If you own a female puppy you have to prepare yourself for their heat. This is the periodically recurring period in which your female dog can reproduce. Throughout the entire heat, your dog loses secretion over the vagina. Once the vaginal discharge is bloody, your dog hit her puberty. Needless to say, female dogs don’t wear tampons like you may do. However, there is a way to prevent a bloody mess — Diapers for dogs in heat!
How long does it last?
The total duration of your dog’s heat is usually around 3-4 weeks. your dog can go into heat any time between six and twenty four months. A general rule of thumb is that smaller dog breeds go into heat faster than larger ones.
The heat cycle usually happens every six months. The seasonal timing of the two estrus cycles is typically between January and March and August to October.
During heat, your female pup will go through different changes. Not only physically, but mentally too. She may start acting clingy, possessive and seek more attention. At the start of the heat cycle, she may be aggressive towamale dogs. However, during the mating stage she will attract males and look for their attention.
When it comes to physical changes however, the most visible one is the swelling of the vulva. You will notice your dog licking her vulva all the time. Bloody discharge is also very common. However some dogs clean themselves up before their owners even notice any discharge at all.
My dog is now in puberty!
The first heat of a female dog begins at the age of six to twelve months. In terms of her physical and psychological development, the dog is now in the middle of puberty. The age at which the first heat occurs varies greatly depending on the breed. Like we already explained, smaller dog breeds go into the heat cycle faster. That’s because heat starts when your dog reaches her full body weight.
Even before the heat, some changes in the behavior of the bitch can be detected. Many bitches urinate more often than usual. She may become more affectionate and want more attention and cuddles. There are bitches who sleep more than usual but also those who are much more restless than in normal times. And of course, there are also bitches who are hardly impressed by their period and behave in the same way as usual.
How to clean up the bloody mess
If the blood and possible blood stains worry you — we’ve have you covered. You can keep your home clean, however it will require some effort.
Like we already said, some bitches will just clean up herself. However, even if she does that, it’s still possible to find some spots of blood around the house. Especially if your dog shakes her body like after a bath.
If you don’t have carpet floors, it will be relatively easy to simply take a mob and a bucket and clean it up. Lay down an old towel on your dog’s bed and favorite napping spot. But if you want some extra protection, there are diapers for dogs in heat.
Diapers For Dogs In Heat
Many bitches bleed little during the heat and lick the blood immediately. So only a few traces of the discharge can be found in the apartment. However, if you have carpet floors even these few drops can be annoying and make it difficult to remove stains. During sleep, even the cleanest bitches cannot clean themselves and so the sofa, basket or dog bed is also affected. Some bitches lose a lot of blood and others clean themselves less. In order to avoid traces of blood and stains here, you can put protective diapers for dogs in heat on your bitch. The diapers will absorb all of the excess blood and your home will stay clean. You can find a variety of these diapers either in a pet store near you or on Amazon.