[anuska sampath]

hi all , so i just returned home to my female dog bleeding only to realise she is in heat , she is very young and so my family have been lapsing on getting her spayed for the longest while ,but now that she is in heat i am very worried about the situation since i know she will be unable to be spayed since the process has already began and locking her up in an area away from all the other male dogs that i possess is out of the question since there is no way in my house which this can be done , my family are having renovations done atm so i have no idea what I'm going to do. I really dont want her to end up having an unwanted litter right now but my parents clearly do not understand the severity of this situation and could care less if she becomes pregnant it is up to me to do something and i am clueless as to what to do , as soon as i saw the blood i used an anti mating spray on her behinds but i do not feel that it is reliable , what should i do ?

 

[Willowy]

You need to keep her away from intact males. Period. There is no other way. Keep her in your bedroom or a crate or something. If she is very young, it's dangerous for her to get pregnant, so you can use that to convince your parents. Keep in mind that she will still be fertile after the bleeding stops, so you'll have to keep her away from the boys for about 3-4 weeks.

Worst case scenario---she could be spayed now, or even after a mating (before the pregnancy has progressed very far), but it's riskier. Make sure the vets knows the situation so he'll be prepared to deal with extra bleeding.

 

[Willowy]

This explains the heat cycle so you can understand how long it lasts and what to look for (of course, this site is for people who DO want their dogs to get pregnant, but it'll work for the opposite too): http://www.akc.org/enewsletter/akc_breeder/2007/december/cycle.cfm

 

[BernerMax]

yes anti mating spray wont work. If you cant lock up the males or can you send her to someone else's house (is there ANYONE trustworthy)...

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

The house is having renovations sure but there isn't a single place with a door that closes you can't put the dog in? No bathrooms, no nothing in the whole joint?

 

[Kyllobernese]

I know the Vet in our area will not spay a female while she is season for any reason and if they get bred they would certainly not abort them, but it would not hurt to ask your Vet. I know how hard it is to keep them separate if you are not set up for it. It only takes a few minutes of inattention and the deed is done.

 

[juliemule]

I would board her at a kennel until she can be spayed. Be sure they know up front she is in heat. If you can't keep her away from the male dogs, she is going to get pregnant. I don't understand why she wasn't already spayed if you have intact males and no reliable ways to keep them apart.

 

[Willowy]

I know the Vet in our area will not spay a female while she is season for any reason and if they get bred they would certainly not abort them, but it would not hurt to ask your Vet.

Will they put unwanted puppies to sleep? I have no idea why a vet would have a problem with a spay/abort early in the pregnancy. It's way better than the alternative.

But yeah. There must be a door SOMEWHERE in the house. Or keep her and the boys tied (with a chain or cable or something else chew-proof) at opposite ends of the house, even. It's temporary so it doesn't have to be brilliant. Just anything to keep them apart. I don't really trust boarding kennels to keep everyone separate but they might do better than you can in a renovation home with multiple intact males in residence.

 

[Kyllobernese]

I have only boarded one female in heat in my life. She was a registered Scottish Terrier. They knew she was in heat. A couple of months later I was driving along and she was in the back seat when I heard a squeaking. She had a puppy (just one so there had been no noticeable change in her looks) and it looked like it was by a poodle. Just think I could have had one of those Scottiedoodles designer breeds and I did not even know it. Found a good home for the puppy, in those days you never sold them, just found them a good home.

In Anuska's case though it might be the best thing to do depending on where she lives.

 

[Ladidog]

:clap2:

This explains the heat cycle so you can understand how long it lasts and what to look for (of course, this site is for people who DO want their dogs to get pregnant, but it'll work for the opposite too): http://www.akc.org/enewsletter/akc_breeder/2007/december/cycle.cfm

Thank you so much for this link. Because of an auto accident I was not able to get my little Chi mix, Fifi spayed before her first heat and I've been going nuts without knowledge (first timers here). This was extremely helpful). She seems to be having one of the more lengthy cycles and I was getting worried. But after reading this, I am much more reassured as it appears well within normal.

I'll be more mobile in the next month or so and can have her spayed before the next cycle. I'll be confining her in about a week I would guess as her brother will not get fixed for another 2 weeks (first available appointment). He's shows absolutely no interest yet, believe me, I'm watching him like the mother of teens on their first outing.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the link.

Marie

 

[Kyndall54]

:clap2:

Thank you so much for this link. Because of an auto accident I was not able to get my little Chi mix, Fifi spayed before her first heat and I've been going nuts without knowledge (first timers here). This was extremely helpful). She seems to be having one of the more lengthy cycles and I was getting worried. But after reading this, I am much more reassured as it appears well within normal.

