Understanding Adolescent Pups

• Things to Do and Expect with Your Teenage Pup
• Adolescent Male Issues
• Adolescent Female Issues

Dogs usually enter puberty or sexual maturity between six and twelve months of age. This starts adolescence, which lasts till about eighteen to twenty-four months of age regardless of whether your dog is spayed, neutered, or intact. You’ll know your girl is an adolescent because she’ll come in season for the first time. Your boy won’t be so obvious but you’ll likely notice changes in his behavior and interest in other dogs.

Your adolescent pup has a mature brain and a maturing body but less self-control than an adult dog. Adolescence in both sexes often results in distractibility, boundary- and limit-pushing, defensive behaviors, intense chewing, and less tolerance from and sometimes toward other dogs. Here are things to do and prepare for to handle your teenage pup.

Things to Do and Expect with Your Teenage Pup

Upgrade Your Pup’s Gear

Your pup is reaching its adult height and general size so it may be time to upsize your collar and leash to give you the control you need. Thinner, lighter collars and leads provide less control than wider, heavier ones. You can also get a more expensive collar now if you’ve been waiting to do so. Be sure to get leashes that are soft on your hands since your dog may be pulling more in the coming months. We want to work on loose-leash walking but be ready for unexpected jerks on the leash.

Teenagers often go through another chewing spurt so have lots of attractive chew toys in the house. Make sure they are easily available in the rooms your pup spends time in so it doesn’t have to go search them out when it has the urge to chew.

You may also need belly bands for your male pup and in-season supplies for your female. Read on for more details on those.

Stop Roaming Before It Starts

Dogs that previously never left you while on walks or in the yard may now start venturing further away on their own. During this period, you should not trust your pup to stay in an unfenced area without your supervision and sometimes even with your supervision. Check your fences for evidence of escape attempts. Work a lot on recalls and firmly enforce the Come cue by walking your pup down if it doesn’t come immediately. Don’t chase or run and don’t snatch when you get close.

Instead, use the power of your presence to get your pup to realize that you will walk it down as long as it takes to get it. At the same time, use plenty of very valuable reinforcers (treats, games, balls) when they are good. Go back over Emergency Recall training with the best treats you can think of.

Prepare for High Energy, a Lack of Focus, and Possible Disobedience

Adolescents have a very high need for mental and physical exercise. Often we see intense chewing and destructive behavior start again. Exercise and training, daily on both counts, will help with this. Do not just fall into the habit of throwing the ball to tire your pup out. This gives physical but not mental exercise. Instead, do some sort of training, too. Fitness training, obedience (both companion and competition), tricks, tracking, agility, nosework and anything else you can think of is needed at this stage of their lives.

At the same time, teenage dogs often have trouble focusing on training or work, particularly when other dogs are around. They may forget commands and behaviors that they were previously fluent with. Often “Come” cues are now met with a clear “Not now!” from your previously obedient dog. Although we are often surprised by this reaction, we shouldn’t be. Nearly every puppy goes through it. This is your pup testing the limits of a cue or requirement, asking “Do I need to respond to come when you call me in the dog park?” or “Do I need to respond the first time or when I’m busy saying Hi to another dog?” Limit pushing is not belligerence; it is simply a normal part of growing up. However, how you handle it may make or break your dog’s responsiveness for years to come.

Adolescent dogs also have been shown to obey their owner less often than others, like trainers or professionals. Although this is a natural, that doesn’t mean you should tolerate it. Go back to basics with your teenage pup, reviewing the foundational cues like sit, down, come and eye contact. Limit your pup’s freedom so you can enthusiastically reward good behavior and promptly deal with poor choices.

Socialize, Socialize, Socialize

Continue to socialize your teenage puppy out in the world however watch for fearfulness and respond appropriately. Supervise interactions with other dogs carefully so you can guide your pup as to appropriate behavior and protect it from rude or aggressive dogs. Remember, it only takes a single bad experience prior to a year to trigger reactivity and aggression in your pup. You can continue to allow interactions with dogs with good temperaments on Adventure Walks. Ideally, this includes stable, dog-friendly dogs that your pup does not live with and of as many breeds, sexes, sizes and colors as you can find, preferably adults rather than other adolescents.

Changes in Dog-Dog Greetings

Pups at this stage often struggle politely greeting other dogs. Our recommendation is that you simply never allow your teenage dog to greet another dog on leash. On-leash greetings are always fraught with hazard in dogs, since the leash limits that natural use of their bodies and posture. Better to teach your pup to sit politely at your side when other dogs or people are present.

