What Influences Heat Cycles

Visitor Asks: What Influences Heat Cycles?

What factors might keep a bitch from coming into heat regularly, and is there anything that can be done to help one establish a regular cycle?

Thanks~~ Denno

Expert Reply

Hi Denno,

Heat cycles are driven by the reproductive hormones, so there are a number of things that can affect when or how often a bitch will come into season.

Hereditary factors certainly play a role. A bitch is likely to follow the same heat pattern as her mother did. So if mom came into season every six months like clockwork, the daughter probably would too. If mom only had one season a year, the daughter would probably follow that pattern.

Now, let's look at outside factors.

• Stress can play a large role in interfering with the natural heat cycle in dogs, just as it can throw off a human woman's menstruation cycle.
• Diet can also have an effect. Poor diet means the body needs to put its energy into maintaining itself. Therefore, it doesn't have the extra resources to put into the heat cycle so it simply doesn't occur.
• Exercise plays a role. Strenuous exercise or over exercising can delay a heat cycle.
• Reproductive health also impacts the cycle. An ovarian cyst is not usually apparent to the naked eye, therefore it's hard to detect its presence without doing an x-ray or sonogram. The cyst can disrupt cycles until it grows large enough to burst the ovary. Then you have a true problem on your hands that requires emergency care.

These are some of the most common factors that can interrupt a normal pattern of heat cycles. Now, let's talk about what can be done to get a bitch back on track.

Veterinarians can give shots to induce a bitch into season, but they are not guaranteed to work. Vets also do not recommend breeding a bitch on an induced heat. It is only meant to give her a jump start back into a regular cycle of seasons.

Finally, let talk about "white, or silent heats". This is a cycle where no actual bleeding is detected. The cycle passes by so quietly that you may never even notice the bitch has been in and back out again. These seasons are frequently infertile as well.

I hope I've covered sufficient angles for you. If you need more depth information, I highly recommend scheduling a consultation with your vet.

Thanks for your question~~ Kelly.