I'll be more mobile in the next month or so and can have her spayed before the next cycle. I'll be confining her in about a week I would guess as her brother will not get fixed for another 2 weeks (first available appointment). He's shows absolutely no interest yet, believe me, I'm watching him like the mother of teens on their first outing.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the link.

Marie

Ammy just went into her second heat a week! before her spay appointment. Talked to my vet about it, they recommend waiting 6 weeks after the end of the cycle.

 

[BostonBullMama]

I would call your vet and see what their policy is on spaying a female in heat.
Some vets will not do it because of the increase of blood flow to the area, which makes it a riskier procedure than usual - others have no problems doing so.
Some vets will even spay a pregnant female up to a certain point, the earlier the better.
Definitely call around.

 

[Peppermint]

Most of the kennels in this area will board females in heat, and are well equipped to deal with such things (ie placing them in separate areas of the kennel, with escape proof runs and not letting intact males out at the same time - even with fences - as in heat females). Or board the males.

Talk to your veterinarian. Call a dog experienced friend who has all fixed pets, and see if they are willing to keep her for a bit.

Go to petstore or classified ads and buy a metal crate or varikennel style crate. Something escape proof.

 

[Greater Swiss]

Are all of the male dogs intact too?! If they've been neutered they may be interested but it won't result in a puppy problem.

I agree with everyone above though (provided your male dogs are intact....), crate, rotate, find a door!!! Do not rely on a baby gate. Talk to your vet and see if there are any options available to you.

 

[luv mi pets]

I have known vets who will spay a dog while in heat; ivs are required and no dogs have ever died as a result of such surgery. they will let the owners know of the risk and the owners will still opt to have the procedure done because the blood is driving them crazy. I would board the dog at a vets or boarding facility till she is out of heat. I would also call your vet to see what they say and advise you to do.

 

[Doggle]

Hi-

I'm not the OP. The article from Willowy (Thanks!) says:

A female's first cycle may occur at anywhere from 6 to 24 months of age; the average is between 10 and 12 months. As with several aspects of the estrous cycle, there is much variation in age at puberty (first heat), both among individuals of a single breed and from breed to breed.

Can I wait until my female puppy is exactly five months and then have her spayed, or is there a danger of some dogs going into their first heat even before five months? At the five month mark I will have more time at home to deal with the surgery and anything that comes up. Until then, things are crazy at home.

Her dad is a big black labrador mix, and her mom is a medium-size blond mixed Thai dog.

Thanks for any info on this.

-Doggle

 

[BostonBullMama]

Hi-

I'm not the OP. The article from Willowy (Thanks!) says:

A female's first cycle may occur at anywhere from 6 to 24 months of age; the average is between 10 and 12 months. As with several aspects of the estrous cycle, there is much variation in age at puberty (first heat), both among individuals of a single breed and from breed to breed.

Can I wait until my female puppy is exactly five months and then have her spayed, or is there a danger of some dogs going into their first heat even before five months? At the five month mark I will have more time at home to deal with the surgery and anything that comes up. Until then, things are crazy at home.

Her dad is a big black labrador mix, and her mom is a medium-size blond mixed Thai dog.

Thanks for any info on this.

-Doggle

Speak with your vet directly.
If you will not be coming into contact with a male dog, it is better to wait until at LEAST 6 months to have your dog spayed (this goes for males too) when they are considered a larger breed. The hormones help with their over all development. For example, owners of dogs such as a Saint Bernard may choose to wait until up to 24 months before speutering their dog because earlier can increase risk for types of cancers, hip displasia, arthritis in the joints, frail bones, and more.

Research, speak with your vet, speak with other dog owners (which you're doing ) and listen to your gut.
If your vet will spay at 5 months and that is what you are most comfortable doing after doing your own research, then absolutely go for it. Shelters spay/neuter asap which means that many dogs are also spayed/neutered under the age of 6 months.

 

[luv mi pets]

Usually larger breed dogs go in heat later than the smaller dogs. One thing for sure the longer you wait, the more likely your dog will go into heat. This is especially true if you wait till after the one year mark to have your dog spayed.

 

[Doggle]

Thanks folks. Yeah, there are many neighborhood males standing by for her first heat, so I'll be careful not to wait too long. Long ago I had to confine my first dog (now passed away) when she went into heat and chase the males away with a stick when we went walking outside. Being an indoor/outdoor dog, she was miserable having to be in the house most of the day without her usualy freedom to explore outdoors. Really don't want to go throught that again. And all these strange male dogs I had never seen before started hanging out outside my house, because they could smell girl and knew she was there. I felt like we were being stalked by paparazi.