The zeal in dogs is one of the biggest concerns expressed by caregivers when living with their dogs, whether they are males or, above all, females. Many of them want to prevent their animals from having offspring, for which it is essential to know the characteristics of their fertile period and to dismantle some myths, still deeply rooted, that lack a scientific basis. Finally, the sterilization of dogs stands out as the ideal resource to avoid problems caused by heat.
Discover in this complete guide to heat in dogs everything you need: the most common symptoms, the duration of heat in both sexes or the phases of it. In addition, we will also offer you tips and other details that any tutor should know, don't miss it.
Symptoms of the first heat in dogs
Heat in dogs will begin as soon as they reach sexual maturity, which occurs at different ages, depending on their size. Thus, small or mini breed dogs will begin to show signs of heat around six months of age. The middle ones will delay this moment a bit and we can give an average age of about eight months. In contrast, large and giant breeds will take significantly longer to mature, up to 12-18 months.
The symptoms of heat in dogs that we usually come across are the following:
- In females, vaginal bleeding
- Nervousness
- Loss of appetite
- Crying and moaning
- Urine marking
- Escape attempts
- Mount Attempts
- The dog drooled when sniffing something intensely
- Fights with other dogs
- Behavior changes
These symptoms will be repeated in all heats with greater or lesser intensity.
Heat in bitches
The estrus in female dogs refers to the fertile period, which differs considerably from that in male dogs. Their reproductive cycle is divided into four phases, proestrus, estrus, diestrus and anestrus Estrus is the receptive phase in which the bitch accepts the male and conception can occur, only during these days. In this period the female will show some signs such as the following:
- The vulva softens in preparation for mounting.
- Vulvar discharge turns pink.
- Body attitude changes and female raises her tail away from her to facilitate copulation
- she also lifts her pelvis if she feels contact on the rump
- Most importantly, accept the male.
Oestrus in male dogs
The main difference between heat in dogs with respect to females, is that the male is not fertile only during a certain period. On the contrary, the characteristic of males is that they will be always in heatThey only have to detect the pheromones that the fertile bitches are going to emit to activate their reproductive capacity. These pheromones are odor signals, very attractive to dogs, but completely unrecognizable to humans. Dogs can smell them even if bitches are great distance
When this happens we will notice the dog very restless and nervous He will pull if we walk him on the leash or try to escape. He will urine mark by raising his paw numerous times, will cry, stop eating, etc. This frame will be maintained for the duration of the olfactory stimulus.
How long does heat last in dogs?
The duration of heat in dogs can be roughly delimited in the case of females. Estrus varies on average between seven and nine days, but each case is different and there is a wide margin of up to two and twenty days. For their part, males do not properly have a period of heat and will be receptive at all times only if they receive the stimulation of a female dog in heat.
How often are dogs in heat?
Dogs tend to repeat their oestrus every six months, that is, they most commonly have two fertile times a year. The males will try to mate whenever they detect a female in heat, therefore, it is not possible to speak, strictly speaking, of seasons of heat in dogs, since each The female will have her own cycle and each male will be stimulated depending on the cycle of the bitches around him. Thus, we must bear in mind that the heat period in dogs can appear at any time of the year.
Heat problems in dogs
The dogs in heat are going to present changes in their behavior and alterations on a physical level, especially female dogs, since in them visible bleeding will occur. In males, on the other hand, the problem will focus on their behavior. Leaks, marking, mounts but also aggressions to conspecifics, are recurrent when the animal detects a female in heat. Also, the dog is in heat and cries, moans, hypersalivates and stops eating. All these behaviors make coexistence difficult and, most importantly, stress the dog. In addition, continuous jealousy is behind diseases such as tumors or uterine infections.
That is why it is common for caregivers to think of how to relieve a bitch's heat or a dog. The reality is that it is difficult to inhibit physiological behaviour, which is why sterilization or castrationof both males and females is resorted to as a first choice. In this way, rutting and all its associated behaviors are completely avoided. In addition, the appearance of tumors and other serious diseases associated with the reproductive system is also controlled.
The character of the dog is not altered by the operation, although it may be necessary to control the diet to avoid being overweight in some cases. On the other hand, it is true that there are pills to prevent heat in female dogs, but they have so many side effects and are so serious that they cannot be used long-term. The veterinarian will inform us of all the details of the intervention.
To finish, don't miss this video from our site in collaboration with Veterinarios Privet where we explain some myths about castration in dogs:
