# Heat Cycle & Odor



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

After Ruby's heat being MIA for 18 months since her last cycle, she went into heat last Friday the 16th. The past few days I've noticed that the discharge smells awful! Like musky stinky feet. The discharge is a dark brownish red. TMI, I know... but I'm just wondering if this means she has an infection or Pyometra? She otherwise seems 100% normal and is eating/drinking fine.

I do remember her previous heat cycles being smelly as well, but it's been so long that I can't remember if it's a similar smell or not.
Have any of you noticed an odor like this with your females?


----------



## Anida (Jun 10, 2016)

Kaylee seems to have just gone into heat last night/this morning. I'll keep a "nose" out to see if I smell anything similar. Our beagle only goes into heat once a year and I don't remember smelling much of anything, but she also obsessively licks herself -- so much to the extent I don't have to put underwear on her.


----------



## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Hard to say if it's the same odor you're describing, but yeah Scout is pretty smelly during her cycles, especially when she hits the standing phase. Discharge is usually lighter at that point though. From my understanding pyo shows up after the cycle is over and I can't find anything that talks about it being concurrent. Certainly infection would be possible though.

I get a little paranoid about pyometra every single time. Your peace of mind is probably worth a vet visit.


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

My understanding pyometra can happen (just spoke with the vet on it today) when their system doesn't fully clean out after a heat cycle.


----------



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Thanks guys!
I just found a thread (from me! Hah) asking the same thing from a couple years ago so I guess she's just a stinky one.

With her first heat she bled for THREE WEEKS -- I am so hoping the bleeding phase of this one is shorter. We will be getting her spayed in a couple months since I am always paranoid about pyometra, and at 4 years old the risk of it just gets greater as she ages. Plus she has really bad false pregnancies that put her on a hormonal roller coaster. Poor girl.


----------

