Soooo... What Can I Expect?

[ZoomDoggy]

Great. If she could've held out four more days, she'd have been safely spayed. But just now I saw a drop of blood on her bed, and sure enough, it's coming from right "there".

 

So a couple questions, since I've never actually dealt with a dog in heat before...

 

How long before she can be safely spayed?

 

Will she be "drippy"? Meaning, should I run out right now to get some stretchy diapers or something?

 

Will she be crabbier? Should I keep her separate from Dazzle and Tipper, more than I ordinarily would?

 

Will I be finding neighborhood stray dogs coming out of the woodwork, leaping my fence to get a piece?

 

Oy. <sigh>

Edited December 30, 2007 by ZoomDoggy

[Wonder]

Can you email Dr Barr? They may or may not still do the spay.

[Guest KateWantsaGrey]

hahah.. i'm no help, but thanks for a laugh.

[ZoomDoggy]

I'll call him first thing Monday. This isn't an emergency, so no need to bother him during off hours. I assumed she can't be spayed while in heat. That's what I've always heard anyway.

[Guest GiJenn51]

Aimee--- I called Cathie so she can get in touch with you. I'm so sorry that what can go wrong is going wrong. But I can tell you that they get REAAAALLLLLY super lovey when they're in heat! Other than that it's on Cathie!

[Wonder]

When I did the last haul this summer, one of the fosters went into heat. There is 1 vet that will do the spay and if I remember correctly, it was the one that you don't like. Not that it matters since you are using the clinic but just saying that there are some that do. Also during this trip back with the dogs we were told they can be in heat up to 5-6 weeks before the vet will do the spay. (The foster family wasn't hapy since they thought they were only going to have to foster for a week)

[Guest KennelMom]

We've had a few girls come into season while they were here and we went through it with our podengo bitch in November (she was spayed yesterday so we *never* have to deal with it again ) I've never really noticed a personality change when a girl comes in season...keep in mind though, that the dogs are in a kennel environment so that may be a factor. With our podengo, we rotated her and her intact son between the house and the kennel and the only change I saw in her was that she seemed to be a bit more needy and velcroy to us. I could just be imagining that though

 

I would not leave her in the yard unattended at all. You never know what she or another neighborhood dog might do. A girl in season can be a great motivator for the "stud" down the street

 

I have had a girl spayed while in season, though it is generally not recommended b/c there can be so much more bleeding. There was some extenuating circumstance as to why the vet spayed that particular dog...the details of which escape me now. But, all things being equal, I would wait to spay her. Your vet may have their own waiting time preference. For our own girl, she was in season until about the third week in November and we just had her spayed yesterday.

 

eta: some girls are very fastidious about keeping themselves clean. I would probably pick up some disposable diapers at Petsmart just in case. Our Evita was very good at keeping herself tidy so we never really had to use them, but we had them on hand just in case.

Edited December 30, 2007 by KennelMom

[Wonder]

You were planning on crating her right?

[ZoomDoggy]

Thanks for the info. My dogs are never unattended outside, so that's not a concern. I was more wondering if perhaps I should not be walking her in the neighborhood for fear of dogs harassing us on walks... ? It's rare we run into off-lead dogs around here, but it's not unheard-of.

 

I guess things could certainly be worse, but I can't say I'm thrilled about the timing of this. Though if it were someone else's problem, I confess I'd be laughing.

[Guest sheila]

I had a tiny little bichon that went into heat. I had every unleashed male dog in the tri county area camped out in my front yard! I actually went out and bought a slingshot and had a bucket of rocks by the front door!

 

If you are seeing bloody drips it wouldn't hurt to get some kind of panty on her to keep the mess off of your bedding and floors.

If you are walking her I would also carry some kind of large dog beating stick because male dogs who smell the scent can be pretty aggressive

[Batmom]

Tipper will probably be REALLY interested.

[ZoomDoggy]

Kar, what you said about "that vet" confirms my already low opinion of them.

 

eta: some girls are very fastidious about keeping themselves clean. I would probably pick up some disposable diapers at Petsmart just in case. Our Evita was very good at keeping herself tidy so we never really had to use them, but we had them on hand just in case.

