There are many reasons for vagin*l discharge to appear, some of them benign and others more serious, so don’t be alarmed by the sudden presence of discharge, but do schedule a visit with the veterinarian. It's important to take quick action and not a "wait and see" attitude. Be prepared to give a medical history to the veterinarian, including any medications, surgeries or breeding activities, including whether your pet has been spayed. Note any sexual involvement with other dogs, regardless of whether breeding was intentional or possible.
The veterinarian will make a physical examination of your dog, checking for fever and signs of illness as well as examining the vulva and vagin* for trauma, signs of infection, or an abnormality. Heightened vagin*l discharge after estrus (“heat”) in an intact dog can be normal and may appear bloody. This is also normal for a number of days after an animal has given birth. However, if the bleeding and/or discharge persists, this could be a sign of a problem.
Sometimes, the urinary tract and vagin* can cross-contaminate infections, leading to bloody or very cloudy urine and purulent discharge from the vulva. A sample of this discharge can be taken for culturing to identify the pathogen. In cases of infection, a blood test may be performed to gauge the severity of the infection via white blood cell count, and to make sure the infection has not spread to the blood to cause septicemia (life-threatening blood poisoning).
Cancers of the vagin*, uterus, and ovary can cause a variety of discharges and secondary infections, and your veterinarian may choose to ultrasound your pet’s pelvic region to look for masses. Ultrasound is an easily-portable technology that can provide medical images in even a small veterinarian’s office, and is non-invasive and inexpensive. However, more detailed images may need to be taken via X-ray or MRI, which are larger machines and require referral to a specialist.
