DDB first heat cycle and also question about eye discharge Health

Hello everyone!

Our beautiful 9 month old ddb has just gone into what we think is her first heat cycle, we have noticed spots of what looks like blood on the furniture etc, and she has also been rather smelly the last few days. Just wondering what people recommend doing to manage this... she currently sleeps on the end of our bed and is very much an inside dog so we have purchased this diaper contraption that we put on her which she hates and has been looking depressed and looking at us with her sad eyes all day around the house with it on lol. Also when do people recommend getting her spayed? we have read that it is best to wait for them to be fully grown.

My other question is regarding eye discharge in ddb's, I've read that conditions like conjunctivitis can be common, and she seems to almost always have a yellow discharge coming from the inner corner of both eyes, I feel like perhaps lately more than usual, what is normal/not normal?

Thank you for any advice

In any breed, a clear discharge is usually fine, just the eyes cleaning themselves.
Green, yellow or red would indicate an infection or other issue and requires treatment.

What does she smell off? Where is it coming from?
Strong smells from her lady bits is not normal and could be sign of a very, very serious infection that would need urgent treatment; pyometra

I think that @BlueJay is correct with both eye discharges and also the smell from the heat cycle. In a life gone by I have had bitches in the past, some not spayed as they were used for breeding although they had a maximum of two litters and were then spayed, and I never had a smell from any of them.

Now? Little One, Lexi, had her first season at 5 months but hardly showed. And she was spayed three months later. Pereg, also 5 months old for her first season and oh was she messy. But she did not smell and was spayed three months after her season had finished.

Tikva was spayed when she was 6 months old and weighed about 6 kilos so she never had a season.

But in all the years I have owned dogs - well bitches - I have never had any smell from any of when they were in season.

If your girl smells - she needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible. Diapers might keep her clean for you, but they can encourage hidden infections and nasties that would normally be expelled during the season discharge.

If she was my dog she would be at the vet pdq.

Thanks for the replies! The smell seems to be gone now so I think everything is okay. We have ditched the nappy though - shes not too messy so we are just restricting where she is allowed in the house. I am a little concerned with her eyes though so I think I will just take her to the vet for a check up to make sure everything is okay anyway

I would still get your girl checked in case there was a problem with the smell during her season, but I honestly do not know at what age a large dog has her first season, only having had small dogs who tend to have their first season early. Usually quite light although Pereg was the messiest ever.

Please get her eyes checked though, and do mention the smell when she was in season, as it might be something checked on.