Dogs in heat... I have a question...

[critters]

My 9 month old blood hound came in heat in October but now , 2 months later she is showing signs of a second heat. Is this possible? I've raised dogs all my life and breed some of them over the years but have never been faced with this....?
Is it possible? My males are all over her, so I've put her in seclusion ... Any opinions?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Are you sure she was definitely in heat the first time? It is unlikely, though not impossible. However, diestrus in a dog generally lasts longer than that and then dogs must undergo a period of anestrus before their next estrus.

I would be a bit concerned about the possibility of pyometra though, and I would consider bringing her in for a vet checkup. They could very easily tell you if she is in heat from a vaginal cytology (by looking at slides under a microscope) and they will be able to rule out something really serious like pyometra (which can have signs such as increased attractiveness to male dogs). If she begins to run a fever, acts lethargic, or develops discharge from the vulva or mammary glands you should bring her into the vet ASAP.

 

[critters]

Thank you... With her first heat I never saw blood just a slight red/brown discharge of sorts and only saw that when I would wipe her. Not much in the line of swelling but that is also hard to tell because she has an inverted vulva. Maybe this is the real deal?

 

[dainerra]

she could have had a split heat. I'd have her checked out. sometimes young females can make you think that they've gone into heat but it's a "false start"

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would probably just bring her in for a check up at the vet to be sure. It's never a bad idea for an estrus checkup anyway, especially if you plan to breed her in the future.

 

[critters]

I will take her to get checked out..
Thank you!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Sounds like a good plan! Let us know what the vet says! I'm curious to hear the conclusion.

 

[samantha LW]

Spay her. Neuter your boys. Not only is this healthier for your pets, but greatly lessens the chances of infections and many types of cancer, in the long run it will save you money on food as they require less food to keep weight. It will also help with behaviors like wondering, digging, and aggression. And most importantly the over population of dogs in the South. Hounds are one of the top breeds in shelters along with pits. I don't know about Virginia's laws but here in order to except money for a dog you must be a registered breeder or rescue. Now you are talking about licensing through the Department of Agriculture and inspections, and fees.Also, you won't have to worry about heat cycles (gross) and unwanted litters. Just my two cents.

 

[dainerra]

Spay her. Neuter your boys. Not only is this healthier for your pets, but greatly lessens the chances of infections and many types of cancer, in the long run it will save you money on food as they require less food to keep weight. It will also help with behaviors like wondering, digging, and aggression. And most importantly the over population of dogs in the South. Hounds are one of the top breeds in shelters along with pits. I don't know about Virginia's laws but here in order to except money for a dog you must be a registered breeder or rescue. Now you are talking about licensing through the Department of Agriculture and inspections, and fees.Also, you won't have to worry about heat cycles (gross) and unwanted litters. Just my two cents.

actually, spaying/neutering before physical maturity INCREASES the chances of many cancers as well as increases the risk of joint issues, muscle injuries (especially torn ACLs).
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10498

also, altered animals don't eat less than intact animals. Metabolism and many other factors play a much bigger role in how many calories to keep a dog at a proper weight than hormones.

wandering, digging and aggression are much more training issues than horemone issues.

Unwanted litters are actually not that hard to avoid. Responsible breeders do it day in and day out without an issue.

 

[samantha LW]

actually, spaying/neutering before physical maturity INCREASES the chances of many cancers as well as increases the risk of joint issues, muscle injuries (especially torn ACLs).
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10498

also, altered animals don't eat less than intact animals.    Metabolism and many other factors play a much bigger role in how many calories to keep a dog at a proper weight than hormones.

wandering, digging and aggression are much more training issues than horemone issues.      

Unwanted litters are actually not that hard to avoid.   Responsible breeders do it day in and day out without an issue.

The AVMA, ASPCA, AHA, and many others disagree with you and that one study quite a bit. But I do agree that responsible breeders avoid unwanted litters everyday. The question was from just a dog owner. Spaying her is the easiest safest way, she will be feeding her less as they do require less food without needing all the energy to go into hormones and reproduction. I have never bred dogs but we bred horses and the mares required proper nutrition that was different and MORE than the other horses.And fixing does help with behavior issues, but all dogs require training.