How many days does a dog go into heat: answers from a dog handler. Everything you wanted to know

• 17.01.2017
• Animals, Pet health, Dogs, Articles, Explanatory

“Everyone wants to love: both a soldier and a sailor,” is sung in a famous song. Our four-legged friends are no exception. Only they are driven not by spiritual impulses, but by the instinct of procreation. The period when a dog is ready to conceive puppies (mating) is called estrus and raises many questions among owners. If you are lucky enough to become the owner of a tailed bride, it is better to arm yourself in advance with knowledge on such a delicate issue. Our article will help you find out how many days dogs are in heat , how it manifests itself, behavioral characteristics, and much more.

A few words about terminology

You can distinguish an experienced dog breeder from a beginner by simply asking: “Who is your dog?” When you hear the answer with pride: “Bitch!”, you know that in front of you is an experienced owner. Dog ladies are definitely females, and gentlemen are males, which does not prevent them from remaining beloved by girls, boys, daughters and sons.

So, the internal genital organs of the bitch:

• ovaries
• uterus
• fallopian tubes
• vagina

The vagina ends with the vulva (loop) - the external genital organ. The loop is located slightly below the anus. During estrus, it increases in size, swells, and becomes soft.

Drugs to reduce or stop estrus

Many owners do not want their dog to produce offspring every year. This is especially true for those who do not have purebred animals, mongrels, or who do not plan to sell puppies later. In this case, veterinarians advise the use of special medications, divided into two types:

• hormonal-based drugs that stop estrus;
• drugs that reduce sexual desire, on a non-hormonal basis.

Important! Hormonal medications should not be given to a dog without the supervision of a veterinarian. They must be given to the female according to the schedule, as they interrupt ovulation, which can lead to complications in the body.

Table of hormonal medications to stop estrus:

Drugs to reduce sexual desire on a non-hormonal basis do not stop estrus, but significantly reduce the female’s arousal and make it easier to endure this period.

Anti-estrus tablets for dogs:

Important! Before using any medications, consultation with a veterinarian is required!

How many days does a dog go into heat and how not to miss the start

Observant owners can predict the upcoming heat a week or two before it begins. It's not difficult if you know what to pay attention to.

Increased appetite

Hormonal processes are just about to begin, but the body is already warning the dog that it will need a lot of food. Has your pet turned into an eternally hungry creature for no apparent reason? Get your first warning.

Frequent tags

During a walk, the bitch sits down to urinate more often than usual, the amount of urine is small, and she tends to leave marks every 500-600 meters along the way. This means that in the coming days, strengthen control over the situation under the dog’s tail.

Reaction of young males

Typical dog communication

Brave guys before the age of one year began to pay increased attention, while there are still no external signs of emptiness (estrus). You can't fool a young dog. He smells a potential partner in advance, and due to lack of experience, it doesn’t matter to him whether the dog is in heat or how many days the blood has been bleeding . Whereas adult grooms will begin to pay attention to the bitch only when she is ready for fertilization.

Behavior change

Behavior problems, acutely manifested in the first or second heat, become dull with age and the correct reaction of the owner. A bitch can become affectionate to the point of intrusiveness, or vice versa, show aggression, anxiety, ignore commands, and refuse to work. Give her a break, but don't let her get on your neck.

Off-season shedding

The phenomenon is frequent, but due to the fact that according to the schedule it happens twice a year, it is not so significant.

How many times a year should there be estrus?

Estrus normally occurs twice a year in females living in a house or apartment. However, domestic animals living in the courtyard of a country house or in an equipped enclosure may experience such inconveniences less often - once a year.

Bleeding occurs with the same frequency in service animals. This is due to their frequent training and heavy physical activity.

Attentive owners and breeders keep mating calendars, in which they note the duration and frequency of bleeding. Knowing how many days each period lasts, you can calculate the time of onset of the next stage.

With age, the duration and severity of bleeding decreases, and the period of sexual rest increases. Unlike people, dogs do not go through menopause, so until old age, animals have discharge - only much less often.

If an individual over 10 years old continues to have empty spots twice a year, this indicates the occurrence of pathology. To play it safe, it is better to take your pet for an ultrasound and consult a veterinarian.

Physical signs of heat

The countdown begins only with the appearance of the first physical symptoms. Timely monitoring of preliminary signs will allow you to determine the beginning of the void with an accuracy of up to a day. Noticed any strange things?

• Check the condition of the loop daily by dabbing it with a clean cloth.
• The fact that estrus has already begun is indicated by an enlarged vulva and the appearance of bloody discharge.
• A clean bitch can often lick under her tail, the intensity of the blood secretion varies from slight to heavy, so you should not let your guard down.

To know exactly how many days your dog's heat lasts, keep a calendar. The date the first pink marks appear on the napkin will serve as the starting date. Systematic monitoring of your pet’s cycle will help you choose a favorable time for mating in the future and sound the alarm in time in case of deviations.

