greenish discharge

[vivi]

My Kissie is almost due. Yesterday she was restless. She is not eating much and I saw in her blanket a small greenish discharge. We took her temperature yesterday night, drop at 98.4 but this morning again went up to 99.4. Any advice?

[carmen in nj]

that could be the spike and then the drop, if this gal does not go into labor in the next few hours, a visit to the vet is needed ASAP, greenish discharge before labor could mean a detached placenta, If she was mine I would give her 1/2 a cup of Red Rabsberry leaf tea and if she does not go into labor half an hour after that, a vet visit is in order ASAP..
best of luck..
hugs,

[bjh]

I would get her to the vet asap. Often if they have a greenish discharge before they start labor it is an indication of a dead puppy inside. I pray everything goes well.

[vivi]

I just came back from the vet. He told me that the water broke and she will start to be in labor tonight. He told me to wait and if I see her pushing 2 hours and no puppy to bring her back to him. He told me that no puppy in the birth canal for the moment and the cervix is still close. I am home with her but i feel very anxious.

[vivi]

She doesn't want to be in her whelping box. She wants to be in my bed close to me.

[horsnaround]

Awwww hope it all goes well

[tjdmom]

Good luck...I hope everything is ok....

[Yorkiemom1]

Greenish discharge is very worrisome to me also...I would watch her temp and if it spikes back up, I would be at the vet!

[bchgirl]

Green discharge when a dog is not in active labor is a huge cause for concern. I sure hope things are okay

[Verbena]

I am checking in to see how she is doing. I hope everything is ok. Good thoughts to you both

[maggiesmom_2007]

Green: Just A Color; Not A Danger Signal - Myra Savant Harris 11/12/2012

There is a great deal of misunderstanding about the color green in the field of the canine whelping experience. This failure to understand what the color green is, and what the color means, is widely misunderstood by everyone from the first time dog breeder eagerly awaiting the first litter, to the most experienced of all dog breeders. It extends into the veterinary community as well.
The reason for this misunderstanding is that in this area, as in so many other areas of animal husbandry, we have confused what happens in the human community with what happens in the canine community and have assumed that because the color green in a human delivery is a danger sign, it is a danger sign in the canine community as well. It isn’t. So first thing we need to do is find out what the color green means in a human delivery, why it is a danger signal and why that signal does not correlate with canine whelping. So let’s compare and contrast for few minute and see if we can’t begin to understand the complexities behind the color green and why it has very little impact in the life of the dog breeder.
The misunderstanding focuses on the words “meconium”, “placenta” and on the differences between births involving a single human infant being discharged from a single uterus versus a litter of multiples being discharged from two uterine horns. So, let’s look at the human situation first.
As a human baby grows within the uterus, he swallows his amniotic fluid and over time that, combined with the contents of his bowel (old sloughed off cells), form the material called “meconium”. In the human, it looks dark black on a diaper but is actually a dark, dark greenish brown. If the baby has a neurological event of some sort he can release the contents of his bowel (meconium) into his amniotic fluid and those contents will turn the amniotic fluid green. The baby has lost consciousness for a period of time. These episodes can range in severity from a mild, one-time event during delivery to severe with multiple episodes over the length of his gestation, often resulting in lifelong neurological deficits. Of course, when amniotic fluid is green in the human, the first question everyone asks is: What caused the baby to lose consciousness? What is wrong with his central nervous system? What is his prognosis? The presence of meconium (green) in a human delivery is a sign that at some time, to some degree, this baby has suffered from neurological stress or trauma. Serious questions arise as to his life, his death, his deficits, and the quality of his life…all serious issues.
Meanwhile as mom is in labor, the baby’s placenta has begun to deteriorate and her vaginal discharge is about the same color as the placenta. Human placentas look rather like liver with more of a venous structure. Mostly red, some pink. That is what a placenta looks like and this is what the vaginal discharge will be; pink to bright red. The ideal placement for the placenta within the uterus is at the top of the uterus. It is attached to the uterus and is only connected to the baby by the umbilical cord. In summary: Human placentas/vaginal discharge is pink to bright red. When the baby is finally delivered, his body may have some blood, some pinkish or red fluids on it. Human meconium is light green to pea soup green and is not present at all in the majority of human deliveries. We do not see that color in every delivery. Now let’s look at the canine system in order to compare and contrast.

As the canine baby grows within the two uterine horns of his mother, he swallows amniotic fluid and old intestinal cells that have sloughed off. He too forms meconium in his bowel. His meconium is not green. There is not even a tinge of green associated with canine meconium. It is, in fact, yellow/brown and looks almost exactly like mustard. It is usually contained within the amniotic sac as the baby is whelped. It will sometimes stain the puppy a yellow, mustard like color, but this is fairly unusual. As in the human delivery, it is fairly unusual to see meconium. In the puppy pen when the puppy has his first poops, the meconium looks black to brown but it is actually a deep brownish color with a lot of yellow in it. If you have a puppy with stuff that looks like mustard in his amniotic sac, this puppy will require close observation because he may not be neurologically intact and healthy. He may also have only experienced a brief, one-time event and be perfectly fine, but you will want to use your best observation skills with any puppy who has mustard looking stuff in his amniotic sac.
The canine placenta, on the other hand, has a great deal of green on it. There is actually a name for that green color. It is called “uteroverdin” and is a reference to the color of the canine placenta. The actual placenta of the canine is a deep shade of green. As whelping time approaches the placentas begin their process of deterioration and begin to loosen from their location. Just as in the human delivery, the vaginal discharge of mom is most closely aligned with the color of the placentas, which in the case of the canine…is green. Each puppy has his own individual placenta, which he wears like a wide, thick belt around his mid section. As his delivery approaches, he begins to loosen from the placenta and the placenta begins to deteriorate and release its color: green. This is an exact counter part of the human delivery with the primary difference being the difference in the color of the placenta, which leads to the difference in the color of the vaginal discharge. In humans: pink to red; in the canine light green to dark green.
In summary: Vaginal discharge in the canine is always green to one degree or another. Always. It is normal. It is to be expected. It is a sign that delivery is to be expected within 24-48 hours, usually sooner. It is not a dangerous thing. It is not a danger signal. It is normal. It is business as usual. It should be expected in each delivery sooner or later.

[Yorkiemom1]

Just checking in to see how your lady is progressing.....please update when possible....

[horsnaround]

Checking for updates. Hope all is well

[vivi]

Specially for Maggismom,
Thank you so much. I feel relieved because when i read all the replies that possibly a puppy dead inside my baby, I took her immediately to the emergency and the Vet told this green stuff is because the water began to break. He didn't pay attention to that at all. He told me to be vigilant if there are hard contractions for 2 hours and no puppy to take her again to him.
Last night, she was panting, vomiting and a diahrrea. She was also peing frequently. I think she is in the phase 1, panting nesting... We have to wait. Any advice.
Thank you to all of you. I am very relieved to have your support and your concern because I know a lot of experience in this matter here

[horsnaround]

Thanks so much for the update. Sounds like puppies soon . Keep us posted