How Long Does a Dog Stay In Heat – When to Spay a Dog?


Estrus or heat is the step in the dog breeding cycle, during which the female dog is receptive to the male coupling. At that time, estrogen levels will initially increase and then decrease sharply and mature free eggs from the ovaries.

Ideally, your dog must be sterilized before entering the first heat cycle.

Before knowing how long does a dog stay in heat, it’s important to know when she gets the heat.

When a dog knows her first heat?

First estrus usually occurs when a dog is neutered is between the ages of 6 to 24 months. It is primarily for small breeds and later produced for large breeds.

The females have two normal estrus cycles, each varies between 18-24 days.

During its warmth, the female shows a change in behavior. You can compare it with the behavior of a woman before menstruation and the kind of ups and downs of her.

She also begins to lick her vulva often. Seasonality of two thermal cycles is normally from January to March and August to October.

How often dogs stay in heat?

Although it varies with different breeds and individual dogs, it is a general, non-castrated into heat twice a year, every six months.

How long does a dog stay in heat?

The time during which the female gets attracted to a male dog varies for 18 days. Female dogs are open to males only half the time.

How do I know if my dog is in heat?

Dog-HeatDuring the heat time, your pet may seem nervous, easily distracted and more alert than usual.

It may urinate more often than usual. Most likely, you will notice changes in her. This is caused by a change in hormones.

When the female is ready, high, it may initiate sexual interactions with other dogs, her hind is increased quarters to male dogs as they approach.

During the initial stage, the vaginal discharge is bloodstained, accompanied by swelling of the vulva.

If the female is receptive to the male, the blood flow quantity gets reduced and straw-colored.

How can I tell my dog is in heat?

It is strongly recommended that you neuter your canine companion.

This not only prevents unwanted pregnancies and prevents estrus, but even helps in preventing her against cancer of the breast and reproductive disorders.

At what age can I sterilize my dog?

A dog can be sterilized when she is only two months. It is always better to have the consent of the veterinarian before the sterilization.

Why should I spay my female dog?

Although many people have heard that there are health benefits of allowing a female dog to have a litter before she is spayed, this is unfounded belief.

In fact, the rigors to give…

  • birth
  • and raise

…pups can lead to premature aging and in some cases, death too.

It has also been shown that the female dogs that are spayed before their first heat cycle have much lower risk for small tumors of the mammary glands.

What is the bleeding stage?

dog heatSexual cycle consists of four stages. The first step is called proestrus.

This takes about 10 days and there is this point that your dog will be out of the vaginal bleeding. If it is getting prepared for the stage of pregnancy, then at this stage she will not be interested to mate with other male dogs.

As a pet owner, there are just some of the ways through which you can deal with the bleeding and keep your home:

  • clean
  • and tidy.

Your dog may be cleaned at regular intervals. Bloodstains can be found spread everywhere when she shakes her body, or to find the blood spots in the route she runs around the house.

If you live in a house with wooden floors and marble, it’s easy to keep a mop and bucket pair handy. You should put towels for her, especially if she is allowed to sit on the furniture.

You can also buy diapers, or make your own with a baby disposable training pants and a hole for the tail.

What is the mating season?

The next step is called estrus and it takes five to nine days. This is the difficult time when your dog is in an urge to find a companionship with a male dog in the neighborhood.

If you do not want your dog to breed, then its better that you keep it locked inside the house.

The diestrus phase follows this stage.

Even if she is pregnant or not, it takes six to 10 weeks. Meanwhile, the uterine wall tends to thicken and some dogs can have false pregnancy during this time.

An example of this is that increasing the mammary gland which can even produce milk.

The anoestrus phase lasts about 15 weeks.

Meanwhile, the interest to mate will reduce gradually. She could not show signs of hormonal changes, until finally she reaches at its next phase known as proestrus.

Ok, now the heat life.

A heat life

Dog in heat

Your female dog will experience the heat cycle for the rest of her life. There is no such thing as dog menopause as human beings experience.

But when they get older delayed bleeding or estrus phase can occur in many of the female dogs.

Spaying your female dog can avoid her from getting into the estrus cycle.

Webvet.com says that there is no good reason to allow for the health of a woman passing by heat or a litter of puppies. He added that it neutered many health benefits of a dog before her first heat.

You can also prevent your dog’s:

  1. uterine infections
  2. and breast cancer.

In addition, it will reduce their desire to mate with other male dogs and which in turn reduces the risk of running off and risking herself from getting injured from a road accident.

When does the heat cycle neuter a dog?

If an animal is in the season, there is an increased blood flow to the uterus and both ovaries.

Animals may be castrated during the season, but usually try to do surgery about 4-6 weeks after the start of the last sexual cycle.

