My dog is bleeding.

Dr. Marie replied:

Interesting. If Fiona had stitches on her abdomen at 12 weeks of age it most likely was because she was spayed. It is common for some shelters and humane societies to do juvenile spays.

Another possible reason for stitches would be a hernia repair, but it would be very unlikely that she would have this surgery and not be spayed at the same time.

Did she actually have stitches in place or did they just think there was a scar there? If it was a guess then I would say that perhaps she is not spayed.

If this truly was a heat that she had she really should have bled more than 2 days. I'm wondering if perhaps she had an issue with her urine such as an infection or a problem with bladder stones/crystals.

There are rare cases where a dog can be spayed but a small amount of ovarian tissue is left in place. This can potentially cause heat cycles. It is really uncommon that this happens though.

It's probably a good idea to have your vet check a urine sample to be sure there is no urinary issue. If she has the bleeding problem again I would advise that you have your vet see her while she is bleeding. They can do a vaginal smear to find out if she is in heat or not. If so, she may need to have an exploratory surgery.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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