An awful smell, be it from food, clothes, or any part of the body can be seriously alarming. It indicates that something is rotting or probably under invasion by the microorganisms. On the other side, sometimes a colorless, non-smelly secretion that was never present before can be equally panicking. For example, a female dog leaking clear, odorless fluid in excess could be worrisome. Why is that so? Is it normal? Should I be worried? Let’s find out!
Mostly it’s nothing serious. If your dog is playful, healthy, active and still secreting clear, odorless fluid no need to worry. However, if she shows behavioral changes, disorientation, excessive urination along with the discharge there could be a reason you must know.
Female Dog Anatomy of Reproductive System
What makes a female different from a male is its reproductive system, that’s what we all know. However, even after being a dog parent to a female dog many of us don’t know the female dog anatomy, so let’s have the basic intro.
What does a female reproductive tract consist of? A female dog’s reproductive tract starts from the ovaries; oviducts join it to the uterus and further continue as the cervix, vagina, and vulva.
The vulva is the most superficial part of a female dog’s reproductive tract. The discharge secreted from the vulva is called a vaginal discharge. Any fluid that comes out is labeled as that. But which of them is physiologically normal and which is a pathology?
Normal discharge
Do you know more about normal dog anatomy? There are two openings on either side of the anal canal, which are known as anal glands. In normal conditions, these glands give off a brownish discharge with a strong odor. This discharge has nothing to worry about and is seen after the dog poops in most cases. Another brownish secretion is menstrual blood that the female releases when it’s on heat. It is red in color.
Moreover, depending on the breed, age and sex some dogs are more stinky than others. For example, the dogs with thicker fur retain more oil and thus give a sharp, sometimes unbearable smell if not cleaned well. This includes Retrievers and cocker Spaniards. Similarly, in a bulldog’s skin folds, bacteria and yeast feed on sweat, they accumulate and produce a smell. One key rule for taking better care of the furry baby is knowing in detail about your dog breed.
Sneak Peak about the topic
Back to the topic, we are here to talk about a female dog leaking colorless, non-stinky liquid. Since the secretion has no smell it’s generally nothing to worry about. Nor does it have green color or any other tinge which indicates the presence of a serious bacterial invasion. However, it could indicate the start of a disease.
Some people are often worried the clear discharge is pus, but pus is usually thick in consistency with a typical smell. But I do agree that the white color of pus-like discharge can be confusing.
Stay with us to find out the cause of clear, odorless liquid from a female dog and how to deal with it.
Types of vaginal discharge
When it comes to dogs, to look after their hygiene and to supervise them is a greater responsibility that lies upon the shoulder of the owner. Sudden discharge can make you stressed and you want to solve the problem as soon as possible.
As mentioned earlier vaginal discharge is any fluid that comes out of the vagina. We are classifying it based on color and texture.
Watery, clear and thin
This is similar to a female dog leaking clear, odorless fluid. It could be related to an early stage of UTI which is mostly symptomless but still needs treatment.
Urinary Tract Infections are common amongst dogs as they don’t take care of their hygiene. Many of them don’t consume much water and most of the time UTIs are clinically silent. Thus, it becomes difficult to identify what the dog is going through. An important marker is your dog going to urinate more often or rubbing itself against the ground.
Additionally, it can also be a part of the physiological process when the dog is on heat or about to give birth. Yes, some dogs leak clear, odorless fluid on heat or just before birth. Are they normal? Yes, they are.
Bloody
Bloody discharge can be linked to trauma. Some recent internal injuries can give red color to urine. It also shows the presence of some kidney disorders.
In the body, urine is made in the kidneys, it travels through the ureters, temporarily stores itself in the bladder, and is finally secreted by the urethra. The blood in urine is known as Hematuria.
Note: Urinary System is different from the reproductive system but the outer openings lie close to each other. This confuses many dog parents that where is the liquid is coming from.
In addition, many unspayed female dogs give menstrual blood on heat. The smell can help you rule out if it’s bacteria or just blood.
There is also a chance that the dog had had a spontaneous abortion due to some trauma or a poisonous diet. It’s very important to address this immediately!
Mucoid
Mucus is present around the vulva or female reproductive tract. It resembles the mucous secretion. In Vaginitis dogs give off mucoid secretion.
Purulent
Purulent discharge indicates the presence of a bacterial invasion. It can have various colors but always has a smell and thick consistency.
Guys this can be very dangerous! Take your canine companion to the vet as soon as you discover it.
Once you rule out the type of discharge, it makes it easier to find the cause.
Symptoms that should catch your attention
Other than the discharge following symptoms are related to any vaginal disease. If you notice these along with the discharge, your dog needs immediate medical attention.
- Dragging the hindquarters
- Licking the area (itchy region)
- Urinary incontinence
- Bloody or cloudy urine
- Color and consistency of discharge
- Fever
- Low appetite
- Behavioral changes
Why is my female dog leaking clear odorless fluid?
