Brown discharge (no foul smell) 2 weeks post Estrus

[ChristineL]

Hi @Dr. Sara - Hope”a estrus cycle ended in mid-May and I posted about brown little specks of discharge in urine (link here
Post in thread 'Excessive licking after heat cycle'
Excessive licking after heat cycle) I did not find any more discharge after that day.

Her BEAM has been consistent except for being a little picky with food and she has had soft stool.

This morning I found a little piece of brown discharge in her urine. it’s larger than the ones I found last time. I smashed it to see if there’s anything else in it. Nothing. And no foul smell. Please see photo.

is this normal?

 

[GinnyW]

Not a vet ....but, yes, I wouldn't worry about this, as long as there is no frank blood. Looks like clots of old lining, to me. I have seen similar in my girl on occasion, and it clears up.

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Christine,
This does look like an old clot or debris. Each girl's physical configuration is a bit different in her vaginal / vulvar area. Usually all debris is flushed out within days of the end of the cycle. However, if a girl has a small vulva, or a tipped vagina, debris can get stuck, as the vagina in a bitch is quite long.

I know that what you are probably concerned about is pyometra, or infection of the uterus, which typically occurs 2 to 8 weeks after estrus. If the discharge continues, increases in amount, or is associated with a foul smell, or most importantly, if Hope seems unwell (depression, loss of appetite or energy = bad BEAM) she should be examined as soon as possible. Hopefully this is just a wee blip in her tract completing cleaning itself out.
Stay well,
Dr. Sara