Dog-Dog Troubles

Once they hit adolescence, pups often lose their puppy “get out of jail free” card from adult dogs. Behavioral standards are now higher for them and they may be corrected by previously tolerant adults.

Young intact males get the worst of this. It’s almost as if they have a “Kick me!” sign on them. In fact, research has shown that neutered dogs are more likely to show aggression toward intact dogs than the reverse. However, many adult dogs feel obligated to correct young dogs, whether or not they are spayed or neutered, even when it appears the pups have done nothing wrong. As long as the correction is short and sweet, with no grabbing or biting, don’t interfere although remove your pup from this situation if the corrections are coming fast and furious.

Decide on Humping Rules

Humping is a normal behavior in male and female dogs, both intact and neutered, so don’t be aghast if your dog starts. Humping feels good to dogs so is a self-reinforcing behavior. In some cases, it is sexually stimulating to dogs, even if they are neutered. This usually means that you’ll need to step in to get your dog to stop. Don’t tolerate your dog humping a strange dog. Humping is not only embarrassing but it can be bad for dogs’ backs if done incessantly.

If your humping dog is not going to be bred, you can be clearer in your response, stopping the behavior with a sharp verbal “Leave it!” and removing the dog from the item it is humping. If the object is another dog, give it a time out where it can’t see the dogs. If it’s at the park, take it home. Persistent humpers are bullies and thus need the same type of time-out corrections we give other bullies.

It can also be helpful to find an older bitch that will make a correction and let them run together. Her correction may not cure the problem completely but will let your young boy know that humping is not always welcomed, which may come as a shock to him.

If your dog is a male that may be bred, do not use a verbal correction but instead remove him from the situation. Crate or kennel him if needed and put “Exercise Dog more” on your to-do list. Heavy exercise and mental training will reduce but not eliminate humping.

Some owners don’t mind their dogs humping a dog bed, pillow or canine housemate. If you are among them, be sure everyone in the household knows what is acceptable and what is not so the rules are clear to your dog.

Defensive Behaviors and Aggression

You may notice that your pup now starts barking at strange people and other dogs. At this age, pups may feel the need to defend you, their home, and themselves. This is the time to establish your standard for appropriate adult defensive behavior so be sure to put limits on these behaviors before it becomes obnoxious or even dangerous.

Lunging at Other Dogs or People. Remember, when your dog lunges at another dog while on leash, it is being disrespectful to you, as well as the other dog. In addition, this behavior rapidly becomes a habit. Correct your dog immediately for lunging at another dog by moving several steps away and firmly telling your dog to “sit.” Remember, sit means put your rear on the ground, be quiet, and pay attention to your owner. So your dog can’t lunge at another dog and property sit. If it insists on continuing to stare or bark at the dog, repeat the back up and “sit” procedure.

NOTE: Do not tell your dog that it’s “Okay” or pet it when it lunges or barks at another dog.

Car or Crate Aggression

You also may find your dog protecting the crate or the car. Crate and car possession aggression is another intolerable behavior and needs to be dealt with as soon as it begins. The problem with both of these is that your dog always wins since the other dog (or person) goes away. Don’t make excuses and allow crate or car aggression to go on.

Crate aggression is easily learned from other adult dogs and can become a habit quickly; be very intolerant of it. Remember, it’s your car! You make the car payments so you get to decide who can walk by, not your dog. That said, neither people nor other dogs should put their face up to your dog’s crate so ensure people keep their distance so your dog knows it is safe in its crate or car.

To correct crate or car aggression, do not yell from across the parking lot because it will sound to the dog like you are joining in on the protection. Instead, set your dog up by being hidden but very close. When your dog makes a sound, quickly open the crate and verbally tell them this behavior is unacceptable.

Fence Fighting

As young adult pups begin to protect their property, they often discover the fun of fence fighting or running a fence line barking, snarlying, charging and generally running amok. Fence fighting is fun and exciting for dogs but can be frightening for passers-by, annoying to those living nearby, and possibly dangerous since a dog can get injured. The more your dog practices this behavior, the longer it will take to fix it.

Your best bet is to not allow a fence-fighting or running habit to get started. A solid fence is most helpful so the dog can’t see its “prey” or “enemy.” However, that won’t end the problem in most cases.

