was in season and just wondered if anyone with an older dog could share experiences?

So she is not good with walk, a lot of anxiety and I’m working with a behaviourist. It was going ok until about 10 days ago and she was refusing point blank to walk and more nervous etc

A male dog we know was paying more attention to her rear end (although he always does!) when we saw them briefly (long lead!) about 5 days ago. Neither were showing signs of wanting to mate or anything but wondered if that’s relevant. Yesterday I washed al her bedding. He bed downstairs is dark but her crate bedding is light. I noticed very small amount of dried blood and then an area of sort of smudgy dry dischargy type stains? I last washed it 2 weeks ago ish. The last couple of days she has been more clingy and begging for more food. She doesn’t very often wash and I certainly haven’t seen any excessive licking of her rear end that I have read about as a sign?

So this is looking like a season but how long is it likely to last or where abouts is she likely to be in it? Iv read they last 2-3 weeks... checked her bed this morning and no stains at all?

Tia

[Elouera]

Could she already be pregnant?

[Wonderingwhyme]

No she came from an all bitch household.

[Wonderingwhyme]

Anyone?

[Wonderingwhyme]

Bumping

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

A bitch in season will generally either drip a bit, or lick herself clean. Her vulva will very swollen - she will look like a baboon.

If she is acting out of character, has a discharge from her vulva and has not been spayed, I would be concerned about pyometra and would be off to the vet sharpish.

If she has no discharge, I might still phone the vet just to rule it out.

[Dreamersandwishers]

Season may last about 3 weeks; she’s at her most fertile from about day 10 I think, she will probably start showing more interest in entire males when this happens.
So if male showed a bit of interest 5 days ago, she may just be in week 1.
You can get pads & ‘pants’ if she gets messy, but I am used to bigger breeds so those would be a must for me.

[Wonderingwhyme]

She doesn’t look swollen but perhaps more prominent? I don’t mean she has discharge I juts mean the stains on the bedding were not like period blood on say a bed sheet? Like a lighter period day... sort of watery...? There doesn’t seem to be anything coming out of her (that I can see but that prob isn’t very accurate) it is dried and could’ve been there for 2 weeks as that was when I last washed her bedding? There are no stains there this morning?

Would she bleed every day/night if on season?

She isn’t washing herself.... we’ll certainly no more than normal which isn’t a lot?

[Wonderingwhyme]

She won’t go near other dogs full stop so can’t test that theory. The male dog I mention is related to her, a friends dog who we used to see every day before lockdown. Saw them in passing beginning of the week. He didn’t try to mount her or anything just excessive sniffing but then he has always done that?

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

My old dog's seasons lasted about 2 weeks. She was completely nuts - bursts of energy when she wanted to hunt down males all over the borough, rushing about here and there, and then intervals of exhaustion. She was like a different dog and it was very trying. She bled a tiny bit on a couple of days at the start. Can't remember any discharge but she did lick herself a lot.

[Wonderingwhyme]

She’s a quiet and very laid back dog... would that change then? She’s more clingy these last few days?

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

A proper season will IME be obvious, though some bitches have 'silent seasons': swollen, with discharge, about three weeks long.

When mine is in season she pees about twice as much as normal when being walked, is a terrible flirt with any male dog, is swollen like a baboon, licks herself regularly, drips on the floor (from proper blood to a clear discharge depending on the stage of the season) and is very distracted.

But seriously, if you're not sure and she is out of sorts, call the vet because if it is pyometra, you want to be on the case as soon as possible. It can kill a dog very quickly. If she is fine in herself, then phone the vet anyway for better advice than I can give you, because if she's having a silent season, it's better that you know.

[Wonderingwhyme]

She ‘fine’ in that I’m not worried about her. She’s eating and drinking etc, just more clingy but then she has been like that since she came. When I say clingy I just mean wanting to sit on my lap/next to me more than usual.

[Wonderingwhyme]

The vets won’t see us, so I don’t see what they can say as they can’t say if she’s in season as they can’t see her? She certainly isn’t ‘ill’ as above, playing, eating and drinking etc fine.

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

They'll have the experience to be able to tell you the signs of a silent season vs pyo vs neither. They'll know what questions to ask you. I'm not a vet.

[Wonderingwhyme]

Ok thanks. So pyometra is classed as a ‘silent season’? My vets are closed now so only emergency out of area vets ok call.... I’m guessing now is not the time to call them if she is ‘fine’? Can it wait until Monday morning?

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

No, a silent season is fertility without obvious signs. Pyometra is a womb infection that can be quickly fatal. That is why I would phone.

[Wonderingwhyme]

Ok thanks

[moredogsthansense]

I'm a vet. Key thing with pyometra is that they usually drink much more than usual, sometimes vomit. If she's drinking more as well as clingy and some discharge, I'd phone your OOH service for advice. If her thirst is normal and she is otherwise bright and cheerful, eating , no vomiting, then it potentially can wait till Monday - but any signs of lethargy, going off her food, vomiting, increased thirst, and you should phone for advice.

[Wonderingwhyme]

@ moredogsthansense thanks. No she isn’t drinking more and is eating and her usual self other than being more affectionate in the last few days, but she is a lap type dog and affectionate anyway.

Could this potentially be a season?

[Wonderingwhyme]

@moredogsthansense sorry that didn’t work the first time.

[Wonderingwhyme]

Still fine I’m herself, this morning a tiny bit of browny blood in her bed.