Last Updated on September 20, 2021 by Fumipets
You’ll have to be ready for your female puppy’s estrus cycle if you have one. It’s comparable to a woman’s menstrual cycle but only occurs twice a year. She may go into heat as early as 6 months, so be on the lookout for symptoms.
Timing
Your dog’s first heat may occur at any age between 6 and 24 months. Small dogs come into heat sooner than bigger breeds, according to Webvet.com. She will typically have two estrus cycles, or heats, each year, with each one lasting 18 to 24 days. Changes in her behaviour are likely to indicate that her heat is about to begin. This may be compared to the emotional ups and downs that women experience on a monthly basis right before menstruation. Increased clinging to you, restlessness, and unexpected indications of displeasure with other pets are some of the symptoms. She will also begin to lick her vulva on a regular basis. The two estrus cycles usually occur in the months of January and March, and August and October, respectively.
Bleeding Stage
There are four phases to the estrus cycle. Proestrus is the initial stage of pregnancy. This period lasts around 10 days, and your dog will bleed from the vaginal region at this time. This is your dog’s pregnancy preparation period, but she will not desire to mate with a male at this time. There are a few things you can do as a pet owner to deal with the bleeding while keeping your house tidy. Your dog will clean herself, but if she shakes her body, blood spots may splatter all over the place, or you may see a trail of spots throughout the home. If you live in a house with wood or marble floors, keeping a mop and pail on hand to clean them is simple. If she is permitted to sit on your furniture, you should lay towels down for her. You may either purchase dog diapers or create your own by cutting a hole in disposable baby training pants for her tail.
Mating Stage
The estrus period, which lasts between five and nine days, is the following stage. This is a difficult time because your dog is ready to mate with any male in the area, and every male in the neighbourhood is vying for her attention. You’ll need to keep her safely inside the home if you don’t want her to mate. If you let her out in the yard, don’t leave her alone, because she may find a way under or over the fence to get out. Whether she becomes pregnant or not, the diestrus period follows, lasting approximately six to ten weeks. The uterine walls thicken at this period, and some dogs may have a false pregnancy. Enlarged mammary glands are one indication, and she may even produce milk. The anestrus period lasts about 15 weeks. Until she reaches her next proestrus, your dog will have no interest in mating and will not exhibit any indications of hormonal changes.
A Lifetime Of Heat
For the remainder of her life, your female dog will go through estrus cycles. There is no such thing as dog menopause, but the bleeding, or estrus, period does extend as they grow older. Your female puppy will not go through the estrus cycle if she is spayed. According to Webvet.com, there is no legitimate reason to let a female go into heat or produce one litter of pups. It goes on to say that getting your dog spayed before her first heat has many health advantages, including avoiding mammary cancer and uterine infections. Reduced urge to mate also prevents her from fleeing and risking harm in a car accident.