It is also helpful to put obstacles perpendicular to the fence so your dog can’t just run parallel to the fence, it has to go around the obstacles. You can use outdoor furniture or other similar objects in its way to break the pattern. You can even build a low, interior fence 3 or more feet away from the outer fence. Most dogs think fence fighting is a lot less fun if you aren’t right next to the “bad guys.”

The first time you see or hear your dog starting to fight at the fence, call it in the house immediately. After that, don’t allow it outside unsupervised. Use a leash or longline, if needed. Call your dog away from the fence every time it starts barking and running.

If your dog is “fighting” with a neighbor’s dog and the other dog is the instigator, try going for several walks together to help the dogs become friends. Toss treats over the fence so the other dog is happier to see you all in the backyard.

Unwanted Breedings

By seven to nine months of age, males are able to breed a bitch and sire a litter. Even on the first heat, a girl can get pregnant. So keep young males away from females in season. If by some bad sequence of events, your pup breeds with another dog and they appear stuck together, do not try to physically separate them. Dogs and bitches are physically and irrevocably “tied” when they breed and attempts to separate will seriously harm the dog. The damage is already done so separating them will not reduce the chance of pregnancy. The tie will naturally dissipate over a period of 5-45 minutes so just let nature take its course. While you wait, you can kick yourself but not the dogs. Call your vet to discuss the options available for terminating the pregnancy or if the bitch should be allowed to have the pups.

Adolescent Male Issues

In male dogs, adolescence is the time that their testosterone levels rise rapidly to their lifetime peak around 10 months. Signs of peaking testosterone include humping, aggression from adult dogs towards the pup, interest in female dogs, roaming, sniffing incessantly, and urine marking. Some adolescent males will also become uncomfortable greeting and playing with other male dogs, since they don’t know how to deal with their hormone-induced emotions. They may be corrected by females just for coming close. You may not see any reason why the bitch corrected your pup but, keep in mind; she knows why she did it.

Getting appropriately corrected will not damage their psyche and will teach them their place in the dog world. Do not rush in to save your pup. At the same time, don’t put him in a position where he is corrected over and over and over. Just take him away if he appears to be triggering a negative response from dogs he normally plays well with.

Tiffs and Scuffles

If your dog gets into a tiff (not an actual fight where the dogs are grabbing and biting), lower your voice and start firmly telling the dogs to “Knock it off!” You know it is a tiff if the dogs break up at that point. If they do, tell them that this is inappropriate behavior.

If your male puppy was being corrected by a bitch and fought back, make a note of it. This is not a good sign and indicates that he is not appropriately respectful of bitches. Find a more mentally and physically powerful bitch who is known to correct well and let her correct him. He needs to learn now that bitches are not to be molested, harassed, or fought with.

NOTE: we are talking tiffs here not fights. Tiffs are verbal interchanges with some mouth actions but no biting, blood, or damage. They are the equivalent of human shouting and pushing matches. Think of how many of those you saw in high school. Do not overreact to these — they are not knife fights, only shouting matches. But still clarify for your pup what is appropriate behavior.

Sniffing Other Dogs

Young males may sniff other dogs in what appears to be overly intimate ways. Watch the other dog for a negative reaction, such as stiffening, raising its head, putting its ears back. If your dog is bullying others in this way, go find that invaluable bitch from above and let him try it with her. If you don’t have a strong bitch around, then you decide how long sniffing is appropriate and simply say your dog’s name to get his attention off the bitch. If he responds, go do something really fun and give him lots of treats. If he does not respond, simply go take his collar. Do not say “No” since greeting other dogs is something we want him to do and we do not want him worrying that he is doing the wrong thing.

Sniffing the Ground

If your male starts burying his nose in the ground sniffing where other dogs have been, use attention work to teach him to focus back on you. He needs to be able to sniff when he is off duty, perhaps with the “Easy” cue. However, when you are exercising or training, sniffing is simply not acceptable and will be met with a “leave it.” Keep your standard for focus high while gently and firmly enforcing it.

Urine Marking Outside

Male dogs do not need to mark every blade of grass or vertical object on walks. You can give him time to do this when you feel like it, ideally with a cue like “Easy” or “Go sniff.” The rest of the time, he can walk with you without sniffing or marking constantly.

Even when he has been cued with “Easy,” it is your responsibility to ensure he never marks an object that a human being is going to touch or pick up. So that means no marking garbage cans, garbage bags, and any other man-made objects.

