Gus in Heat?

[Karma]

Usually it lasts around 3 weeks though occasionally I have seen some older bitches and the odd younger dog go as little as 10days and as many as 40days, though technically you may not see the signs as early as she is actually in season. Some start with a pretty silent season and you don't really take "notice" until they are in their 2nd week.

To add to the signs - swollen vulva, discharge which may or may not be "drippy"(usually doesn't happen till they are in full standing heat), more frequent urination, slight changes in mood/temperment, some bitches go off their food which really is not a huge concern - a healthy dog won't starve itself. Every dog is slighty different but usually the most noticeable thing is swelling and more frequent urination. If she doesn't drip or have much discharge, a paper towel or hunk of tp pressed to her vulva should show discharge if there is any.

You really should keep track of her cycle not only to prevent her from getting pregnant so early but also for health issues females are most prone to uterine infections after their heat cycles. I mark it on the calendar on the first day I notice and on the last which helps me pinpoint the length- count 6 months ahead and go back one week mark it with something so when you see it you will remember and can be on "heat watch" though since she is 9 months have having her first her cycle could be longer - if it doesn't happen at 6 months I would check her weekly until the second to establish a good baseline. Especially with dogs that are kept outdoors I would be careful and want to know cycle length because uterine infections like Pyometra can be deadly if left too long, knowing the typical length of her cycle can let you know quickly when odd discharge should NOT be there which can let you get her medical attention much faster.

 

[Southern by choice]

A bitch will usually bleed for 10 days then it will turn a kind of clear she will swell (down there) gradually over this time, when she is really swollen and I mean It's big... like this is when she can get pregnant... everydog is a bit different but generally the 13th-15th day are breeding days. Honestly that is just a general guideline. Some dogs are 11-13th day. It's not uncommon for Anatolians to have heat cycles that last a month. A bitch should cycle every 6 months, but there are some breeds that will cycle every 4 months-they usually end up being "bad breeders" though.The best thing is to check her "parts" everyday because you might not know when day 1 started, some bitches are messy but some are immaculate and keep themselves super clean
1. observe daily
2. watch for bleeding to stop
3. swelling
4. put your hand by her tail- if she flags(moves it to the side and lifts slighty) she is ready to recieve a mate
5.males will try to mount the whole cycle BUT a Bitch will not "stand" for a male until it's "time" she may even attack a male if she's not ready.

Remember the counting of days is just a base line. I've seen bitches ready at 11 days and as late as 15days. Keep her seperate til swelling subsides. Most people recommend separating throughout the whole cycle which is wise because the males will drive them nuts and you don't want your female hurting the male. I had a GSD that would attack the face of a male suitor if she was not ready-not good. Also females also have the instinct to mate and may try to escape their enclosures looking for a mate. If you have a male around they can get a bit nasty/ancy around even there most favorite person. If you need to know about false pregnancy just ask, they do happen.

Hope this helps-just kind of general info

 

[CocoNUT]

Good GRAVY!
Well I know she was bleeding as of two days ago. I didn't realize it would last that long!
I tried to help her out and kinda hose her off and Great Jumping Horny Toads did her "lady parts" look really swollen and angry ! I felt SOOOO bad for her! I thought I had it rough! Fortunately she's still in a decent mood...just wants to be loved up on.
Although she IS running around in the early am...barking and carrying on!
I'm keeping track tho...

 

[GLENMAR]

At least a full 2 weeks.

 

[Southern by choice]

CocoNut- just wanted to say I think your original question was a great one!
So many times people don't ask something because they feel embarrassed or they are "chastised" for asking.... I always think "ya don't know til ya know" no question is dumb or stupid and people that make others feel that way.. well...

