LoveToKnow Dogs:AllComments

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Hi Tonya,

If your dog's heat cycle was about as long as the average cycle, she should be just about finished. There are a couple of things you can check to try to determine if she's really finished.

Take a white tissue and wipe her vulva to check for any pink discharge. If you see it, she's not quite out of heat yet. You can check this a couple of different times since discharging is a bit intermittent toward the end of the cycle.
Check to make sure the vulva is not longer swollen. You're looking for a return or near return to normal size.
Finally, give your dog a bath to help wash away any residual scent from the heat cycle.

Once all of these things are noted, you can begin taking you dog back out as usual.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

It has been 21 days since I first noticed that my dog was in heat by seening blood on the floor. When do I know that it is safe to take her out in public to places where other dogs will be?

-- Contributed by: Tonya

Hi Niya,

This doesn't sound normal to me. A female should not be swollen for two months prior to coming in heat. The best thing you can do is check in with your vet about what's going on and schedule an appointment for exam.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

my female boxer is 5yrs. old and she is currently in heat over what i asuming is her heat. she has been swollen for about 2 months now, and has just started to have a discharge that is a milky red color and seems be a lot comming out. she has also lost a lot of weigh. is this normal

-- Contributed by: miya

Hi Cindy,

If I understand you correctly, your dog is panting while she sleeps? Some panting is likely normal because it could just mean your dog is experiencing some cramping due to her heat cycle. However, I've never had a dog pant while sleeping, so perhaps you should check in with your vet to find out whether your dog should be examined. In the meantime, you can take your dog's rectal temperature at home to see if it is above normal. Dogs normally range between 100-101 degrees F. Anything above this would be considered elevated. If you dog's temperature is running a bit high, it will be all the more reason to give your vet a call to schedule an exam.

Thanks for your question, and I hope this information helps.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My dog is about to be five years old and she went into heat about a day ago. Usually she is ok when she goes into heat, a bit clingy and what not, but today she is panting a lot when she is sleeping and when awake. I don't know if panting that much is normal. She also has a warm nose. Her appetite is still there but I'm a tad worried about the panting.

-- Contributed by: Cindy

Hi Ashlee,

The heat cycle varies a bit from one dog to the next, so it's a little difficult to really say what is normal and what isn't. Typically a female will have blood discharge during that first week and lighten up considerably during the second week. By the third week, some bleeding resumes, but it tapers off.

Some females are extremely light bleeders, and if they are meticulous about keeping themselves clean, you'll see little to no discharge. There are also "white" heats that don't seem to produce any discharge and "silent" heats that don't produce any noticible changes at all.

All of that said, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Your female is probably having some light discharge this first time around. Her second cycle may be a bit more typical. Just continue to keep your male separate from her because she could still conceive if she's bred.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My 9 1/2 month old female is in the 2nd week of her 1st heat cycle and I haven't noticed any bleeding at all but her vulva is very swollen. We are keeping our male (intact) seperated from her....which is driving him crazy(and me too, b/c of the whining and howling), we plan on neutering him soon. Is that normal for her first heat?

-- Contributed by: Ashlee

Hi Dani, and welcome to the site.

On the whole, it's not that unusual. Some females continue to discharge a little on the heavy side all the way through the heat cycle. One of my JRTs is in season right now, and she never lightened up during that second week. Just as a cycle can vary amongst women, it varies amongst dogs. Now whether or not that has an effect on your dog's ovulation, I can't say. You'd have to ask your vet to take smears to check for that, but since you're not looking to breed her, I wouldn't worry about it at this point. Just keep an eye on your male in case he suddenly become interested in breeding.

Thanks for your question, and I hope this info puts your mind at ease. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

hi, my lil girl is on day 14 of her first cycle she is 1 yr, she is bleeding really heavy and our male entact male has no interest in her which is a gud thing at the moment. however is it normal for a ... to stay in stage 1 for longer than a week

-- Contributed by: dani

Hi Pphnker, and welcome.

It sounds like your dog may not have had a full heat cycle that first time around. Some females have a little trouble getting into a regular cycle when they first begin. For now, it's nothing to worry about, and she'll probably settle into a regular cycle from this point on. If she doesn't, you'll want to talk to your vet about what's going on. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

18th month old lab came into heat 1st time at 17 months then again at 18 months (approx 2 weeks later) what is going on?? is this normal?

-- Contributed by: 1st and 2nd heat cycle 2 weeks apart!

Hi Trina, and welcome to the site.