 

Good to know. She will be crated when we're not home, and she's muzzled at night (due to roaming housecats). I'm guessing the muzzling at night will hinder her hygiene attempts, so I'll pick up some diapers or something tomorrow. Any brand recommendations? I never knew Petco carried such things! Why would I know, right?

[Guest wmlcml6]

I've always noticed our girls get much more lovey and "clingy" when they come into season. Bill says she just had pups 4 months ago, so this may just be a short cycle where it's more a case of cleaning out than a real season. However, you should still heed the warnings about her being "super duper beautiful and sexy" to any boy that gets close enough to smell her. I've never had one get snappy or grouchy. I don't think they bloat or get PMS like human women! Not that I've noticed anyway.

 

You might invest in some doggy bloomers just to keep her from dripping in your house. Petsmart and stores like it have them. Or you can just find some children's shorts and put a feminine pad inside. That's what Donut's foster family did when she short cycled. It was light flow, and only lasted less than 2 weeks. Now that I think of it, Donut was due in January, didn't conceive, and she had the short cycle around April or May.

 

As mentioned by Heather above, I've always heard the to spay during a heat cycle is chancy because they bleed more and bruise more easily. No sense risking her unnecessarily.

 

I hope this is short, not messy, and doesn't cause any problems for you.

 

Alimony, honey .... please be a good girl and don't think about the kitties, and learn to pee in the snow.

 

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions, Aimee. I pm'd you my address.

Edited December 30, 2007 by wmlcml6

[ZoomDoggy]

Tipper will probably be REALLY interested.

 

Yeah, Tipper was very interested in Polar, the pup we chose Dazzle over. Polar was in heat when we visited her. Tip thought she was the best-smelling thing since canned food! He even wanted to give her a little hug. :

[Guest KennelMom]

Kar, what you said about "that vet" confirms my already low opinion of them.

 

eta: some girls are very fastidious about keeping themselves clean. I would probably pick up some disposable diapers at Petsmart just in case. Our Evita was very good at keeping herself tidy so we never really had to use them, but we had them on hand just in case.

 

Good to know. She will be crated when we're not home, and she's muzzled at night (due to roaming housecats). I'm guessing the muzzling at night will hinder her hygiene attempts, so I'll pick up some diapers or something tomorrow. Any brand recommendations? I never knew Petco carried such things! Why would I know, right?

 

We got the Simple Solution brand of disposables. The tabs are velcro, so you can readjust them or take it off/put it back on multiple times. IIRC they are in the same section of the store as the house training/pee clean up stuff. At one time we had a non-disposable diaper from Petsmart as well (it was denim)...you could put a pad in it if you wanted to but, honestly, I wouldn't want to bother with laundry. The disposables work well (Evita has to wear one at my parents house b/c sometimes she forgets her house trianing in a new place )

 

I've always noticed our girls get much more lovey and "clingy" when they come into season.

 

Ok...then I guess it wasn't my imagination

[bjnno1]

OH MAN

 

 

Aimee, when we got Goody, she was in heat and my vet has us wait 8 weeks to spay her. Honestly I don't remember hardly any blood at all, I think the first few days there were just a few drops but other than that, nothing

 

She acted the same after she was spayed (and for the next few months that I had her)

 

But anyhoo... it really shouldn't be any big deal other than keeping the boy doggies away from her

 

 

P.S. Major and Black Jack never tried to mount her but they were already fixed so not sure if that matters or not.

[TheFullHouse]

Oh No! I hate to say this Aimee, because I know you're going to have to deal with it but.........................THANK GOD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN HERE! I can't even imagine trying to keep my 7 males in line with her here! Look at it this way, at least you only have Tipper to worry about. I'd put some panties on her just to be safe and personally I wouldn't take her on any walks. You never know when a stray male will come around. You may notice stray males hanging around your yard. Oyyyy!

 

 

The last time I dealt with an unspayed female in heat was Heavenly Scent when we were hauling her and JK Lamar to Nashville. I felt like a human condom trying to keep those two apart! That was one haul I'll never forget!

