Spayed elderly female passing blood clots - help!

[MiaFarrowsWheelbarrow]

Our 13 year old female is passing blood clots, she is crouching down as if to wee and leaving clots behind. She happily running around and being "doggy" but ended her walk early and lost interest in her ball quickly. Appetite seems fine. Should I take her to the vet tonight or wait until tomorrow. She is my world and I'm trying not to panic.

Which hole are the clots coming from?

I'm not a vet, but my two first thoughts would be pyometra if she's not spayed (potentially fatal) or a UTI / kidney infection (agony, from personal experience)

Either way I'd get her to the vet tonight - partly because it may be dangerous and partly because I wouldn't sleep tonight.

I'm not sure. I know this is an odd thing to say but I thought there was only one shared opening for urine and vagina? (A bit like chickens!). I will try and have a look, I don't really examine her nethers very often as you can tell.

It sounds like a uti. A pyometra is still possible in a spayed bitch but highly unlikely and wouldnt present that way. Likely to be extremely painful. I would call the emergency vet and seek advice.

Vet. Soon as.

And no dogs have two holes (just like us) but will be hidden in the vulva (just like us).

With a pyo you would expect pussy duscharge.

Thankyou, I will phone the vet now.

I told you I wasn't a vet ;) After some googling, I've discovered that there's one opening for vagina and urethra and another for the anus. In my defense, DDog is a boy!

I'd still recommend getting your dog to the vet tonight as it could be something that gets much worse (and hence more expensive) overnight.

Quick update - I have spoken to the duty vet who thinks it may be a UTI and as my dog doesn't appear to be distressed (happily shared some of my supper and is now snoring away in the middle of my bed) the vet has said to make arrangements to be seen in the practice in the morning.

Thank you for your help, I will give you another update tomorrow.

That's good news.

Hopefully it will go well in the morning. If it's anything like treating a UTI in humans, a course of antibiotics should do the trick.

Thats good news (also glad they didnt take advantage and get you in now at premium rates)

How did you get on at the vets?

Is she ok?

Thank you, yes she's fine today, she slept right through the night and there was no blood this morning and her dog walker reported back that she was fine. I added a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar to her drinking water this morning which I think may have helped. Will be keeping an eye on her over the next few days in case anything changes but fingers crossed she will be ok now.

What did your vet say? If it's clots of blood it's less likely to be a uti, but could be something like a vaginal polyp, which isn't necessarily a huge worry, but might be worth checking out ( I'm a vet, btw!)

Thanks Platypus, I didn't take her to the vet in the morning, I just followed the duty vets advice from the telephone call in the evening and she seems ok for now. I've been checking every wee she has had, and her walker has done the same, and there has been no more signs of bleeding, she's eating and doesn't appear to be uncomfortable or in pain, she has slept right through the night again, there are no blood stains on her bedding or around the house. However I am keeping a close eye on her and if it starts again I will definitely take her straight to the vets to be examined properly.