dog in heat.

[capt_jordi]

Well of course the week I make an appointment to have Reese spayed she goes into heat... ugh! It has been soooo very long since I had a dog in heat I am pretty clueless. So far she hasnt had much spotting, just a little here and there if she sits down. But I did go out and get her some diapers that she doesnt seem to mind having on for the most part. But is there anything I need to be aware of minus the obvious of watch out for dogs hanging around the house? She now has been rescheduled for Feb to be fixed. Probably close to her 1 year birthday!

 

[nerdrock]

IMO, better for her. I know many will disagree with me, but I have done a lot of research on this topic and have some of my own personal experience with it... it is better for any dog (more so males) to fully mature before being altered. 

Specifically what to watch for - prolonged bleeding, swelling in the breast tissue/false pregnancy, keep her inside as much as you can and keep her in sight. Don't think that diapers or fences will keep a male out - they won't. I've heard and been witness to many dogs mating through fences, pulling diapers to the side, etc. They get very creative, lol. 

What breed is she? If she's not a breed with a smooshed in face (I'm sorry, I really can't remember the name right now) or at high risk for complications for surgery, you can go ahead and have her spayed now while she's in heat (if your vet will do it and you're comfortable with it). There will be a longer recovery though. 

If you have any male dogs around, you can try putting Vick's Vapo Rub on their noses, at the base of the female's tail and just under the vulva. Another alternative is vanilla extract, although I have found it to be less effective. 

 

[Willowy]

If you KNOW you can keep her away from males for the next month (including neverever leaving her outside alone for even a second, no matter how secure you think the yard is), I'd recommend waiting longer to have her spayed. . .about 3-4 months from now. I once had a foster dog spayed right after she came out of heat and she bled badly during surgery. The vet said that's pretty common (the blood vessels swell during estrus), but he didn't say that before surgery! I would have waited if he had. So I looked into it more, and, yeah, it's best to wait until the middle of her cycle.

 

[nerdrock]

If you KNOW you can keep her away from males for the next month (including neverever leaving her outside alone for even a second, no matter how secure you think the yard is), I'd recommend waiting longer to have her spayed. . .about 3-4 months from now. I once had a foster dog spayed right after she came out of heat and she bled badly during surgery. The vet said that's pretty common (the blood vessels swell during estrus), but he didn't say that before surgery! I would have waited if he had. So I looked into it more, and, yeah, it's best to wait until the middle of her cycle.

They can be spayed during heat, or even in the few weeks after, but the best option (as far as bleeding is concerned) is to wait at least 4 weeks after (assuming she can be watched constantly during her heat). Remember, after they stop bleeding is when they are ready to accept a male, and even for a week or up to two after, some a few days before they stop bleeding. 

 

[Willowy]

4 weeks after she goes into heat, or 4 weeks after she's out of heat? My foster dog was about 2-3 weeks out of heat, about 6 weeks from when she starting bleeding.

 

[capt_jordi]

IMO, better for her. I know many will disagree with me, but I have done a lot of research on this topic and have some of my own personal experience with it... it is better for any dog (more so males) to fully mature before being altered. 

Specifically what to watch for - prolonged bleeding, swelling in the breast tissue/false pregnancy, keep her inside as much as you can and keep her in sight. Don't think that diapers or fences will keep a male out - they won't. I've heard and been witness to many dogs mating through fences, pulling diapers to the side, etc. They get very creative, lol. 

What breed is she? If she's not a breed with a smooshed in face (I'm sorry, I really can't remember the name right now) or at high risk for complications for surgery, you can go ahead and have her spayed now while she's in heat (if your vet will do it and you're comfortable with it). There will be a longer recovery though. 

If you have any male dogs around, you can try putting Vick's Vapo Rub on their noses, at the base of the female's tail and just under the vulva. Another alternative is vanilla extract, although I have found it to be less effective. 

I have had Danes in the past and I know with large breeds many say to let them mature more before altering to help with bone growth. I wasnt sure if it was the same for smaller dogs. So far she has just been spotting. She is our baby and stays inside, the only time she is out is when she is on her leash or her run with us around, but we wont be doing that this month! The diaper was more to protect the wood floors and couch from spotting than trying to keep males out! LOL! 

She is a complete mutt, maybe some shepherd, greyhound, terrier, who knows what else. Luckily she is an only dog and we live in an area where people dont let their dogs run free (its a pretty busy road) so that is good for us! I have always heard to wait until after they finish their heat before spaying. But I may look into it. Not sure which would be better!
 

If you KNOW you can keep her away from males for the next month (including neverever leaving her outside alone for even a second, no matter how secure you think the yard is), I'd recommend waiting longer to have her spayed. . .about 3-4 months from now. I once had a foster dog spayed right after she came out of heat and she bled badly during surgery. The vet said that's pretty common (the blood vessels swell during estrus), but he didn't say that before surgery! I would have waited if he had. So I looked into it more, and, yeah, it's best to wait until the middle of her cycle.

We live in an area where the road is pretty busy so she is never off leash with us. So I dont think it will be a problem to make sure that no one gets to her. Yeah we may end up waiting longer. We will have to have her fixed before the first weekend of March. We will be going out of town for a race and I dont think she will be going with us for that one. I guess it will depend on if we camp or stay in a hotel. 

They can be spayed during heat, or even in the few weeks after, but the best option (as far as bleeding is concerned) is to wait at least 4 weeks after (assuming she can be watched constantly during her heat). Remember, after they stop bleeding is when they are ready to accept a male, and even for a week or up to two after, some a few days before they stop bleeding. 

How long will the bleeding last?

 

[Willowy]

Thinking back to my foster dog and the reading I did when I saw she was in heat, I think the bleeding usually lasts about a week. Some dogs longer, some shorter, of course. Or as I've heard some old timey breeders say: "one week coming into heat (the bleeding), one week in heat, one week coming out of heat". But don't assume that she can't be mated if she's still bleeding or because it's the 3rd week or even the 4th week. . .anything can happen! To be safe, keep her away from males for a full month from when you first saw bleeding.

Dogs are SO much easier to handle when in heat than cats are :lol3:.

 

[capt_jordi]

Thinking back to my foster dog and the reading I did when I saw she was in heat, I think the bleeding usually lasts about a week. Some dogs longer, some shorter, of course. Or as I've heard some old timey breeders say: "one week coming into heat (the bleeding), one week in heat, one week coming out of heat". But don't assume that she can't be mated if she's still bleeding or because it's the 3rd week or even the 4th week. . .anything can happen! To be safe, keep her away from males for a full month from when you first saw bleeding.
Dogs are SO much easier to handle when in heat than cats are

.

Yes they are! I was ready to hurt Kahlua when she was in heat.... 

 Soooo much yelling!

 

[nerdrock]

Roughly a week in, a week bleeding and a week out. 

You can have it done right after, or a few weeks after, it's entirely up to you. Personally, I'd wait at least a month after she comes out because her uterus will be pretty much back to normal then and the risk of bleeding will be less during surgery. 

It's true for smaller dogs as well as larger dogs. I always think it's funny when people say that smaller dogs mature/grow faster than larger ones - yes they may reach their adult height earlier, but they still fill out and change until about 2-3 years old.