Why is my dog bleeding and passing clots a week after spay surgery?

Hello. As long as the blood is not excessive & seems to be decreasing day by day, there is no concern. This could just be some residual blood sloughing from the loss of hormones after spaying, & should stop very soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It does happen that some dogs will have a small amount of discharge from the vagina [after being spayed](https://www.petcoach.co/article/surgery-on-your-pet-what-to-expect-before-and-after-the-pro). If your dog is behaving otherwise, I would advise you to monitor her at home. However, if she is lethargic, weak, has pale gums or is passing a large amount of blood, you should take her back to your veterinarian or to the nearest veterinary ER immediately. [Rest her](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-ways-to-rest-your-pet-after-surgery-or-injury) as mush as possible to aid in recovery.

There can sometimes be some bleeding 7-14 days after being spayed as the sutures start to dissolve in the body. Most of the time this resolves with any treatment necessary. If you continue to see blood coming from the vulva for several days in a row (or if there are additional symptoms such as lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, etc), it would warrant an examination and blood work. I have never heard of using Tranexamic in dogs, so I can't comment on that medication.

It is not normal for a dog to bleeding from her vagina after being spayed. She could have an infection of the uterine remnants, or she could have a bladder infection called cystitis that causes blood in urine and can look like vaginal discharge. I would take Eilie into the vet right away. The vet can do a physical exam, routine blood tests, a urinalysis, and possibly x-rays to diagnose what is causing her to bleed from her vagina. Once a cause is found, the vet can start treatment.

I am so sorry to hear that Francis isn’t feeling well. I would be suspicious of tick born infections such as ehrlichia. She could have been infected for some time, but the stress of the surgery could have caused her to become ill with it. It is also possible that she is having a rare complication to surgery such as an infection at the uterine stump. Another possible cause is that she is experiencing an immune mediated anemia and thrombocytopenia event. If she is genetically predisposed then anything can trigger it- surgery, vaccinations, infections etc. I would recommend asking for a clinical pathology review of the CBC, the total protein level can help determine if she has bled. I would recommend an x-ray or even better an ultrasound to examine the uterine stump. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Both panting and clots of blood are normal, this can continue for another couple weeks. You are seeing the clots coming out when the puppies are feeding because it stimulates the uterus to contract, it's a normal mechanism to get rid of all the placenta and other uterine tissue that is related to the pregnancy.

The site itself looks good. No swelling, redness or bruising and it appears closed. The slight discharge does not appear to be frank blood. It looks like it may be fluid from a seroma. Seromas can occur after surgery. Continue to monitor the site, If the discharge increases or has a bad odor then see your veterinarian. Monitor Delilah for lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea. These are symptoms that should also be addressed by your vet. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking or chewing of the site. You can use a diluted betadine or Hibiclens solution around the site to keep the area clean.