I am the proud owner of a maltess; my vet said he wants me to allow her to go into heat before she gets fixed. So my question is when exactly will this happen? Are there early signs? I know they make "diapers" for this does she wear them the whole time, what about going potty? Thanks in advance for the help, I have never had an animal go into heat before :)
Answers:
You're vet told you that? I would change vets because this is NOT something the veterinary community recommends. You should NOT wait until after the first heat to have your dog spayed.
Spaying you dog before the first heat cycle lessens the chance of mammary cancer by like 99%. Each heat cycle increases the chance of mammary cancer so that after a couple heart cycles, she has the same chance as a dog that never was spayed.
Second, hello - what if your dog got pregnant? Spaying her before she comes into heat garuntees that she will never get pregnant and never have unwanted litters of puppies.
Third - have a heat cycle, things get bigger, teats, vulva, etc. Get it done before the heat cycle so they don't become larger. The uterus also becomes larger with more blood supply making surgery and blood loss a greater risk.
Forth - Many illnesses can be brought on by heat cycles - like demodecic mange. This occurs because the steroids produced from coming into heat, suppress the immune system making them suseptible to demodex overgrowth, and other viruses and illnesses like kennel cough.
Fifth - bitches in heat can be messy. Yes there are diaper, but you have the change them constantly (like you can't put one on her in the morning, leave for work and come home 8 hours later). They can devolope urine and fecal scald from this.
My advice - ge a different vet as he is not giving you the best advice for your pet's health.
You should get her spayed before she comes into heat.. Easier surgery, quicker recovery.. And then you don't have to worry about her coming into season and everything that goes with that..
they have tampons for dogs so they can go the the bathroom easyer and when the dog has to go and has a diaper on just take it off and when shes done put a new one on so she wont get an infection. also you dont really kno when she is going to go in heat some lick there privates alot and others hump the air (srry to put tht so crudely). and yes you should probly keep the diaper on at all times because you never kno when there peirod is going to start or end.
Anywhere from 7 months til one year of age your pet will most probably come into season and she will breed with a male usually on the 10th day of her heat cycle,so you must contain her so no male can get to her.During her heat she will began to bleed just like a period on a human,and on the 10th day she will let a male dog breed her.Her heat cycxle will last around 3 to 4 wks.
You should think about getting a new vet. He isnt the smartest or he just doesnt care enough because it is easier and more safe to fix before they go into heat. I hope you do the smart thing that you should and take her to another vet, hopefully one that knows what their talking about.
Well, if she goes into heat, first you'll notice her vulva getting swollen. Then about a week or so later, she'll have some bloody discharge from her vagina. You can buy disposable diapers, and those work well to keep her from dripping on your floor. They have a hole for the tail and when you take her outside to go potty, you take the diaper off. You can also buy a "diaper garment" that is like a pair of panties, and you buy these pads to stick to the inside. These have velcro tabs and are harder for her to get out of. She might not like the diapers, but most of them get used to the diapers. After 7-10 days, the bloody discharge will stop, and she'll be in the final stage where her vulva will go back to normal and she'll be out of heat.
You never know when their first heat will be, because every dog is different. But most happen around 1 year to 2 years.
I do agree with everybody else- I would be skeptical if my vet told me that. Most vets tell you to have the dog spayed before she goes into heat. I would get an exam with another vet just to be sure, and ask your old vet to explain why he thinks she should go through a heat period before getting spayed. But I have never heard of a vet recommending this; it actually raises the dog's risk of certain cancers and illnesses.
If your vet suggested this then I would be finding a new vet...what a moron! ( the vet, not you )
The signs to look for if you do go this route are a swolen vulva area and bloody discharge. You would obviously take the diaper off for the dog to go pee ;)
Most dogs go into heat around 6 months
I wholeheartedly agree with your Vet. I think you should let her have a season then, if you are not intending to breed from her, have her spayed three months after her first season.
I personally don't agree with putting diapers on females. When they are in season it is natural for them to lick themselves in that area to keep themselves clean and by putting diapers on them you are preventing her from doing what comes naturally.
I always confine my females when they are on heat to the kitchen where there is a tiled floor which is easily mopped.
The females nearly always clean up after they spot anyway.
Her season will last 21 days. They start to dry up round about the 10th day. They usually ovulate between the 10th and 14th days so be extra vigilant with her at this time because these are usually the days when she will accept a male dog to mate.
Even though the bleeding has stopped don't be fooled in thinking that it's all over, She needs to be watched right up until the 21st day.
Females can come into heat any time after they are 6 months old. Just watch out for the first spot of blood you see and count that as Day 1.
Good luck with her.
No comments:
Post a Comment