I never had a female in heat so I'm not sure, but it sure sounds like it. One of my neighbors is a breeder, and if I'm not mistaken I think she says it lasts around 3 weeks? Eight months also sounds like the common age for this to occur, so I'd say there's a good chance that she is in heat. Ask your vet, but I think you could probably get her done directly afterward, which should take you right up to February. Vets will actually spay them while they are in heat, but they don't recommend it because there is a greater chance of complications.
Beagle in heat?!
I'm wondering if my beagle puppy (now 8 months - Molly) is coming into heat. I know this may seem stupid but my older dog was spayed as soon as we got her and only ever had males before that so not much experience with this. I noticed a couple of (small) drops of what looks like blood on her bedding this morning but haven't noticed anything else different or any more blood anywhere. My older female dog (Leah) seems to be a bit more grumpy than usual and a bit more aggressive with Molly but this could just be coincidence. We asked the vet about getting her done a couple fo months ago and then again last month and she advised us to wait a month or two as Molly looks a little 'young' in that area so we are planning on getting her booked in for February, but if she comes into season before then do we need to wait 3 months before we can get her done? I think I heard that somewhere. Thanks for any advice.
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It kinda sounds like it to me. My collie had her first heat at 9 months. Is she swollen around that area? I am surprised your vet wanted to wait. My female dogs and cats have all been spayed at 6 months if I had them from babies. You can have her spayed while she is in heat but it is risky and sometimes more expensive. Make sure you only take her out under supervision if you don't want to risk puppies.
It's better to wait but if you can not keep her on a 6ft leash and keep male intact dogs away from her then I suggest looking into doing it sooner rather then later. Be advise also that dogs are known to injure themselves to mate.
Just keep her safe and maybe consider another vet. Any dog over 8 weeks is fine to be spayed. If he couldn't do that then he should have helped you find someone who can. I would be livid to have to have my dog go through that when I didn't want it to happen. Good luck, just keep her safe and you should be fine.
The Normal Canine Estrous Cycle
Just keep her safe and maybe consider another vet. Any dog over 8 weeks is fine to be spayed. If he couldn't do that then he should have helped you find someone who can. I would be livid to have to have my dog go through that when I didn't want it to happen. Good luck, just keep her safe and you should be fine.
The Normal Canine Estrous Cycle
One of my neighbors has 2 intact males and 5 intact females. ( Cavaliers, a Toy Spaniel a Brussels Griffon a French Bulldog and a Japanese
Chin.) She consistently keeps them separated when the females are in heat and she says it's not that hard to do. If she can do this with that many dolgs(and they are ALL inside house dogs), it shouldn't be that difficult with one female for one heat cycle. I would not get her spayed while in heat if I were you. ( If I knew how to do the cut and paste thing I would post articles) but you are putting her more at risk for complications if she's in heat during the spay. They are now spaying and neutering cats and dogs as young as 8 weeks, but this was implemented primarily by the shelters because of the pet population explosion. Studies never followed these animals LONG term. Again, if I wasn't computer illiterate I would post articles where they HAVE done studies. Shelter pets are considered a "population". Your Beagle is your private pet. I would never spay or neuter BEFORE 6 months of age. I feel you did the right thing by waiting. Just keep a watch on her for the next 3 weeks and get her spayed in February as you had planned. I'll send a pizza to your house if during this time your house is surrounded by throngs of crazed male dogs or if your dog goes completely bonkers in an attempt to get to them. I discovered with my neighbors dogs that this is NOT what will trasnpire! Also, your vet is probably a GOOD vet. He or she may be aware of the new studies about long term side effects of early neuter spay and therefore may have recommended waiting.
