During the process of gestation, childbirth and rearing, there are numerous changes that a bitch's body faces in order to raise her puppies. It is, therefore, a stage that will require special care in order to guarantee the maintenance of the he alth of the mother and, also, of her puppies. That is why in this article on our site we are going to talk about whether it is normal for our dog to bleed after giving birth or not,, since it is one of the usual doubts of caregivers.
Changes in the bitch's body during breeding
Before explaining if it is normal for a dog to bleed after giving birth, we must know what happens to her body during this period. The bitch's uterus is Y-shaped, with a uterine horn on each side, which is where the puppies go. Therefore, the first change to consider will be an increase in the size of the uterus, which will gradually increase as the puppies grow. In addition, the uterus will concentrate a greater amount of blood to keep the fetuses nourished and ensure their well-being. It is for this reason that uterine surgery, such as an octubrehysterectomy if we are facing an unwanted conception or a caesarean section if natural childbirth is not possible, has bleeding as one of the complications to be taken into account. Another important change occurs in the breasts, which darken and enlarge in preparation for breastfeeding. All these modifications are induced by hormones.
Is it normal for the bitch to bleed right after giving birth?
During birth, which takes place at approximately 63 days of gestation, the uterus contracts to expel the puppies to the outside. Each of them is wrapped in a bag filled with amniotic fluid and attached to the placentathrough the umbilical cord To be born, the placenta has to detach from the uterus. Sometimes the bag breaks before the puppy goes outside, but it is common for the puppy to be born with the bag intact and it will be her mother who breaks it with her teeth. It will also bite through the umbilical cord and, as usual, will eat all the remains. The separation of the placentas from the uterus produces a wound which is what explains why it is normal for the dog to bleed after giving birth. So, if your bitch has given birth and is bleeding, you should know that this is a common situation.
My dog is still bleeding a month after giving birth
As we have seen, postpartum bleeding in the bitch is normal. This bleeding is called lochia and can last for several weeks, although we will notice that its quantity decreases and its color changes, ranging from the red of fresh blood to more pinkish and brown tones, corresponding to already dried blood. In addition, the uterus will progressively decrease in size until it reaches the size it had before pregnancy. This involution process lasts about 4-6 weeks, so it is common for a bitch to continue bleeding after a month of giving birth.
In the next section we will see when these lochia can cause concern. It is recommended to change the dog's bed after delivery to prevent infections. We can use underpads that are very easy to remove and replace and have a waterproof part that helps keep the nest dry and warm.
My dog bleeds two months after giving birth, is it normal?
As we have said, it is normal for a bitch to bleed after giving birth, but we must ensure that this bleeding occurs as we have explained, since, otherwise, it may be indicating serious problems that should be cared for by a veterinarian. These problems include the following:
- Subinvolution of placentation sites: if we observe that lochia is prolonged over time, we could be facing this condition, which occurs because the uterus cannot complete its process of involution. The hemorrhage, even if it is not very abundant, can cause our dog to have anemia. It can be diagnosed by palpation or ultrasound.
- Metritis: this is a uterine infection that can be caused by an ascent of bacteria when the cervix is open, due to placental retention or mummification of a fetus. The lochia will have a very bad smell and, in addition, the dog will be off, will have a fever, will not eat or take care of the puppies and vomiting and diarrhea may appear. It is diagnosed by palpation or ultrasound and requires immediate veterinary assistance.
In this way, if we observe that the dog is still bleeding two months after giving birth, it will be necessary to go to the vet to examine her and check What problem of the aforementioned are we facing because it is not usually a normal situation. In addition, we recommend consulting the following article to offer the new mother and her puppies the best care: "Care for newborn dogs"
