10 Common Questions Concerning Dogs In Heat
Date Added: December 08, 2007 09:56:51 PM
Definitely the most popular question, what is heat? Probably the easiest way of thinking about this is as the equivalent to the human menstruation cycle. During heat is the time when female dogs can become pregnant. This is more appropriately called the estrous cycle for dogs.
The next question would be, when do dogs go into heat? For the average dog a female will come into heat for the first time at about six months of age. Some may occasionally start a little earlier and it can go later. If you have a dog that is going beyond 14 months and has not been in heat you should take her to a veterinarian.
So how do you tell when a dog is in heat? One thing you may notice is that male dogs start coming by to visit. Other symptoms include occasional bleeding or swelling of the vulva with an increase need to urinate.
How often should we expect this? Most of the times a regular cycle will come every six or eight months, so about 2 times per year.
When it happens, how long will each cycle last? You can’t give a specific time period, but it generally is from two to four weeks with the average being twenty one days.
Should I take her on walks during her cycle? Absolutely, but use more care as she will attract other male dogs in the area. You should also keep her on a leash because there are hormonal changes going on and she may behave out of character. Try not to have her around male dogs or leave her in the backyard with male dogs in the area.
If we want to have her spayed, how early can we do that? Some veterinarians will recommend spaying as early as six weeks of age. What you should really do is discuss it with your veterinarian and he can recommend the best option. The days seem to be gone when people would say to wait until going through one cycle or allowing them to have one litter.
If we do not have her spayed will she go through menopause? Dogs really don’t go through menopause comparable with humans. Sure as she gets older her fertility will decline, but she will always be able to become pregnant. If you don’t want puppies the best option is spaying.
At what point can she become pregnant? At any point while the dog is in heat she can become pregnant. There are some dog-breeders that will test to determine her most fertile days to increase the chances. Most say the best chance to become pregnant is between day 11 and 15 of the dog’s cycle.
It’s only her first cycle, can she get pregnant? Professional dog breeders will generally not allow a dog to breed that early for health reasons. She can however become pregnant during her first cycle so extra care should be taken. Some of the problems that could present themselves are conditions with the hips that may not manifest until she is two years old.
