What to do When a Female Dog is in Heat

As you all know, we brought Chai home last June at 6 months old. Our vet advised it would be a good idea to spay her around 10 months old…and then… December came around and *Gasp*…she had her first heat. I thought to myself, “this is too early”; however, it turns out it is fairly normal to have a female dog’s first heat prior to her 1 year birthday. So, what do you do when a female dog is in heat?

That’s not the only question though, right? What does the term “in heat” mean? Is there any products you need to purchase (like diapers?). And…when should you spay your female after she has had her first heat?

So many questions…so let’s get into it!

 

What is an Estrus Cycle?

When you hear the term “in heat”, it means your female pup is going through the estrus cycle. What the heck is an estrus cycle?

An estrus (or Oestrus) cycle is when a female mammal is ready to accept a male and is ready to mate. Dogs will have their first estrus cycle when they reach puberty, which in many female dogs, can be by 6 months of age. Some larger breed dogs may not have their first cycle until 18 – 24 months of age (which is what I was hoping for!); however, smaller breeds tend to come into heat before they turn 1 year old.

There are 4 stages of the estrus cycle for our pups.

Proestrus:

This is the beginning stages of your female dog going into heat. She will start to bleed and her vulva will swell. She may even start urinating more than normal and her fertile scent will attract males. Don’t worry though, she is not interested yet in mating with a male. This stage lasts for 7 – 10 days.

*Side note: I didn’t realize Chai had started bleeding and I tried to figure out why there was blood on my tile floor… I ended up blaming my kids or my husband for injuring themselves and not cleaning up afterwards. The joke was on me because I found out that Chai was in heat.

Estrus:

This is the stage where your female will accept males and want to mate. Ovulation will occur at this stage about 2 – 3 days after mating. Bleeding will begin to dissipate at this stage as well and estrus can last 5 – 10 days.

Diestrus:

This is the stage where everything seems to calm down. This can last 10 – 60 days depending on if your female became pregnant. Her vulva will return to normal size, and she will not accept any dates from her male companions.

Anestrus:

This stage allows for the uterus to repair and relax (it’s been through a lot!). Your female’s hormones will return to normal and she will definitely not be interested in a sexual relationship with any male. This stage lasts from 90-150 days or until the next heat cycle.

An active heat cycle can last for a few weeks or more depending on the breed. We were fortunate that Chai’s cycle lasted approximately 4 weeks; 2 of which where she was really interested in hooking up with Beckham.

A small reminder…a female can get pregnant at any point of estrus because the male’s sperm can last up to 1 week in the reproductive tract and can still possibly fertilize the egg. If you think pregnancy is possible, talk to your vet!

Signs Your Female Dog is in Heat

There are various signs you will begin to notice when your female begins her estrus cycle.

The first sign is she will have an enlarged or swollen vulva. At this point, you may see her licking her genital area excessively.

You will also notice bloody vaginal discharge. The amount of discharge varies from dog to dog and can be anywhere from bloody to a straw like color. As the estrus cycle continues, you will see the bloody discharge change to more of a yellow color and it will dissipate. Remember, that at this stage, you may find discharge on your dog’s bedding, on the floor…or anywhere she may sit.

Your female will also become more receptive males as she is ready to mate. When she is ready for the male, you will see her move her tail to the side, inviting her male companion to mount. She will allow males to mount her, but she may also mount other pets in the house, including other females. You may even see her try to mount your leg.

In our experience with Chai, she wouldn’t leave Beckham alone. She would follow him around and then present her back end to him… Poor Beckham had to be separated from her because she was super persistent.

When in heat, your female may become more agitated or aggressive towards other female dogs. She may also become a little more nervous or skittish.

Another sign of estrus is that your female may need to urinate more often. I will tell you my door turned into a revolving door at that time because Chai needed outside much more often.

 

What to do When a Female Dog is in Heat

If your female dog goes into heat, there are few things you will need to consider. Here are some tips to help the heat cycle go a little more smoothly.