Edited December 30, 2007 by JillysFullHouse

[ZoomDoggy]

The last time I dealt with an unspayed female in heat was Heavenly Scent when we were hauling her and JK Lamar to Nashville. I felt like a human condom trying to keep those two apart! That was one haul I'll never forget!

 

 

"Heavenly Scent" went into heat? Is that a joke? The "Human Condom" line cracked me up too.

 

Cathie talked me down off the ledge. (seriously, I'm not really panicking, just wanted to know what I'm in for) If she still seems to be a bit messy tomorrow, I'll run out to get some supplies first thing. Then I'll call my vet Monday am to give him an update and see what he thinks about the spay appointment on Thursday.

[Guest GiJenn51]

Cathie ROCKS!!!

[Batmom]

The last time I dealt with an unspayed female in heat was Heavenly Scent when we were hauling her and JK Lamar to Nashville. I felt like a human condom trying to keep those two apart! That was one haul I'll never forget!

 

Me neither. That was one of the funniest GT posts of all time.

[Guest DoofBert]

Friend of mine breeds German SHort Hair Pointers. He just uses a pair of tidy whitey briefs.......cuts a hole for the tail.

 

 

[TheFullHouse]

The last time I dealt with an unspayed female in heat was Heavenly Scent when we were hauling her and JK Lamar to Nashville. I felt like a human condom trying to keep those two apart! That was one haul I'll never forget!

 

 

"Heavenly Scent" went into heat? Is that a joke? The "Human Condom" line cracked me up too.

 

Cathie talked me down off the ledge. (seriously, I'm not really panicking, just wanted to know what I'm in for) If she still seems to be a bit messy tomorrow, I'll run out to get some supplies first thing. Then I'll call my vet Monday am to give him an update and see what he thinks about the spay appointment on Thursday.

 

 

I'm dead serious! Her name was Heavenly Scent! For the ride to Nashville at least I was along, if Mike had been alone I don't know what he would have done. The really bad thing was when we met Carol in Nashville she was alone! She had to hook J.K. Lamar and Heavenly Scent to opposite sides of her van. She said it was the wildest ride she'd ever had to the vet clinic!

[Guest TBSFlame]

Thanks for the info. My dogs are never unattended outside, so that's not a concern. I was more wondering if perhaps I should not be walking her in the neighborhood for fear of dogs harassing us on walks... ? It's rare we run into off-lead dogs around here, but it's not unheard-of.

 

I guess things could certainly be worse, but I can't say I'm thrilled about the timing of this. Though if it were someone else's problem, I confess I'd be laughing.

Be very careful. We had a lab and the dog down the street tried to attack me. I talked to the owner but he would not put the dog up. I had to board my dog in a kennel until she was over the heat period. It was not safe to even take her out in the yard and we did not have a fenced in yard at that time. He had a big mean dog and it was before leash laws here. I remember a dog busting through the screen door to get to my mother's dog once. The urge is strong and the dogs will come from other places. Good luck.

[Guest GunnyGirl]

Its good you never leave your dogs outside unattended. I would also check the yard thoroughly before letting them out. Personally, I wouldn't walk her around the neighborhood. That's almost like sending out invitations! News gets out in the doggy world fast enough without leaving a trail of exciting aromas.

 

Intact male dogs have been known to perform unbelieveable feats to get to a female in heat...scaling a 6 foot fence would be an easy one. And some slutty females-in-heat are only too eager to assist. I had an aquaintance who's intact male dog broke through a second story window, jumped to the roof of the porch, then jumped to the ground to get to a female in heat. Dogs don't have to be loose to cause a problem!

 

Just be aware.

[Burpdog]

In answer to your original question: a very long 3 weeks

 

I would not turn them out together. Depending, they can tie very quick and yes, a neutered male can still "breed".

 

I would not walk her outside of your yard and check the yard before you let her out as many GSD's have jumped the fences of people with bitches in heat.

 

Most vets will not spay during a heat. Some will. I personally would wait.