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  1. #1
    Best Friend Retriever emma_Dad's Avatar
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    Entering First Heat Cycle

    I think Emma might be starting to go into her first heat. I've never had a female dog before, but from what I've read on the internet she's having a few of the signs. She's lost interest in her food from one day to the next with nothing changing, she seems to be more clingy, and she licking herself a lot. I have yet to see blood and her vuvla hasn't swelled yet, but I'm keeping an eye on it.

    Any other tips/info I should know? We're going to go on house arrest mode just in case, since there a lot of intact males in my apt complex.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Best to play it safe like you are doing. Try wiping her with a tissue and she if there is any show. Potty breaks only on a leash. Warn male doggy owners that she is in heat and ask them to keep their distance.

    Inside management, you have a couple of options. You can try the doggy panties using a woman's panty liner, no wings kind. Mardi did not tolerate the panties so she was confined to the kitchen (luckily ours is large). Crate at night with a washable blanket or towel, if she will not chew on it. Mardi was allowed in the living room in the evenings with the carpet covered with washable blankets. Make sure you have plenty of Nature's Miracle on hand.

    Remember, when she stops bleeding she is at her most fertile. Keep a watch on her for another week. Good luck, it's really not all that bad.

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  4. #3
    Best Friend Retriever emma_Dad's Avatar
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    Yea I wiped her and still got nothing. I'll try after she takes a nap and hasn't licked herself for a while. We're going to try and do the panties thing, hopefully it works!

    Might be a dumb question, but do neutered dogs still have the urge to want to breed even if they can't?

  5. #4
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Yes, a neutered dog can go through the act and tie with a female. Unfortunately, you have to be careful around them too.

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  7. #5
    Best Friend Retriever emma_Dad's Avatar
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    That's what I was thinking, THANKS! I'll post some updates if I see any blood.

  8. #6
    Best Friend Retriever Snowco Labradors's Avatar
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    Don't just wipe but press the tissue to her vulva and hold for a few seconds. Sometimes wiping shows nothing but press and hold will.

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  10. #7
    Best Friend Retriever emma_Dad's Avatar
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    No blood, when I press.

  11. #8
    Best Friend Retriever Snowco Labradors's Avatar
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    Her behavior, clingy, licking..... are signs of her coming in so press the tissue daily or a couple of times a day. When she starts you should see eraser size drops of blood on floor

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  13. #9
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by emma_Dad View Post
    I think Emma might be starting to go into her first heat. I've never had a female dog before, but from what I've read on the internet she's having a few of the signs. She's lost interest in her food from one day to the next with nothing changing, she seems to be more clingy, and she licking herself a lot. I have yet to see blood and her vuvla hasn't swelled yet, but I'm keeping an eye on it.

    Any other tips/info I should know? We're going to go on house arrest mode just in case, since there a lot of intact males in my apt complex.
    My girls never go off their food when they come into season, but they do get clingy and super-even more affectionate than normal. Her vulva should show signs of swelling, and it will definitely get softer. When I check for a girl in season, I push the white tissue, just slightly inside, gently with my finger go check for blood. Sometimes the girls are really clean, and don't have a lot of bloody show, or what they call a silent heat. Hopefully she shows more outward signs that she is in soon, some girls have a kind of warning period about 4-6 weeks before they come in, and it seems like forever until they actually show blood. They hump and show other behaviors that you are seeing now. Blood spots can be nearly non existent, to large spots of blood way bigger than a pencil eraser.

    One cool tip I have learned is to use boys white underwear, "tighty-whiteys" and pull her tail through the fly part, and her legs through the legs of the undies. They are inexpensive, and you may have to try a few sizes to get a good fit, but they work well for one heat cycle. Once you can confirm she is "in", you will need to watch her very carefully for a full 28 days. The girls don't always read the textbook, and can be ready to breed while still bleeding, and no matter what color the discharge is, and any time during the 28 days. I have a girl that ovulated as early as day 8, and another that ovulated as late as 24 days into their heat cycle. I know this because I use progesterone testing for breeding purposes, not something you would need to do with your girl, but just giving an example of the wide variance in fertile times. :-)

    Best of luck, you will be fine, it's never as bad as you think it's going to be, and it passes quickly. :-)

  14. #10
    Best Friend Retriever emma_Dad's Avatar
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    Shelly THANKS for the great advice!! What exactly do you mean by white tissue exactly? is that right at the tip i'm assuming and how much should I expect for her vulva to swell?

    I'll be picking up some tighty-whities tomorrow to be prepared.

 



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