Dog Sick after Heat Cycle: Miku’s Story. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Do you know what is the first thing that should come to your mind when your intact female dog seems under the weather after her heat cycle?

Your dog might just seem under the weather or act quite ill. She might continue staining even though her cycle is over.

Dog Sick after Heat Cycle: Miku's Story. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Miku’s story

Miku was about seven years old Akita and she was not spayed. She finished her heat cycle but kept staining. In general, the heat cycle lasts between 2-4 weeks.

But even after 4 weeks, Miku continued having a discharge.

First concerning symptoms

As time went on, Miku was also losing interest in food and becoming an increasingly picky eater. This was not completely new for Miku, she did have a fluctuating appetite before. I wonder whether the last time was also the last time she was in heat but I have no way to verify that.

How much of a red flag dwindling appetite may or may not be is often open to debate. Though to me, it is always significant.

Miku gets worse

If her symptoms were from the heat, Miku should have been improving. But she kept getting worse instead as well as eating less and less. Miku ‘ s dad, though, didn’t believe there was a reason for concern.

It wasn’t until Miku wouldn’t even come out of her crate when he took her to a veterinarian. However, Miku was sent home with antibiotics for a mild infection. That was the diagnosis she received.

Miku’s treatment

As she started her medication, Miku did start improving. By the time she finished her treatment, she seemed in better shape. She even started eating. Her improvement lasted for about a week after she finished her antibiotics.

Then Miku crashed again.

Can you guess what was wrong with Miku? What would you do if it was your dog?

Read Miku’s story here

Related articles:
Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog: Loss of Appetite

Further reading:
Estrous Cycles in Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital

Categories: Conditions • Dog health advocacy • Heat cycle • Lethargy • Loss of appetite • Real-life Stories • Symptoms

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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