toy poodle in heat

Question
I have a toy poodle who has gone into heat for the first time, do you know how long her first heat will last?

Answer
Hi Cynthia:

On average a dog's heat cycle will last about a total of three weeks but she should only experience the bloody vaginal discharge for about the first 9 to 10 days. After that point, she will enter into the estrus (fertile) portion of the cycle, which is when she'll be receptive to mating & will attract males & encourage them to breed. At this point the discharge will lighten in flow & color, becoming more of a light pink to straw color. On average, she'll have a heat cycle about every 6 months. If you have no plans to breed this would be an excellent time to have her spayed. This will greatly improve her chances for a longer, happy life by preventing many cancers that often develop in the reproductive organs & of course, it will also prevent any future heat cycles & the chance of an accidental breeding. Hope this helps!