A female dog typically bleeds for about 7 to 10 days during the proestrus phase of her heat cycle, which is roughly half of the entire heat cycle duration. The total heat cycle usually lasts between 2 to 4 weeks (14 to 21 days), with bleeding occurring mainly in the first half
. Details of bleeding during the heat cycle:
- Proestrus (start of heat): Lasts about 7 to 10 days, during which the vulva swells and bleeding or blood-tinged vaginal discharge is noticeable. The dog attracts males but is not yet receptive to mating
- Estrus (mating period): Lasts about 5 to 10 days. Bleeding usually lessens and may stop, with discharge becoming lighter or straw-colored. The dog is receptive to males and ovulation occurs during this phase
The amount of bleeding varies by dog; some may bleed heavily, while others may have very little bleeding, sometimes barely noticeable due to grooming
. In summary, a dog bleeds for about 7 to 10 days during the heat cycle, which itself lasts about 2 to 4 weeks in total