How to stop estrus?

Bitches are not always bred for the purpose of producing offspring, so for many the question of how to stop estrus is often a pressing question. This problem can be temporarily solved by using hormonal drugs. But practice shows that their frequent use often leads to systematic cycle disruptions and the birth of dead puppies. If the dog owner does not plan to have offspring, then it would be much more humane to resort to sterilization. Sometimes the veterinarian only ties the dog’s tubes (in this case, the animal will continue to be in heat, but pregnancy will not occur), and sometimes he completely removes the ovaries and uterus, which permanently rids the dog of heat.

Surgery to remove a female dog’s reproductive organs is performed at any age. Still, it should be taken into account that in older animals it is fraught with complications.

How many days does a dog go into heat: dispelling myths

Frequency, duration, timing - indicators are strictly individual ; only your experience and records will give an accurate idea of ​​them in each specific case. Even bitches from the same litter (sisters) can have different flow patterns.

So, how long does a dog go into heat?

Depending on the individual characteristics of the bitch, the estrus period lasts from 20 to 28 days. The first time it may end faster, occurring with mild symptoms. You need to focus on the second and subsequent emptyings: by the age of 2, the sexual cycle will completely stabilize and become quite predictable.

Strong deviations in one direction or another (prolonged or too short estrus) are a reason for panic and an immediate visit to the veterinarian.

General information

Knowledge about the features of the reproductive cycle is always important. The fact is that the normal duration of the sexual cycle in different animals can vary significantly under the influence of environmental factors. In some cases, veterinary intervention may be required. Under normal conditions, estrus is divided into four clearly distinguishable phases, each of which has its own characteristics.

Knowing this, it is quite easy to find out when it stopped in your pet. Problems begin if the dog has some pathologies: they can lead to a prolongation of the sexual cycle and blurred boundaries. In infertile pets, estrus may not be observed at all, but sometimes it occurs in a “hidden” mode, when the animal invariably attracts male dogs from all over the area, but does not respond to their “courtship.”

However, we are more interested only in the second and last stage of the cycle, which is logical: it is difficult to understand whether the heat has ended if you do not even know about its beginning. But why don't we pay any attention to the first phase? It’s simple - it’s called “anestrus”, it lasts from a month to six months, and during this time the bitch is of no interest to males. Simply put, this stage is a preparatory stage, during which the dog’s body is engaged in the reproduction of hormones, the preparation of the epithelial layer of the genital organs and other, no less useful, matters. Thus, the first stage is the normal state of the body of a sexually mature female.

How does estrus proceed and how many days does it last: temporary features

To understand how many days a dog is in heat, consider the phases of the sexual cycle.

Onset or proestrus

A time of great changes in the animal’s body: a large rush of blood enters the birth canal and uterine horns, the vaginal wall thickens. The bloody secretion from the loop becomes richer every day, acquiring a bright red color. The duration of the first phase is approximately 7-10 days . Let's remember the statistics!

The bitch actively flirts with males, but will not let them get close. Using a human analogy, this is a candy-bouquet time, when a beauty makes eyes, flirts, but there is nothing to seriously count on yet.

Sexual heat or estrus

The eggs mature and are ready for fertilization. The discharge becomes mucous in nature, the loop enlarges until it wraps around itself and becomes loose. The bitch comes into heat and is ready to mate. She clearly demonstrates her desire to others: when she sees a male dog, she takes positions convenient for sexual intercourse and curls her tail to one side. This immoral behavior lasts from 4 to 13 days. If you are not planning to breed, you need to triple your caution during this phase.

Do not under any circumstances resort to medicinal methods to interrupt or prevent sexual heat! Hormonal drugs cause irreparable harm to a dog's health, causing the development of cancerous tumors! It’s better to wait until it’s over and seriously think about sterilizing the animal.

Post-estrus or metaestrus

The swelling of the vulva gradually subsides and the discharge stops. But the likelihood of conception remains. In the case of mating, the body begins to prepare for subsequent births.

Dog behavior during heat

Under the influence of hormones, a dog’s behavior during estrus changes:

• Change in behavior. The animal may become more loving, and some dogs, on the contrary, begin to show aggression. Owners notice that during hunting, many females show increased interest in men and require attention and affection. Most dogs become almost uncontrollable: they refuse to follow commands and tend to run away during a walk, so it is strictly not recommended to let the animal off the leash on the street.
• The animal urinates frequently. Many bitches often sit down on the toilet during this period. Owners think their dog has a cold, but in reality the animal is simply leaving marks for male dogs. Some pets can urinate even in a house or apartment.
• Relationships with male dogs. In the first few days of estrus, the bitch reacts quite aggressively to the opposite sex. By the time of hunting, behavior changes, and the dog begins to show an active interest in male dogs, stands in front of them, and moves its tail. This behavior lasts for several days, after which the animal begins to behave as usual.