• Make sure her microchip and licensing is up to date. Is her microchip associated with your current address and phone number? Does she have tags on her collar? This will help in the event she escapes and runs off to find the man of her dreams.
• Keep your female dog on leash when out for a walk. She may be well-trained; however, don’t underestimate her willingness to forgo said training to find a willing male to mate with.
• Don’t let her out in the yard alone (unless you have very tall walls with barbed wire fence making sure other male dogs can’t enter!) At this time, she is emitting the “come hither” pheromones, so neighbor dogs may be interested in finding her.
• If you have male dogs in the home, neutered or not, keep them separated from your female. Even if your males are neutered, they still know what to do and what your female is asking for.
• If you notice any signs of illness, contact your veterinarian immediately. There are occasions where the female may contract a bacterial infection of the uterus called pyometra. The uterine lining becomes thick and produces more fluid which creates a very inviting environment for bacteria. This can be life-threatening, so it is vital you get your baby girl to the vet.
• If you suspect your female did meet the man of her dreams (this cycle) and they consummated their relationship, it is a good idea to contact your veterinarian to find what steps you need to take if she is pregnant.
• It is a good time to make an appointment with your veterinarian to spay your female about a month after her first heat cycle is done…especially if you do not want any unplanned pregnancies.

Products That May Help During the Heat Cycle

So, you may want to look into a couple things to help keep the home clean and your female dog a bit more comfortable when she is in heat.

1. Doggy Diapers.

Chewy has some cute doggy diapers to choose from. These will help keep your female’s discharge from getting on everything from the floor to your bed! Check out the cute colored Pet Parent’s Washable Dog Diapers.

These come in sizes from extra small to extra large, which is great, considering I always have trouble finding sizes for my large breed dogs! Per Chewy, these diapers are mess-proof, with a sewn in pad to absorb liquids, leak proof, and the fasteners don’t stick to fur. These are best for senior dogs with incontinence or for females in heat. The best part? They are reusable, so you can wash and use again.

You can also find reasonable disposable or reusable doggy diapers on Amazon. It depends on how many diapers you need, if you plan on breeding your female, or if you just need something short term. Simple Solution Disposable Dog Diapers may be an option for you if you are looking for a short term solution.

These disposable diapers come in different sizes; however, you may pay a little more if you have a larger breed dog. The diapers are not as cute as the colored washable diapers; however, they do serve a purpose. According to the manufacturer, the diapers are comfortable, lock in moisture, and do not stick to fur.

2. Cleaning Supplies:

If you find you are having to clean up discharge on the carpet or furniture, here are few options that work really well to get stains out.

Natures Miracle Enzymatic Stain Remover : Natures Miracle has been a life saver for my family. With every pet we get, we know there is some sort of clean up that will need to happen. Natures Miracle helps keep the house clean and  smelling better. (I have been told that people couldn’t tell we had pets until they saw them because our house didn’t smell like dogs or cats! That’s a huge win!)

Resolve Ultra Pet Stain and Odor Remover: This is also a really good product that I use. I spray it on the carpet stain, wipe it  up and then use a carpet cleaner to remove the rest of the stain. It leaves the carpet clean and smelling much better!

So, if your female dog is in heat, I would definitely look into these products. The cleaners are useful in many situations such as accidents or spillage, but I wanted to add them in because you may need them to clean up during this time as well.

When and Why to Spay Your Female

When:

The general consensus is to spay your female around 6 – 7 months of age; however, it can depend on the breed. My vet recommended Chai to be spayed around 10 months old .

The reason to spay after 4 months old (which used to be the standard age) is because your female still needs her reproductive hormones to grow. Her bones, joints, and organs need time to develop properly.

Talk to your veterinarian regarding the best time to spay your female.

Why:

There are plenty of benefits to spaying your female in general. You can see my article “Benefits to Spaying and Neutering Your Pet” for more details, but I will summarize here:

• This helps reduce the overpopulation of pets in the animal shelters
• It eliminates the possibility of uterine infections.
• It reduces the likelihood of certain cancers, such as mammary, uterine, or ovarian cancers.
• Spaying will eliminate going through the nuisance of heat cycles
• It eliminates the hormonal fluctuation that can cause false pregnancies.
• Spayed dogs generally live a longer life than those who are not spayed.
• It can reduce the likelihood of certain behaviors such as separation anxiety

There are a few disadvantages; however, the advantages of spaying your female outweighs the following:

• It may decrease metabolism increasing the possibility of obesity.
• Spaying larger breeds before bone growth is complete can potentially be a cause of knee injuries.
• It may cause urinary incontinence (which usually affects middle age – senior dogs)

Conclusion

I know this was a longer post; however, I felt it important to go through all of this information in the event you end up with a surprise heat cycle like we did!

Fortunately, we were able to get through Chai’s first heat cycle with very little issue. There was a little more clean up and separation of her and Beckham, but we survived! Approximately a month after the end of the cycle, she was spayed, so we won’t need to worry about any male suitors down the road.

I hope this article helps get you and your fur baby through the process. If possible, I do recommend spaying your girl prior to the first cycle, but I also understand that isn’t possible sometimes.

Let me know your experiences with your female’s heat cycle. Did she go through anything different?