Hi my 18 month old Labrador is on her 3rd heat cycle and has vaginal hyperplasia, she had the same on her previous heat. Is it likely that it will occur for the rest of her life? Is breeding possible?

It is quite possible that she will continue to have vaginal hyperplasia for successive heats. However it can be something that just occurs when they are young (common in large breed dogs < 2 years), unfortunately, there’s no way to predict.

The abnormal vaginal tissue often inhibits normal mating with a dog. This means natural mating is unlikely, but they can be bred by artificial insemination. However, this isn’t advisable as vaginal hyperplasia is something they will continue to spread through their genetics.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

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Chat soon,

Dr Claire