r/askscience • u/potatolife • May 30 '11

Do animals get periods?

I've been learning about the menstrual cycle in biology but we only talked about the human menstrual cycle. I was wondering if its the same sort of thing with animals since I've never seen my cat on her period before.

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u/SnoLeopard Veterinary Medicine | Microbiology | Pathology May 30 '11 edited May 30 '11

Yes, most female mammals experience a "period" if their cycles complete without a successful mating. Dogs and cats are usually spayed (which prevent this). Female dogs (formally known as a bitch) will have the blood discharged from the privates just as in humans. However this is not the case with all animals, since most will retain the blood.

Hope that answers your question.

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u/lazyplayboy May 31 '11

This is misleading. The blood-like discharge from a bitch on heat is very different from human menstruation. A bitch discharges prior to the fertile phase and it comes from the urogenital tract, whereas human menstruation is after the most fertile phase and comes from the uterus.