That green discharge, called uterine verdin or lochia, is normal and healthy, resulting from the breakdown of old red blood cells from the placenta, but it must quickly be followed by a puppy; if green discharge appears without a puppy, or if it's foul-smelling/excessive after birth, call your vet immediately as it signals a potential retained placenta or infection (metritis).
Usually there will be a dark green discharge from the vagina. This means the placenta has detached and the mother is ready to give birth. If the discharge appears and your dog has still not had puppies after a few hours, contact your vet for help. A mother dog can usually handle a birth completely on her own.
Dogs with pyometra typically have a white, yellowish, or green discharge from the vagina. They may also be drinking excessively and urinating frequently. If you see any of these indicators, bring your pup to the vet immediately. There are also two types of pyometra, and these include open or closed pyometra.
This discharge is normally a greenish-black color. If she has not expelled all the afterbirths, the discharge may be substantial, especially during the first 24 hours after whelping. Vaginal discharge should decrease significantly after 24 to 48 hours.
Pets will normally experience a fever for 24 to 48 hours after giving birth and may experience vaginal discharge for eight weeks. However, fever for more than 48 hours or foul smelling vaginal discharge,commonly signal metritis. Other postpartum complications may include these signs: Decreased appetite.
A pus-like, foul-smelling vaginal discharge signals infection. Severe or untreated metritis can lead to sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition. Metritis is most likely to occur in the first 1-2 weeks after a female dog gives birth to puppies.
The 777 Puppy Rule (or Rule of 7s) is a guideline for puppy socialization, suggesting that by seven weeks old, a puppy should experience seven different Surfaces, seven different Sounds, seven different Objects, seven different People, seven different Locations, seven different Containers, and seven different Challenges, all in positive, short, and safe ways to build confidence and resilience. It helps prevent fear and reactivity by creating positive associations with novel experiences during the critical socialization window (around 4-16 weeks).
You will experience some vaginal bleeding for one to two weeks after delivery. You may continue to have brown, pink, or yellow discharge for up to six weeks. A thick yellow or green discharge, foul odor, or extreme tenderness in your lower abdomen is not normal and you should call the office immediately.
Is it normal that my dog has vaginal discharge after giving birth? After giving birth, it is normal for dogs to have some vaginal discharge called lochia, which ranges in color from green to red or brown. Lochia usually persists for about three weeks but may last up to eight weeks.
Once all puppies have been delivered, the placentas will be delivered next. There should be one placenta for each puppy. Labor is finished once every placenta has been delivered.
Symptoms of Smegma Infection in Dogs
While a small amount of smegma is normal, an increase in discharge, especially if it is thick, yellow, green, or has a foul odor, can be a sign of infection. Monitoring any changes in the appearance or smell of the discharge to help identify potential issues.
However, discharge that is bloody, green, yellow, or foul-smelling is a red flag. These symptoms often point to infections, reproductive issues, or underlying health problems that require immediate veterinary assessment.
The first puppy often takes the longest to be born; if contractions are weak it might take between two-four hours, but if contractions are strong, they should come within 20-30 minutes. There will be a time gap between each puppy, which can range from five minutes to 1.5 hours.
Depending on the cause of your dog's vaginal discharge, her treatment may include:
If the mother develops bloody or odorous vaginal discharge 24 to 48 hours after birth, it may indicate a retained placenta. This condition can be an emergency, so contact our veterinary team immediately for guidance.
Even though their mother does a fantastic job of caring for her litter (feeding, cleaning, keeping them warm etc.) it's still important for her and her puppies to see the vet within 48 hours of giving birth.
This sticky, thick, dark green poop is made up of cells, protein, fats, and intestinal secretions, like bile. Babies typically pass meconium (mih-KOH-nee-em) in the first few hours and days after birth. But some babies pass meconium while still in the womb during late pregnancy.
In the case of secondary uterine inertia, the veterinarian may try to restart the labor and contractions. Calcium and oxytocin may be administered, but only if your dog and her puppies are in good health and not in distress. If one puppy is blocking the birth canal, your vet may try to reposition it.
Redness, discharge or swelling around incisions or stitches. Offensive, foul smelling vaginal discharge/blood loss. Difficulty urinating or pain when urinating. A high or low temperature.
Thick or sticky discharge that is green, greenish brown or reddish brown may be caused by a non-cancerous condition called mammary duct ectasia. Yellow and foul-smelling pus may be caused by a breast infection. Milky white discharge from both breasts may be caused by some medicines or endocrine gland problems.
You should not ignore postpartum symptoms like chest pain, trouble breathing, severe headache with vision changes, heavy bleeding (soaking a pad per hour), fever, severe pain or swelling in one leg, or thoughts of harming yourself or the baby, as these can signal serious issues like hemorrhage, blood clots, preeclampsia, or postpartum depression/psychosis. Seek immediate medical help (call 911 for emergency symptoms) for severe signs, and contact your doctor promptly for persistent or worsening symptoms, even up to a year postpartum.
The 3-second rule for puppies (and dogs) is a guideline for positive greetings and interactions, suggesting initial meetings or petting sessions last no more than three seconds before pausing, allowing the dog to choose to re-engage, which helps build confidence, reduce overstimulation, and prevent negative reactions like fear or aggression. It teaches dogs that social contact is on their terms, using short, controlled sniff-and-greet intervals (3 seconds), then disengaging, and repeating as needed, while also being used for petting to let dogs signal they want more.
Newborn puppies need close monitoring
This doesn't mean you need to watch newborn puppies 24/7. But you should check on them every few hours to ensure they're nursing and not being pushed away by littermates. Additionally, breeder Niki Gordon notes that different breeds may require different levels of supervision.
Dogs can have anywhere from one to 24 puppies in a single litter! Of course, the average litter size does tend to be much smaller.