What are the tests to determine whether your dog is ready for mating?

Yes, there are two simple tests to do with your veterinarian.

Pap smear. A simple microscopic examination of vaginal cells sense changes in cell appearance and numbers. This is used for many years and is quite reliable.

Non-invasive and does not cause discomfort to the female dog’s vagina.

Most vaginal smears are tested in series, for several days, to find changes in cells that predict ovulation and the best time for breeding.

The investigation of serum progesterone.

This measures the level of progesterone in the blood. This test is very sensitive and has become very popular because of its accuracy. Some pets require multiple tests to predict ovulation.

Both tests can be performed in veterinary practice. The serum progesterone test gives a very good indication of when it is more likely to be successfully mating and is useful for female dogs that have a history of successful…

…mating or breeding dogs that need to travel long distances to the male.

What you can do to ensure insertion right?

Surprisingly, males seem more sensitive than females to be in stress during mating.

Successful pairings are more common when the dog is in your area. For this reason, female dogs are usually taken into the male dog’s house for the breeding them.

Mating season is very critical and it is strongly recommended to have cost the female dog to determine optimal breeding days. The best time for breeding is between the tenth and fourteenth day of estrus.

However, some ovulate in the third or fourth day or as late as the eighteenth day.

Blood tests will help to find out the best time for your dog to mate. It is usual to charge two pairings often for twenty-four to 48 hours apart. Check to make these details clear with the pet owner on the first inquiries.

Also ask about the procedure, if you don’t want your dog to be pregnant as a result of the stallion service. Check how long are dogs pregnant.

It is for male dog owner, a free service offering next time.

How does a male and female dog mate?

Dogs maitingThe genital anatomy of male and female are in such a way that during the intercourse the male penis (the glans bulb) is enlarged and it is held firmly by the cramped muscles of the vagina of the female dog.

This helps in preventing the penis from getting removed from the vagina.

This is the “loop” which is considered as a desirable feature of a successful mating. It is important to note that the pregnancy cannot happen without a “binding” on.

What happened when the dogs are bound?

Once “bound” the male often override the female or the manipulators in a position such that the animals be converted back.

Found your dogs “wired” in a bad connection? Was there anything you could do to separate them?

It makes little sense to make a try to separate animals that are blocked in this way.

Bucket of cold water, water guns, cap guns etc; do so little to accelerate the process of separation and it can only bother dogs. In fact, the forced separation can cause serious injury to the female and hence it should be avoided.
If there was a bad connection, talk to your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Can I spay my dog while in the season?

If you have determined to make her spayed and do not intend to breed from her, it is significant that you better not ask your vet to do this, if you know your dog is in season or in the vicinity of the season.

Sterilization, during the season is riskier than any other normal days, as the uterus, vulva and belly are swollen and covered in blood.

So it is the most difficult and risky time than at other times for sterilization.

Unless there is an urgent reason for sterilization, and during the season, your vet will probably refuse to spay your female dog during the heat cycle.

Like women as female dog ages, will it undergo menopause?

As your female dog gets older, she will be able to carry, while in the right season to the end of her life. Fertility may decline to some extent,…

…but it won’t undergo menopause in the same way humans do.

If your dog gets older, it is important that they are neutered, even if they have some shots to show off, to prevent more or be subjected to possible complications that female conception can cause.

Silence heat or skipped heat?

It is important to identify among a silent heat and skipped heat circulation to differentiate them. Well, both are much similar to make us confused.

Your dog may possibly lose a heat cycle when one of a certain group of diseases such as:

  1. hypoadrenocorticism,
  2. hyperadrenocorticism
  3. or hypothyroidism happens.

So it is necessary that your dog gets into heat cycle and other symptoms are always worth, if your vet has checked everything.

Dogs which are underweight or too thin, or the recently lost quite a bit of weight can also be susceptible to completely lose a heat cycle, which is also important to be kept in the mind.

What you can do?

It is always better to take a good look at your pets when they are in heat. You have to regularly keep your home clean and tidy.

It is also mandatory that you clean the vaginal area of the dog with a clean cloth to wipe the blood stains.

It is a best practice.

This is very important for the health of yourself and your dog. Often people make diapers ready or else you can place clothes, wherever she sits. During this time, your pet will be unusually distressed.

So it is better that you make her feel comfortable throughout her estrus cycle.

About Author:

I'm a dog food judge. I specialize in examining dog food nutrition so that I can recommend you food that will preserve your dog's health and extend his life. Good food will help you prevent dog health problems like obesity, diabetes, pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, nutritional imbalance, and many others. Also, by preventing serious illnesses you won't have to pay huge veterinarian bill later.

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