Zeal in female dogs triggers many doubts and a few legends in humans. Today we are going to put some of those questions in writing and solve them. When does it start, how do we treat the dog, how is it cut, if it is true that they need to have a litter … All resolved!
It is practically impossible to predict when a female dog’s first heat will take place. As a guide we can take a risk saying that between six and nine months of age the chances of presentation increase.
If this is not the case, there is no need to be alarmed, there are multiple causes that make this data vary: the breed (earlier in small dogs than in giant breeds), environmental conditions (higher incidence in spring and autumn), the presence of other females in your enviroment…
We must be calm until eighteen months. If after this date the bitch has not shown heat, we go to the vet, the professional will be responsible for looking for the possible causes of the absence of jealousy (impuberism) in our bitch.
There is also the possibility that the first jealousy goes unnoticed in the eyes of the owner due to the absence of symptoms that show it (bleeding, increase in the size of the vulva …). These jealousy “are but not seen”, we call silent jealousy. Despite these “failures” in the system, the most common is that the bleeding and increase in vulvar size is much more intense in the first heats than in the later ones.
The heat of the bitches has a variable appearance in each heat, it cannot be said exactly. Some dogs have it every five months, others every six, some every eight … The important thing is not how often, the important thing is that there is regularity. If our dog has heat every five months, she must always have it every five months; if you have it every eight, always every eight …
As we cannot specify the approximate number of days that it lasts, we will risk saying that between eight and twenty days, with an average of fifteen. If the bleeding losses last more than twenty-one days, we should go to the vet because there could be a problem.
If our dog has heat every four months or less, she may end up presenting some pathology in her reproductive system. We will consult with the vet.
To avoid bad times for both the owner and the dog, there are two great options: drugs and surgery.
The drugs. They act by slowing down hormonal processes. Its administration can be done orally or by injection. They are not the best option.
Surgery. It is the definitive method. And although it may be a difficult solution for the owner, for veterinarians it is not. There are several surgical options:
· Those that impede only reproductive capacity such as tubal ligation or hysterectomy.
· Those that impede hormonal and reproductive activity such as ovariohysterectomy in which the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus are surgically removed.
The probability of the appearance of tumors is reduced and they do not cause significant changes in our animal.
If they exist. On many occasions they are applied due to a simple suspicion: we believe that our dog has become pregnant after a short escape, but the veterinarian must confirm or rule out before applying this delicate treatment. These drugs carry serious risks for the mother, the list of side effects makes the hair stand on end.
Although it is evident, we must prevent: the bitch must be controlled to the maximum during its jealousy because the males are very skillful and in any carelessness …
Sterilization also makes us forget about these problems. It allows that we should never consider the option or the possibility of a treatment to interrupt the pregnancy.
These treatments are quite effective, they prevent gestation from running its course, they end the lives of the tiny puppies, but they can also end the life of the mother. Let’s be responsible!