With a bit of diligence (and it does get easier after a few times) you will do just fine keeping Gus puppy free! The key is really making sure other people in the house "get it"! They really need to understand and must be diligent too! I have never had an accidental mating in the 35 years of working with dogs. I am not a big fan of spaying a bitch- for many reasons. I have no problem with castrating a male though. I understand the big push for spay/neuter in a general sense. You are wise to let your girl fully mature first before spaying (if that's what you choose in the end). There are pros/cons to spaying early and late.
For female pups as they are growing they may have an occasional yellowish discharge, however it should not smell, it may last for a few days, it is from a hormonal "surge"so to speak as the female grows. It is not Pyometra. Pyometra is a uterine infection. accompanied by smelly greenish mucous, high fever, lethargy, loss of appetite and a very sick animal! That is the number one term a vet uses to get people to spay their females, I find it a ridiculous scare tactic and pyometra does not happen that often,but it can be deadly. There is also less occurance if you allow a bitch to whelp a litter of pups and if a bitch is spayed then there is no possiblity because there is no uterus. It generally occurs in older bitches that have never had a litter, and overbred bitches.

 

[bonbean01]

Southern is right...there are no dumb questions and that is the beauty of BYH and the mostly wonderful people on here willing to share their experiences and offer advice. I've asked really dumb questions and got super good answers. I love this community!

 

[CocoNUT]

Thank you Southern! I've grown up with nothing but spayed females! All of our cats are spayed/neutered and my experience is pretty limited... I'm generally a BIG advocate of spaying and neutering, however, Gus has a phenomenal temprement and I think waiting until she's FULLY mature to make that decision is the right thing to do. The only UNALTERED animal I grew up with was a dalmation male...Zorro. My dad always wanted to breed him...or have the option. I guess he couldn't bring himself to "de-male" another male. (I personally don't have a problem with it!) That damned dog was a NIGHTMARE! He and I ended up fighting over my arm one day when he decided it was a chew toy!

I don't know how you've been able to have 35 years of this though! Good lord she barks and carries on ALL day and night! She'll be fine for a while then go ON and ON and ON! It's driving me NUTS...nevermind my poor neighbors! Her barking echoes across the entire valley! Shes funny...she comes running under our bedroom window to get going...then runs back and forth along the back of the house to make SURE we hear her....

I'm glad I have you all to turn to and ask these questions! Thank you!

 

[Grazer]

I agree it's good to try and wait with spaying/neutering large breeds until they are fully matured. And on the bright side in some Sarplaninac lines females come in heat only once every 8 to 11-12 months.
So hopefully that will be the case with Gus as well, it would make your lives a whole lot easier lol

 

[CocoNUT]

Oh Grazer - that would be WONDERFUL! We could always HOPE right? Since she is 10 months old and this is her FIRST "heat"......

She really is a sweetheart and a love.

Although...might I say that STINKER worked a part of the fence DOWN (bent it down...didn't go under) and got into our pasture and was chasing our pastured birds around this morning! My husband comes RUNNING into the living room...trying to get his shoes on as fast as possible...apparently the guinea ruckus woke him up! (Not normally like him to care about the birds!) Of course three of our goats followed her into the pasture and were happily munching on the goodies! Gus got our Blue Wheaton Roo in her mouth but dropped him (alive) when daddy told her to "leave it"...which is REALLY good! Let's just say...daddy was out there putting up 5 foot fencing up in the cool misty morning weather. When I came out...Gus was acting like she'd won the lottery...UNTIL I looked at her and say "Nau-tee"...and she just drooped her head down to give me her "ashamed" look and tried to SUCK UP to me. After I spent a good 10 minutes giving her "the look"...she realized she had been naughty and calmed down a bit.
My poor husband...he complains (lovingly of course) about our animals...but I think he adores them as much as I do! With all the not-so-smart things he does...I can't get mad at him when he's out there chasing goats in the pasture, saving my birds, and patroling the yard in the middle of the night with Gus!

 

[Grazer]

Yes and hey at least it's never boring with good ol' Gus Hopefully she'll be doing these kind of things less and less as she matures and hopefully she's one of those Sarplaninac females that only come in heat once a year lol