We have briefly discussed all types of vaginal discharge. It’s now time to discuss the possible causes of clear, non-smelly secretion from the vulva. Why is my female dog leaking clear, odorless fluid?
Here Is The Answer
Remnant remains after Surgery
In other cases, if the dog is spayed and still gives off colorless discharge every few months, there is a possibility that an ovarian remnant is still present. What is that?
During surgery, the reproductive tract is removed, but sometimes in complicated surgeries, a part may remain inside creating problems. It acts as a foreign body and causes infection. Bacterial infection shows fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite too.
The vet has to check the hormone levels when the discharge is given off. Ovaries release female sex hormones Estrogen and Progesterone. Therefore, this will help create a diagnosis if the ectopic ovary still exists in the body. Ultrasound also helps locate the remnant. Thus, the remaining portion can then be removed.
Possible UTI
In spayed dogs, another case could be in relation to urinary incontinence. Is your dog having a lot of accidents? Has his urinary action become involuntary? How is that related to this discharge?
Since the part of the female reproductive tract such as the ovaries are removed, estrogen lacks in the female dog. Estrogen is an androgen found in abundance in female dogs. It gives them feminine features and also has effects on muscles and bones. Estrogen is widely produced in ovaries.
In spayed dogs, the reproductive tract is removed which also includes ovaries. As a result, the Estrogen supply goes down. Estrogen has secondary effects on the muscle and can weaken its action. As a result, it weakens the sphincter, urine leaks out when she is relaxed or sleeping.
How is that related to the white discharge?
With the stasis of urine, the urethra now becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. This can further lead to a secondary bladder infection. The doctor will examine and rule out if it is a UTI.
Kidney problem
There is a chance of possible kidney issues. Remember a kidney disease is accompanied by the disorientation of the dog. Disorientation is due to changes in ion concentrations as kidneys don’t function the same.
To rule out kidney function tests are required, even a specific gravity test works.
Time to give birth
If your dog is secreting clear fluid during her pregnancy you can expect she’s about to give birth. Relocate her in a quiet space where she can easily manage.
Possible Vaginitis
A few sources say Juvenile vaginitis occurs in puppies who haven’t reached puberty yet. It occurs anywhere from 6 weeks to 8 months. The clear, thick, and non-odored fluid is secreted at any time of the day. This can easily turn into a grim situation, take the pup to the doctor as soon as possible.
Compared to that, in most cases of adult Vaginitis, it has a thick pus-like discharge accompanied by swollen vulva and blood. This is nothing like clear fluid, which we are addressing in this article. So no need to worry about Vaginitis if your dog is old.
Outcome of excess water intake
This might seem stupid but does happen that this clear liquid is actually urine. If the dog is drinking too much water and excreting at a good rate too, the urine will be colorless as well as odorless and might fool you. In fact, this shows your dog has healthy kidneys.
Try a piece of white tissue to see if it gets a yellowish tinge. The experiment will rule out if it’s urine or some other fluid.
Dog on heat
Some people believe if the dog is not spayed the colorless, non-smelly discharge indicates that the dog is about to go on heat. So a female dog on heat could be giving of water-like discharge and putting you to worry.
Moreover, if the vulva or vagina is swollen, it is the mucus that is being secreted. Why does the vagina have mucus glands? The vagina has mucus glands to facilitate easy penetration of the male genital organ.
Thus, the colorless fluid may or may not be linked to a medical condition. If you can’t figure it out at home, it’s time to go to the doctor before things get worse.
What to do if the female dog is leaking clear odorless fluid?
A lot depends on the symptoms you see. If the dog appears to be playful, healthy with a normal appetite there is no need to worry much.
You and I can only guess the causes, but only the medical tests will bring out the inner picture.
The most sensible decision is to take the sick baby to the vet. Give the vet a detailed history of your furry boy.
The vet is going to run a couple of tests, and most importantly urinalysis because in most cases it’s just the beginning of a UTI. For instance, there isn’t a UTI, a urinalysis will give negative results and other tests may follow.
Hormonal tests are also taken to see if it’s an endocrine issue. In other words, a disease related to estrogen deficiency.
Moreover, Ultrasound can help detect if there is a swollen body or inflamed organs.
I’d suggest no remedies or medicine without knowing the actual cause and looking at medical reports. However, I can only advise you to keep a hygiene check on your dog and give him enough water to prevent UTI.
Conclusion
With that said, I’d conclude if the female dog has a smelly, colored fluid that surely raises concern. However, if the discharge is clear and non-smelly it’s mostly insignificant but only the doctor will confirm this. A female dog leaking clear odorless fluid should be taken to a vet before the situation gets out of hand. Try to match the condition or medical history of your dog with the above-mentioned points to come to a decision. I pray that there is nothing serious or painful our pets ever have to go through.