On on-leash walks, use his “we’re walking” cue, like “Let’s Go” and walk briskly. Don’t slow down when he does, simply keep walking in an energetic manner. Keep your leash short so he doesn’t have the time or space to sniff.

On off-leash walks, simply keep walking if he becomes engrossed in sniffing. Assuming you have done Adventure Walks with him, hide from him if he is really falling behind. Go back to hiding on him whenever you can for several walks to readjust his behavior.

Urine Marking Inside

Some teenage males, especially those living with other intact males, may start marking (urinating, often on vertical objects or areas of high scent, such as the beds of other dogs) in the house during adolescence. Do not let this become a habit. The instant you find your boy has marked indoors, do two things.

1. Put a belly band on him so that he cannot mark any longer in the house. These wraps will often stop a dog from marking while he is wearing it, giving you time to retrain him on his inside manners. Keep the belly band on him when you cannot supervise him closely until you know that he has changed his ways. Remember, the smell of urine draws dogs back over and over to the same place so once your boy has started marking, you must thoroughly clean the house with enzymatic cleaner using a black light to ensure you have erased all scent of his marking.
2. Then set him so he urinates when you can catch him. To do this, soak a paper towel in another dog’s urine – intact females usually work best. Let the paper towel dry completely.
   
   Then take a piece of Saran wrap or other plastic wrap and put it on one side of the dried paper towel. Use a straight or safety pin and pin the towel to the vertical side, plastic wrap in, of a couch, chair, or another object in the room where your boy has marked.
   
   Arm yourself with whatever you are going to use for corrections. We use armfuls of empty soda cans with a few pennies in them (Ian Dunbar’s idea). Turn your dog loose in the room and appear disinterested or use a camera to monitor him.
   
   It’s highly likely that your young dog will mark the bitch urine. You want to catch him just BEFORE or AWHILE HE IS MARKING and go verbally nuts. Make him think he lives with a crazy person. Drop cans, yell, jump up and down, flail your arms. Make a real impression on him. However, do NOT hit, strike or even get in his face. You want him to think the roof fell in rather than you got angry. You may need to do this a few times in your house or elsewhere before he understands that no matter how enticing it may be, he should never pee inside.

Working Around Bitches in Season

If you are going to compete with your dog, you need to teach him to work around bitches in season. However, recognize that this takes time and effort on your part. As soon as he smells an estrus bitch or her urine, his mind will be elsewhere. He will need to be taught to concentrate in the face of this most distracting of all distractions.

To teach this, initially ask him to do less complex exercises, such as sit, but keep your standards high. He may only be able to sit but he can do so quickly and correctly.

Another way to help your dog deal with bitches in season is by putting him in drive. Field work is usually the easiest way to introduce males to estrus bitches. Agility is often next since it usually includes tug of war. Obedience, tracking and nose work are likely going to be the most difficult and may take years to enable him to function at a high level.

Wanted Breedings

If your male is intended for breeding, then you want to teach him early on that breeding behaviors are appropriate. These behaviors include sniffing and licking females, humping, and flirting. However, put these behaviors on cue rather than just letting him exhibit them whenever he comes across a girl. Many stud owners use the cue “Get your girl” when they want their male to breed.

They also use a specific place in which those behaviors are allowed and even encouraged, such as a specific place in your house or on a specific mat. Elsewhere they are not acceptable but correct gently or better yet, simply remove him from the situation.

If you are interested in breeding your boy or collecting and freezing his semen, Avidog has an excellent course on stud dogs called The Stud Dog Course.

Semen Collection

If your male is going to be bred, it is best to get at least one or two semen collections during his second year. At this point, he will have his health clearances and his semen amount and quality will be very high.

Adolescent Female Issues

The biggest concern for bitch owners is their girl’s estrus season or heat. However, before I get to that, you should know that bitches usually have a subtler approach to adolescence than males. They often become adept at the canine equivalent of rolling their eyes, becoming deaf and sweetly resisting your commands and desires. Do not lower your standards. Keep training, focusing and expecting great things of your pup.

When Will She Come in Heat?

Our pups usually do not come in season before 10 months with 12 being average and as late as 24 months. Suffice it to say that there is a wide range of dates of first seasons so get ready by the time your girl is 6 months old and you will be confident and prepared when it happens. For her long-term health, she needs to go through at least a few heat cycles before you spay her.