REFERENCE! Some dogs whose hormonal balance is disrupted suffer from a false pregnancy after estrus. It is recommended to sterilize such animals in order to prevent the development of uterine cancer.

Discharge after heat

Discharge from a dog's loop after ovulation and the end of the estrus period can be either natural or as a result of some kind of disease. Natural discharge is transparent, without a strong odor, without any admixture of blood or other color.

1. White discharge after estrus. Appear as a result of infection with infectious diseases, for example, vaginitis. Color - from milky to green (purulent). Most often accompanied by an unpleasant odor and a feeling of itching. The dog tries to ride on its butt and licks itself to relieve the itching.
2. Bloody discharge after estrus. Bloody discharge is normal during estrus and after birth. At any other time, this is an important symptom of a dangerous disease occurring in the body. This may be pyometra, neoplasia, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, foreign body or internal organ injury.
3. Purulent discharge indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the reproductive and genitourinary organs.

Important! If any kind of discharge appears in a dog after estrus, it is necessary to urgently contact a veterinarian, undergo examination and treatment of the animal.

Answers on questions

We answer questions from our readers.

On what day of heat should a dog be bred?

To determine the best time for mating, you need to make the right calculation. Count 10-12 days from the first day of estrus. On the 13th day is the optimal period.

It is also worth remembering that in small breeds the estrus period is slightly shorter than in large-pedigree dogs. Therefore, it is better to spend the day of mating with a male dog 8-9 days from the start of estrus.

Is it possible to sterilize dogs during heat?

You can sterilize a dog during a period of heat if it is absolutely necessary to save the animal. As a rule, veterinarians suggest waiting until the end of the menstrual cycle and only then sterilizing.

We wrote more about this here.

Dog's mammary glands become swollen after estrus

This phenomenon is normal for dogs after estrus. If a bitch has swollen mammary glands, this indicates several factors:

1. After mating with a male dog. A clear sign of pregnancy. The dog's body is preparing to feed its offspring.
2. If there was no mating with a male. A sign of a false pregnancy, the appearance of a tumor in the body. In any case, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Is a spayed dog in heat?

The presence or absence of estrus in a sterilized dog depends on the castration method chosen earlier:

1. Complete castration of the internal reproductive system - there will never be any more estrus.
2. Tubal ligation without removal of the uterus and ovaries - the menstrual cycle will continue throughout the dog's life, but without the possibility of becoming pregnant.

Can a dog get pregnant without being in heat?

No, without the natural process of egg maturation, a dog cannot become pregnant. This is a natural process of the menstrual cycle necessary for procreation, just like in humans. Moreover, during the rest period she will not allow a male dog to be mated to her.

Why the dog is not in heat - reasons

A dog may not be in heat for several reasons. The main ones:

• young age up to six months;
• exhaustion or obesity;
• use of hormonal drugs that prevent ovulation;
• severe or prolonged stress experienced previously.

If estrus does not occur during the annual cycle, then this may indicate diseases of the internal organs: cyst, oncology, endometritis, pyometra, vaginitis and other hormonal pathologies.

Why is my dog ​​always in heat?

It is normal for a dog to go into heat twice a year. If the menstrual cycle is shortened and estrus occurs more often or longer, then this indicates a violation of the hormonal system. The causes may be stress, illness, hormonal drugs, inflammatory processes in the ovaries or uterus. To establish an accurate diagnosis and correct the cycle, you need to consult a doctor and give the dog special medications.

Why does a dog in heat get a fever?

It is normal if, during the period of estrus, the dog’s temperature rises by no more than 0.5 C. This indicates the natural process of maturation of the egg and its release from the ovaries.

If during this period you observe lethargy in the animal, the temperature rises higher, the dog refuses to eat, and discharge with a strong odor is clearly visible, then you should consult a doctor. Such symptoms indicate an infectious disease that requires surgical intervention.

Can a dog go into unscheduled heat?

Maybe. The reason for this is hormonal imbalance, diseases of the reproductive system, and inflammation in the uterus.

When can a dog be spayed after being in heat?

Surgical intervention to sterilize a dog can be performed immediately after the end of the estrus period (on the 3rd day after) or before its onset. The best time is between 7 and 9 months of age, unless you plan to have offspring from a female in the future.

Is it possible to wash a dog during heat?

Bathing a dog in a bath, washing its genitals, or allowing it to swim in open water during estrus is strictly prohibited. This can lead to viruses and infections in the genitals. The female licks herself independently, performing hygiene procedures.

If you notice dirt on the hinge after a street walk, carefully wipe it with a damp cloth. Make sure that dirt does not get inside.

Estrus in dogs is a difficult period for both the animal and the owner. At this time, it is necessary to take precautions, cleanliness, and help the female to calmly survive ovulation. The advice from veterinarians given in the article will help you get good offspring for breeding dogs or prevent unwanted pregnancy.