Chin.) She consistently keeps them separated when the females are in heat and she says it's not that hard to do. If she can do this with that many dolgs(and they are ALL inside house dogs), it shouldn't be that difficult with one female for one heat cycle. I would not get her spayed while in heat if I were you. ( If I knew how to do the cut and paste thing I would post articles) but you are putting her more at risk for complications if she's in heat during the spay. They are now spaying and neutering cats and dogs as young as 8 weeks, but this was implemented primarily by the shelters because of the pet population explosion. Studies never followed these animals LONG term. Again, if I wasn't computer illiterate I would post articles where they HAVE done studies. Shelter pets are considered a "population". Your Beagle is your private pet. I would never spay or neuter BEFORE 6 months of age. I feel you did the right thing by waiting. Just keep a watch on her for the next 3 weeks and get her spayed in February as you had planned. I'll send a pizza to your house if during this time your house is surrounded by throngs of crazed male dogs or if your dog goes completely bonkers in an attempt to get to them. I discovered with my neighbors dogs that this is NOT what will trasnpire! Also, your vet is probably a GOOD vet. He or she may be aware of the new studies about long term side effects of early neuter spay and therefore may have recommended waiting.
PS. Although I have always s/n my animals at 6 months, I do that because if it can be avoided I don't want to be bothered with even a minor inconvenience of heat cycles. BUT that being said, it actually IS a NORMAL part of a female mamal's life! There would be no cats, dogs, or other pets if it never occured. So I don't see how going through ONE heat cycle can be such a horrendous experience for the DOG. In our modern society we have sanitized, genetically altered, etc,etc,etc, until we are all so out of touch with the "natural" world that we've become a bunch of wimps. And I am including MYSELF in with the bunch of humanity!
Update....well not had anymore blood/swelling or anything since them couple of dots so maybe it was a false alarm and me being overcautious?! Not sure but I have booked her in to be spayed and chipped for mid Feb. Hopefully she wont come into heat before then as my vet wont do it until 6 weeks after she has finished....I've had a couple of vets and I do trust this one and find her very careful and friendly so I trust her judgement on when to spay her. Thanks for all the replies !! If she comes into heat properly I'm sure I'll have more questions!
Good deal! She will do just fine and will be a great age to get spayed. Even if she IS in heat now-one heat cycle will NOT devastate her, traumatize her, OR kill her!!
I know a lot of people who think a female dog should go through at least 1 heat cycle before they get spayed. Not me though. I don't want to take any chances. I got my collie from someone who tried to breed her on her first heat but it didn't work so he (wrongly) assumed she couldn't have puppies. She did get pregnant on her second heat and had 6 puppies. They were adorable and fun but way too much work and I had to find homes for them, not an easy task. She was spayed right after that. Never again if I can help it.
I know a lot of people who think a female dog should go through at least 1 heat cycle before they get spayed. Not me though. I don't want to take any chances. I got my collie from someone who tried to breed her on her first heat but it didn't work so he (wrongly) assumed she couldn't have puppies. She did get pregnant on her second heat and had 6 puppies. They were adorable and fun but way too much work and I had to find homes for them, not an easy task. She was spayed right after that. Never again if I can help it.
I have never had any animal go in heat either, and I'm not advocating that anyone do that. I'm just saying that if this dog did happen to go into heat a month before her scheduled spay surgery, the world will not end, the dog will not be traumatized for life or in extreme tortorous agony. If they are aware that she could be in heat, just watch her closely, don't let her out unattended,etc, and everything will be fine until next month when she is spayed. I have a friend, who is also a neighbor with intact dogs. They never mate unless she plans it, and it's been about 2 years since she's had a litter. I've never seen her dogs loose at any time and I've never seen dogs hanging around her house-i.e. males that smell a female in heat. I'm sure this DOES happen, but from what I observe it is not a frenzied given that this will always occur. I always get my pets spay/neutered at 6 months because I am too lazy to bother with heat cycles or potential male urinating in the house. But recent studies make me wonder if it wouldn't be better for their long term health to wait a few months. I would much rather do that than get them done say at 8 weeks. If I wasn't technology challenged I would cut, paste, and post up a storm about the studies on this subject.
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