Recognizing the Female Dog’s Heat Cycle.
If you are planning a breeding or want to avoid an unplanned pregnancy, it is helpful to be familiar with the heat cycle of the female. Learn how the heat cycle works, and how to identify the signs that a female is about to enter her breeding season.
At What Age Does the Heat Start?
Some females enter their first heat cycle as early as six months of age, while others wait as long as 12 to 18 months of age.
This is not a hard and fast rule, but the majority of females enter their first heat cycle around the age of six months. Females of really big breeds may not start cycling until they are 24 months old.
The rate at which cycles repeat
It is possible for it to fluctuate, despite the fact that most females maintain a pretty consistent cycle in which they enter their reproductive phase around once every six months.
There are females that only go into season once per year, while there are others that may go into season as often as once every four months. Nevertheless, these “additional” seasons do not necessarily result in rich soil.
After a female has her first season, it is possible to tell what her natural pattern will be by tracking her following cycles and seeing how her body responds.
Finding out How the Heat Cycle Works
It is feasible to estimate where a dog is in the heat cycle of their reproductive system, albeit not all dogs will follow the typical time periods for each cycle with complete precision.
A female dog will go into heat twice a year, however younger canines may not have a regular time interval established until they are roughly 2 years old. A female dog will go into heat twice a year. If you know when your dog’s previous heat was, you may count backward from that date to determine when the next one will be by using the following formula:
- Proestrus equals roughly nine days
- Estrus equals around nine days
- Diestrus lasts around one and a half months, or sixty days in total.
- Anestrus lasts for around two to three months, or a total of sixty to ninety days.
You may also use a mobile application or a tool that is available online, such as a heat cycle calculator for dogs, to monitor your dog’s development.
Symptoms of a Female Going Into Heat
Dogs Meeting On Street
When a female is in season, it is not uncommon to experience certain indications and symptoms, some of which are as follows:
Alteration in Mood: Shortly before the start of their period, some ladies experience an alteration in their mood, and they may even behave more irritable than usual. You may think of it as the menstrual cycle version that dogs experience.
Nipples that are swollen The nipples and the breasts may swell somewhat at times, although this is not always the case.
This might also be an indication of a phantom pregnancy, which occurs when a woman begins to exhibit signs of pregnancy even if she is not really carrying a child. Be on the lookout for this, although in most cases, it goes away on its own within a few weeks after the cycle is through.
Unexpected attention from men Male studs are excellent early warning detectors and can smell the shift in a female’s hormones before she completely enters into heat. This sudden interest from males is a sign that the female is about to go into heat.
The vulva may display some swelling, although the degree to which this occurs varies greatly from person to person. Some women have very little to no swelling at all, and others balloon up to the size of a golf ball.
When a female is ready to mate, she will generally hold her position very motionless as the male examines her vulva.
This behavior is referred to as flagging her tail. She will raise her own tail and wiggle it from side to side while she does this to ensure that he picks up the fragrance.
Blood discharge is typically the most reliable sign that the heat cycle has begun. During the first week of the heat cycle, a pinkish, red-colored discharge is common. During the fertile period, the color of the discharge typically shifts to a tannish hue.
After the fertile period, the color shifts back to a reddish hue before gradually ceasing altogether. It may be impossible to determine whether or not a certain girl is even in a season since she keeps herself so immaculately clean.
How much longer will the bleeding continue?
During the first stage of pro-estrus, which may last anywhere from four to 15 days, a female dog will start to bleed.
This period can continue anywhere from four to 15 days. During the subsequent period, known as estrus, which may endure for another four to eight days, she may still have bleeding.
The amount of bleeding that a female dog experiences should typically begin to decrease during the estrus stage and should come to an end completely before the diestrus stage starts.
How to Take Care of Your Female Pet While She Is in Heat
It is essential that you be aware of what you should do for your dog while she is in heat. The good news is that taking care of your female pet when she is in heat is not very difficult.
Maintain a vigilant vigil over her. Because males can smell the scent of a female in heat from some distance away, and because they will go from blocks away to locate her, this is mostly to protect her from unwanted breeding. Males can sense the scent of a female in heat from some distance away.
It is important that you show her additional patience and kindness. During the proestrus period, she may have symptoms of feeling a bit under the weather.
Although a dog in heat is not in severe pain, the cramping that they feel may be uncomfortable and perhaps cause some slight pain.
It is best to hold off on giving her a bath until she has entirely stopped discharging. This will allow you to determine if her cervix has once again closed, and she will have a lower risk of developing a vaginal or uterine infection as a result of contact with the bathwater.
If you are planning to breed your female dog and you are aware of her usual heat cycle pattern, you should get her tested for brucellosis prior to the beginning of her next heat cycle.
Additionally, you should suggest that the owner of the stud dog also have his dog tested. Infertility may occur in both men and females who have been infected with a bacterial illness known as brucellosis. This infection is sexually transferred from one person to another.
Always Good to Know
Even if you have no intention of ever breeding your female, it is still a good idea to have a fundamental comprehension of heat cycles so that you are aware of what she is experiencing.
You might ask your veterinarian to spay her for you if you do not want there to be any chance that she will ever produce another litter of puppies or kittens again. You won’t have to worry about her menstrual cycle again if you do it this way.
