Dog just went into heat.....a few questions!

[hiki0921]

Hi,
I have a 7 month old lab/shepherd mix female dog that just went into heat. I noticed some swelling and she started to lick the area, and on friday night she started bleeding lightly. My intent is to get her spayed and had planned on doin so within the next few weeks but I guess I was to late. I have read multiple things online saying that it is okay to spay while the dog is in heat, as well as information saying that it is not and can lead to complications. Has anyone had this done before while the dog was in heat? Would you advise me against doin so? Also, how bad will the bleeding get? As of now it isnt bad at all, very light, but I had been warned in the past that it can get pretty nasty. Also, does any know of any low cost clinics/vets in or around DC/Baltimore/Ocean City area that peform the procedure. As I am a broke college student. Thanks in advance!!

[wolfsoul]

Some vets will spay a dog while in heat, others will not. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind this though.

To find a low-price spay/neuter clinic, contact your local humane society and ask them. :)

[Zoom]

First thing to do is to make absolutly sure no males can get to your girl while in heat--this means being extra careful even on walks! NEVER let your dog out of your sight until her heat is over!!!

You can get some doggie sanitary diapers to help with the mess, or even just turn a pair of boy's briefs around so that the hole is where her tail is and use those.

Second, most of what I hear points towards waiting a bit after the heat is done, I think 30 days? before spaying to allow her hormone levels to return to normal. There are vets who do in-heat spays, but I think those should be reserved for emergency situations, like an accidental mating.

Good luck! And do look/contact at your local Humane Society for low-cost spay/neuter programs. I think some will even let you work off the cost of the procedure, thought those are few and far in between.

[SummerRiot]

Zoom is right, You should technically NOT spay your girl until she is completely finished her heat. Her hormonal levels will go outta wack if you try and spay her now.
Instead you get to wait about 30 days for her heat to come to a full stop lol Enjoy it! Our Jada was in heat a few months ago and OMG its a pain! lol

There are female "napkins" you can get for your girl which will help emensley! I suggest getting them when her heat gets worse.

For the bleeding, some dogs are different then others. She may be a "bleeder" she may not be that bad. Our girl wasn't too bad, but did leave some marks in some places. It dependson how she laid down as well. Try and keep her off your furniture unless you'd like a mark :)

[rottnpagan]

To add to the other posts:

Don't assume that a 'diaper' will keep marauding males away either! (Or a fence either!) Dogs can be VERY creative in procreating!

[bubbatd]

I've read that you should wait 3 months until hormones return to normal. I used the jockey shorts too .... my females went from light to heavy .... second week was the worse. WATCH her live a hawk !!!!! NEVER outside alone !!!

[JennSLK]

Emma's brain falls out when she's in heat.

[Renee750il]

Mine both have PMS. They're whiney, needy, clingy, bitchy, snarky, restless and they try to steal chocolate.

Pagan's right. Dogs can be VERY (pro)creative! Charley had an accidental Mastiff/Rottie litter once because there was a knothole in the fence around the kennel :eek: I keep mine on a leash when I take them outside to relieve themselves. Otherwise they are in the house.

And yes, we are all crazy by the time it's over . . .

[lpollockandrsn]

I have assisted in many many spays both in heat and not. It is a much bigger deal to spay a dog in heat and will usually run you quite a bit more money because it is so much more critical.

There is a lot more bleeding because everything is very vascular and active during this time. Tissue is inflamed and enlarged. Many more sutures are placed. It takes quite a bit more time and finese.

The dog will continue to bleed vaginally for a while following the procedure anyway and it is EXTREMELY critical that she remains confined and that there is ZERO chance of her being bred while she is healing.

A male will still think she is in heat because she will still smell that way for a while and anyone that tried to breed her could do serious life threatening harm by attempting to breed to her. He could rupture internal sutures at the cervix and she could bleed internally.

It can be done but I would let her go through heat and let everything settle down for about three months before getting her fixed. It is a lot safer for her. And she will heal a lot faster and feel better sooner. Wait if you can.

Sorry for the gorey detail. I don't know how to be more clear with less visuals.

[Barb04]

I waited 3 months after the heat to spay. Supposedly, it allows the dog's hormones to go back into place.

Good luck with the heat. Mine had bad PMS.... I don't miss not going through another heat.

[rowdy ridgeback]

A dog in heat is a mess. One of mine just went into her second heat. My vet wont spay until 3 months after her heat. Dont be surprised if she stops eating a little bit after her heat is over. They get a little hormonal after it stops. Spay surgery is about $200-$250 for a full grown large breed.

[SizzleDog]

I was lucky - I have an intact male, and for awhile I had an intact female living with me. Welllll... she came into heat, and it was better than I thought it would be. There is still blood spatter on the wall where her crate was (I'll be darned if I can't get that gunk off!) but for the most part it was pretty easy. She had her "BitchesBritches", and I kept the two spearated.

No advice on the spay though - Sunny left my house about a month after her cycle, and she's currently being shown in conformation.