Supplies to Have on Hand

We recommend you get a few things by the time your pup is six months old to ensure you are ready for when she goes into season. There are many options these days so check them out. Be sure to measure your bitch before buying, since the pants will be much more effective if they fit well.

• Pants For Dogs
• Corenna Creations – for bitches with no tails
• Luliboos Dog Britches
• Working Dog Cool Coats
• Gal Pantz
• Dabadoo
• Seasonals for Dogs
• If worse comes to worse, you can use a pair of boys underwear on backwards
• A box of thin sanitary napkins with sticky backs (e.g., Always Ultra‐Thin)
• (optional) You can give chlorophyll if you are worried about her odor during her heat. However, chlorophyll is not a complete solution since as estrus approaches, males will smell her when they are close.

How Will I Know She Is in Heat?

Now for the important part–how do you tell when a bitch is coming in season for the first time? Unfortunately, you usually cannot. There might be a few signs but they are very subtle. The most obvious sign is that the bitch herself is more interested in her genitals and licks herself increasingly as her season approaches. If you are really concerned about knowing exactly when she comes in, you can wipe your pup’s vulva each day with a tissue. You need to get the tissue slightly into the vulva since most bitches keep themselves quite clean. If there is red or pink on the tissue, she is in season. This method buys you a few hours or maybe a day of notice but it means you might be wiping for up to 6 months.

In the future, it will be easier to tell when she is coming in season since mature bitches tend to show more signs as they come in heat, particularly swelling of their vulva and increased licking of their genitals.

Signs of Heat

If you decide to let yourself be surprised, at some point you will notice drops of blood on the floor. After you have checked feet and tongues, you will realize that no one is injured. Instead, your girl is in season.

Go get her pants, put a pad in and grab some cookies and the leash. Put her pants on and do some training with her. Some leash walking, a few sits and downs, even some tricks will get her accustomed to her pants. This will show her that she can walk with the pants on. It will also take her mind off the pants. Give her a marrow bone or other good chew item and turn her loose in the house.

What Do I Do When She Is in Heat?

Being in heat is not a disease! In the wild, female dogs that are in heat are still able to feed and protect themselves, as well as find a mate or two so do not think of your girl as more fragile or ill during this period. Keep up her daily routine with a few variations.

Keeping the House Clean

Use the panties with a sanitary napkin to keep your floors and carpets clean.

How much you leave the panties on is up to you. Some girls keep themselves very clean without pants on; others do not. Some girls have only a little discharge; others have a lot.

Most first seasons are quite light in flow and shorter than normal.

Most girls are fine with their pants on although some insist upon trying to get out of them at night. Therefore, we usually crate girls in heat without their pants on at night so that they do not drip everywhere. Change the pad once or twice a day depending upon her flow and swap out panties when they get soiled

It is important that you leave the panties off of your bitch for 6-8 hours a day so her genitals are not damp all the time. If you are concerned about your carpet or floors, plan to do this when she is outside, kenneled or crated at night.

Swimming

We have never run into problems swimming our girls during their heat cycle although we do not allow them in scummy or really dirty water. We regularly swim them in swimming pools and clean lakes and streams. Be aware that her cervix will be open during the middle portion of her season so clean water is a must at that time.

Can I Walk Her?

You can and should continue to exercise your pup while she is in season but keep her on leash unless she has a very good recall. She isn’t going to run off to find a boyfriend but she might be interesting to any male dogs that she comes upon. Most of the time she is in season, she will not return his advances but it’s best to just move on rather than give them time to get to know each other.

Can I Train Her?

We train our girls throughout their season and take precautions around males only after Day 9. Early in their cycles, the girls may be flirty but they are not willing to be bred so don’t think that you need to protect them throughout. Check with your training school to see what their rules are for bitches in season.

During the second week, you may find your girl to be a little less focused if there are males around–just accept that she may not be at her best. Don’t turn her loose with intact males even if you are right there. A tie (breeding) can happen in seconds when the time is right (unless of course you are trying to get a breeding :-}). If you train with intact males, their owners can put Vicks Vaporub. under their noses to hinder their ability to smell your girl and you can give her chlorophyll to reduce her odor.

Length of Heat and Fertility

The average canine season lasts 18 days though the range is 12 to 30 days. Of this approximately three-week period, bitches are fertile for only about 6 days. The problem is you are not going to know when those six days are. Ninety-five percent of bitches are fertile between Days 9 and 15 so focus on the second week but don’t take any chances with her around intact dogs.

