BCDreamer Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Psyche went into her first heat cycle yesterday... I wasn't sure about spaying before or after first heats, so we waited, and she eventually came into heat. We'll be watching her very closely, as we have an intact male, and soon after (probably this fall) she'll be getting spayed. I hate having dogs in heat, lol. /rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 I think you need to do more than watch closely. A male can tie with a female in the blink of an eye. Best to keep them completely separated at all times. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Yup and then it's -impossible- to safely untie them. My parents had a 6 month old lab mix (still do, she's 13 now ). Well, the neighbor was stupid and let their unneutered dog run loose because they didn't want him to lose his "manhood." My parents, like you, were under the impression that you needed to wait until the first heat to spay or until the dog was six months. The appointment for her to get spayed was already made when the neighbors dog had dug a hole under our fence, crawled under and was tied to her within 10 minutes (we made the mistake of letting her in the fenced yard w/o watching like we usually did during that time). :/ I kid you not. My parents freaked out yelled at the male dog in our yard, he tried to escape with her tied to him and she was screaming because they couldn't separate. I would rather keep them separate than risk it. It doesn't take long at all. Well, she was still spayed so no puppies anyway. Heh. Fortunately she was also okay after the "tying" incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCDreamer Posted July 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Oh, they'll be kept apart, and she'll also be watched to make sure she doesn't leave our yard. She'll be crated when I'm not home, and if ever they're loose together (which 99% they WONT be), she'll be tied to me, with a pair of panties (diaper my mom made) on. I didn't know about the correct age to spay, really, and was planning on doing it this fall, if she came into heat, fine, if not, fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 "99%" won't be good enough, and "panties" won't either. Simply keep them totally separated all the time, keep her on lead or in a crate in a secure room, and don't let her loose even in the yard but use a lead there as well. It's only three weeks, generally, and well worth the effort. After spaying, there won't be any chance of a breeding and then you can relax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieDog Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 Also keep in mind that dogs can tie through a crate, so make sure there are at least two levels of "protection" between her and your intact boy. That would something like two doors, a door and a crate, a leash and a fence, etc. You may also want to refrain from walking her around your neighborhood as a female in heat can leave a trail for males to follow back to your house, thus causing major issues even for potty walks in your own yard. Also, see some of pansmoms threads about what her vet said about spaying females too close to the end of a heat cycle - apparently you can end up with some funky hormonal stuff if you're not careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizmo Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 I know you haven't had Psyche that long, so it might be good to keep her on leash when you go out if she isn't in a fence area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 I'd keep her on lead outside whether or not she was inside a fence. She can jump and so can a determined male. They can dig, also. Best wishes at making it through the three weeks or so, and getting her to the vet when it's the right time. That will end any worries of this sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCDreamer Posted July 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 For sure she'll be on lead outside. There is NO way I am having Psyche puppies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pansmom Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Also, see some of pansmoms threads about what her vet said about spaying females too close to the end of a heat cycle - apparently you can end up with some funky hormonal stuff if you're not careful. Yeah our board-certified veterinary behaviorist said it's only anecdotal evidence (no proven research studies yet) but she's seen it several times and wants to study the fact that spaying too soon after heat can simulate whelping (due to the hormonal change it causes, the drop in progestin I believe compared to the higher estrogen or something) and causes maternal aggression-like symptoms in the dog (territorial, resource guarding, only there are no puppies so it gets practiced on kennels, toys, food, you name it). This can go away when the hormones stabilize but may not if the behavior has been at all reinforced (which unfortunately it was in our case). Of course this wasn't Pan's only problem but it was one big component. And what's worse is vets don't like to prescribe progestin to fix the problem. Even at the end, when I was kind of begging for it, Dr. Haug didn't want to give it to me because it causes diabetes and lots of problems, dogs don't tolerate it well and you may get behavioral problems fixed but then have the dog develop severe diabetes or other serious health problems within a year. So anyway wait three months after the heat cycle is over to avoid this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 And....... realize that she could be back in heat, redy to breed in September, or October. Seven years ago my dog had her first heat in February, and surprised me with puppies in June. Be cautious and observant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 And....... realize that she could be back in heat, redy to breed in September, or October. Seven years ago my dog had her first heat in February, and surprised me with puppies in June. Be cautious and observant. Sounds like a split heat cycle, which is more common the first time they come into heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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