Split heat questions or just a long bleed? - Page 1

My bitch went into what I thought was her heat about 4 weeks ago (she is 7months and I'm not breeding at this young age). Her bleeding was fairly light from pinkish to watery her vulva swelled and I thought she was finished last weekend. A couple of days later, she is bleeding again and very affectionate. During the first heat? no males from the neighbourhood were attracted near the kennels. Now this is day three of the new bleed. It has gone from light pink to red to very dark red. I spoke to her breeder and he said to just watch her for a week or so. Her appetite is normal, she is active and busy, very affectionate. She has no fever. Can anyone share the colours of the normal heat. Does this sound like a split heat or perhaps a cyst. Yesterday she didn't seem to want to be touched in her hind end. But today she doesn't mind. We bathed her vulva etc. She has a bit of an upset stomache but it is very hot here today. Her bowel movements are normal, but a bit larger like they were during what we thought was the first heat. Can anyone tell me the blood colors etc??? She is a pedigreed german shepherd, quite big for her age and still teething. Thanks. email lem_meisner@hotmail.com.

hi,as the breeder said,just keep an eye on her and make sure she has no access to males!probably just a long bleed or else a false heat. you might have caught her very early(some people dont cop a heat until the bitch is in full flow)as a rule usually the flow goes from darker at the beginning to a lighter watery pink when shes ready to mate.
very hard to call with young females(and old)
i had a female(large also,now 26") in heat for 23+days at 8 mths and then next heat(4.5 mths later)she was only 14 days in heat???but now she has settled into a regular 17-21 day heat,at 5mth intervals. 
on the other hand i had an older bitch who was always in heat for just 16 days and always ideal for mating on day 11(blood test and male interest)but on her last heat she was 22 days in, before she was spot on for mating and was in heat for another week after!
they all differ,if she's in good form,i wouldnt worry too much.

OK this is my current bitch in season.

01/06/10 checked vulva as she was 3 weeks over due for coming on heat and found some bleeding.
16/06/10 did a progesterone test - result <1
23/06/10 repeated progesterone test - result ( 1 )

As I also own a male I thought that I would wait until he tells me she is ready but as yet he is not telling me very much.

He tests her urine but as yet he is not dribbling   or doing the War Dance ( sorry too much information ) but I will do a progesterone on Monday.
That will be 35 days since I first checked and saw blood. She is on antibiotics now.

Progesterone test Monday will tell the story.

my dog had a split heat once, she bled for 2 days then stopped and came back in  at 8 weeks, so her real cycle for her was her 2nd time around. she also started her spilt at 5 months not 7 mo.(normal cycle) the lightest color to no color is usually when they are ready to mate. mine  go for 21 days. is a normal cycle. 12-14 is when she is ready to bred , but not always i have had some early ones on 9 days ready to mate, so you never can tell, progestone test is the best way to know for sure.