The clues that you have that she is becoming fertile is that her discharge goes from blood red to pinkish-clear. At pinkish-clear, she is most likely fertile. Other signs are: her enlarged vulva goes from very firm to quite soft, the bitch will move her tail to the side when touched around her back or rear, and she becomes quite flirty toward dogs. She might start humping her housemates, whether they are males or females.

Females and Males Together

If you have an intact male in your house or next door, he may go nuts during the middle week of your girl’s season. Howling, scratching, barking, and not eating are typical responses of an intact male to a bitch ready to breed. It is often best to send one of the dogs away. (Better to send the male. If you must send the bitch away, only use someone you trust implicitly to watch her and ensure she is not bred). If that is not possible, crate them very near each other where he can see her, since the male is often then calmer. Regardless, it will likely be a long week for you all.

Males that were neutered more than four months ago are safe to have around a bitch in season but be aware that they can still tie her, they just cannot get her pregnant.

Despite the stories, rarely if ever do roaming dogs arrive at your doorstep and stay for three weeks. Your girl may attract the occasional stray for a few days but that has only happened once to me during my entire breeding career. Use chlorophyll and you will have even less of a chance of this happening.

Heat Diaries

Note the day your girl comes in season so you can track her health and seasons over time.

Wanted Breedings

Bitches should not be bred on their first season so if your girl is a breeding animal, wait until she is fully mature, has all her health clearances, and has been evaluated as of the appropriate quality for breeding.

False Pregnancies

False pregnancies are the norm in bitches; every bitch hormonally experiences false pregnancies about two months after her season, whether or not you see signs. Thus, false pregnancies are not abnormal in any way because a bitches’ body prepares for puppies whether or not she is pregnant. Her hormones follow the same pattern whether she was bred or not. This is an evolutionary development that supports the survival of the pack since only one bitch is bred in a pack but all of the bitches could raise the pups, if needed.

About 75 days from the first day of her season, your bitch may begin a false pregnancy. She may “think” she is going to or has whelped and has puppies. These bitches may get milk, go through a mild labor, and obsess over their toys. During this time, they could actually nurse and raise a litter of puppies whelped by another bitch.

Vitamin B12 is thought to reduce the symptoms of false pregnancies but there is nothing you can do to stop them. If you get concerned about your intact girl because she is lethargic, will not leave her bed, is walking around crying, is obsessing about her toys, then most likely she is having a false pregnancy. They usually last less than a week and she can work during it. Just let her care for her “puppies” in a peaceful place in the house. Do not let children or other people tease her by taking her toys (puppies) since she may be protective of her “babies.” Don’t pity your girl, she really thinks she has babies and is being a good mom.

Despite her rather odd behavior, your girl can train, work, exercise, and obey during a false pregnancy. Keep her normally active but expect that she might spend more time in her bed when you are home. Be respectful of her “babies,” allowing her to care for them.

Pyometra (uterine infection)

Although it is very, very rare for young bitches to get pyometra, it is possible. However, if you have a bitch who is five years old and still intact, pyometra is a growing concern. After five, bitches are increasingly likely to get pyo. By 10 years of age, about 30% of intact bitches will develop pyo.

No one really knows why pyo is common in dogs but it can be a fatal condition so all owners need to be well versed in the signs and symptoms. I have had two pyos in my career and nearly lost Sparky to this disease. This is a good website about pyo

http://www.marvistavet.com/pyometra.pml for more information.

Pyometra FAQs

When does pyometra occur?

Pyometra is a disease of estrus and diestrus so it can happen anytime during the 2 1/2 months following the start of a bitch’s season.

What are the symptoms of pyometra?

Pyometra can be closed or open. In closed pyos, the cervix is closed so the bitch has no discharge. In open pyos, the cervix is open so the bitch typically will have a pinkish discharge that can be odorless or foul smelling. Bitches with pyo will often drink and urinate more. They usually go off their food and become lethargic.

How is pyometra diagnosed?

Pyometra is usually diagnosed with a blood test and abdominal ultrasound. Blood work shows an elevated white blood cell (WBC) count and the ultrasound shows pus in the uterus.

How is pyometra treated?

If the bitch is not going to be bred, she should be spayed immediately. If the bitch was to be bred, she can be treated with prostaglandins to save her uterus. She must be bred on the following heat, however.