I think our article on Dog Heat Cycle and Breeding has exactly the information you need, but don't hesitate to ask more questions if you need to after you read it. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

how long does it take a female min. pincher stay in heat. does the male dog keep mate while in heat..

-- Contributed by: trina

Hi Kathy, great question.

Actually, dogs do not go through menopause. They can have heat cycles their entire lives. Although I don't advocate it, I do know of a German Shepherd female that delivered a litter at 12 years old.

There are things that can affect the frequency of heat cycles as a female ages. Medical conditions and stress can cause at least temporary interruptions in cycles.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I was wondering does a female dog go thru a menopause do they stop having heats?

-- Contributed by: kathy

Hi Gary,

The colors you describe and the way they have changed from red to a darker reddish brown as she goes out of season sound quite normal. Some females give off a stronger odor than others, and this can be reduced by washing her rear quarter. If you try this and the odor is still very strong, it may be a good idea to run it past your vet just to be on the safe side.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

What is the normal 'color' of the vaginal discharge during the heat cycle? I have a young female (16 mos) who is having her first cycle now and the discharge was a nice red for about 1-1/2 weeks or so but has now turned a darker color (more of a reddish-brown) and is somewhat smelly. She is in the house most of the time and wears pants is why I am noticing the difference in color. We had a female who had pyometra once and don't want to go through that again, but also don't want to rush her off to the vet for nothing. Thank you in advance.

-- Contributed by: Gary

Hi Wish,

We're glad you found the info useful. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Thanks for the information it has told me everything I wanted to know to deal with my girls first heat awesome!!

-- Contributed by: Wish

Hi Susan,

Some females swell so little and discharge so lightly that it is possible to miss they are in season. This is typically referred to as a silent heat. That said, if the male was interested in breeding her, you would have likely seen him pestering her and generally acting anxious to be around her.

Have you noticed any signs of pregnancy? You can check for them in the following articles.

For now, keep watching for signs she is coming into heat, as well as signs of pregnancy. You can also consult your vet, since a blood test would reveal her current hormone levels and give some indication of what's going on.

Thanks for your question, and I hope everything works out for you.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

CAN A DOG BECOME PREGNANT WITHOUT US KNOWING SHE WAS EVER IN HEAT I HAVE A PUG IT IS HER THRID HEAT CYCLE WE HAVE HAD THE MALE WITH US THE WHOLE TIME SHE WAS DUE TO GO INTO HEAT ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 20 AND WE HAVE SEEN NOTHING PLEASE HELP.

-- Contributed by: SUSAN

Hi Iggycarm,

Unfortunately, your female's scent is going to drive the other dogs wild. I don't recommend letting her around the males unprotected, so if possible, you'll want to pick up a pair of doggie britches to put on her for the party. These are made of vinyl, and they have a slot to insert a little pad or folded tissue. They strap on over your female's behind and snap together. There is a slot for the tail, but the vulva is fully covered. You can probably find them at Petco or another pet supply store.

This is the best way to provide your female with some protection, but it's not fool-proof. A determined male could probably pull it off or chew his way through, so you'll still want to keep a close eye on your female until all of your canine guests leave.

Thanks for your question, and I hope this suggestion proves useful for you. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I'm afraid my little Italian Greyhound may have just begun going into her first heat today, of all days!! I have 13 other IGGy's coming over for a Howl-O-Wee Party. too late to cancel! What can I do????? We noticed just a slight discharge tonight and very infreqently....do you think it's safe for her to be with the other IGGIES tomorrow night??? I have a couple of boy Iggies coming, and don't know if they are fixed. I sure don't want to spoil everyones fun, but I do not want my 8 pound little girl pregnant! She suffered a broken leg about 8 mo9nths ago, and the vet told us to put spaying on the back burner......please help!!!!

-- Contributed by: IGGYCARM@YAHOO.COM

Hi Chris, and welcome to the site.

Yes, this is often referred to as a silent heat, and many females are not fertile during this kind of a heat cycle. There's also a chance that your dog isn't at the right time of her cycle to encourage mating. My advice is to keep watching to see if either dog's attitude changes in the coming days. Most females will become flirtatious with the male during the second week of the three week cycle.

Thanks for your question, and I hope things work out for you. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My male German Shepherd liked to mate my Rott female when she was on heat. I did not allow it and bought him a female GS instead. She is now on heat, but he doesn't seem to be interested. Is there anything like dry heat when is discharge is minimum and the aroma is not as strong as it is supposed to be? Thank you, Chris

-- Contributed by: Chris : Dry heat?
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