1st Heat

Question
I have a Pomeranian female puppy and she's 7 1/2 months. I think she just came into her first heat. Is heat the same thing as her having a period or bleedin or is it somethin different? How do I know whether or not she is really in heat? She's an inside dog and I just recently noticed wut could be specks of blood on her fur around her vagina and her "area" is swollen. Her behavior hasn't changed because she is always hyper. I still look at her as my baby. Should I be concerned about health issues is I don't mate her or get her spayed? Are there going to be any behavioral changes?

Answer
Hi Dricka,

Yes, your dog is probably entering her first "heat" cycle. You must be very careful not to allow her to interact with ANY male dogs during this time, or a litter of puppies will result!

The average heat cycle for a dog is approximately 3 weeks and since this an an average, some heats are shorter (as little as 7-10 days), others are longer (4 weeks or more).
Average times between heat periods is seven months but some dogs can cycle as early as every 4 months, some once a year.

Lengths of heat cycles and intervals between cycles are different for each dog but most dogs hit somewhere close to the averages.

The first part of heat you will notice bleeding from the vulva, swelling of the vulva, possible increase in urination and the most noticeable, male dogs hanging around the house. During this period (proestrus), females will not allow the males to breed with them although the males will be very persistent.

The second part or estrus is the time in which the female will allow the male to breed her and this can last anywhere from 4-21 days. A female, most of the time, will allow most any male to breed during this time. As the female starts to go out of heat or enter diestrus, she will be less willing to breed.

Again this stage can last 4-14 days but averages approximately 7 days. The next cycle usually begins about 7 months from the start of the last heat cycle, not the end of that cycle but again this varies from dog to dog. The interval stays the same even if she becomes pregnant.

Some females will be a little more aggressive during their heat period, but most show no change in behavior and interaction with their owners.

If you do not intend to breed her, you really should consider spaying her, if not your dog will come into heat once twice a year!

There are many health benefits associated with spaying such as decreased chance of mammary tumors and you will not have to worry about pyometra, metritis or unwanted litters (overpopulation is a big problem - just take a trip to a humane shelter).

If you elect to spay her, this can be done during heat but it may be best to wait until the heat cycle is over to decrease the chance of complications.

Here is a web page you cn visit that has more info:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/breedingheat.htm

I hope I've been a help.

Best of luck,
Patti