Boxer bleeding is she in heat?

Question
My boxer is 10 months old. She started bleeding about a week ago, does this mean she is in heat? She is not acting like a cat does. Can you tell this is my first female dog?
If she is, how often will this happen(monthly)? and how long does the bleeding last? If she is spade, will this stop the bleeding? Any idea's on how to keep her from bleeding all over the house? Thanks for your help!!!~

Answer
Hi Bethany,

Bleeding from the vulva may mean she's in season - it could possibly mean something like a urinary tract infection, but 10 months is a pretty typical age for a first season.  (Watch for signs of infection, like frequent or painful urination, lethargy, fever, etc. but if this has been going on for a week I'm guessing she hasn't had any of those.)  Her vulva will most likely be swollen, as well, and her nipples may be enlarged (sometimes on the first season this is less noticeable).

The frequency a bitch comes in season will vary; in general for Boxers the average interval is 9-10 months between, but it could be anywhere from 5-12 months.  She'll bleed for about 21-28 days - the discharge will likely become lighter in color and volume in the middle of that time, and then become darker and increase in quantity again toward the end - and you'll need to keep her entirely away from male dogs the whole time (and I like to add a 'buffer' week on the end, just to be safe).  Dogs can and will jump over, dig under, or chew through fences to mate; they will chew through doors, break through windows, and have even mated through chain-link fences, so you need to be extremely vigilant about not leaving her unattended outside, and if you have male dogs in your house, there should be at least two and preferably three doors between them at all times.  (Even neutered male dogs may try to breed a bitch in season - this won't result in puppies, provided he's more than six months past neutering, but it could cause injury to the dog or the bitch, so it's best to keep them completely separated.)

Spaying removes the ovaries and uterus, so she will no longer come into season.  If you decide to spay, it's best to do so in between seasons, when the hormones are back down to normal levels and the uterus is no longer engorged with blood (there is a higher risk of hemorrhage for a bitch that is spayed while in season).  You don't know her cycle time yet, of course, but figure 21-28 days in season, and then 16 weeks for the hormones to settle back down.

As far as keeping her from bleeding in the house - they make special 'diaper'-type garments for female dogs which work quite well, or you can purchase boys' underpants and stick a maxi pad in them - put them on backward so the tail sticks out the front 'flap'.  You'll need to remove these when she goes out to potty, of course, and also when she's crated or when you aren't able to watch her closely - many bitches will wiggle out of the pants, and may shred or even eat the pads.  They also need to 'air out', as it were, every so often.  Most Boxers keep themselves pretty clean, so except during the heaviest times an old blanket thrown over whatever couch or chair she typically lays on may be all that's needed.

Good luck!