The ladydog and being on heat

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ScarletSci
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ScarletSci »

Whelp (haha!) Pixie has started her third season, and she's now rapidly approaching two years old, but would be just shy of two years at the ideal neutering time. So I'm thinking of holding off on neutering her until after her forth season. I don't want to get the timing wrong, when holding off a bit longer seems a better idea. As you guys have said, once it's done, there's no undoing it.

The first two seasons you'd have barely known she was in season - she was exceptionally clean, and it was hard to see the swollen vulva since she has the spaniel feathering in that area. I have to sneak peeks when playing and she rolls on her back! I almost missed noticing this one since dad had been using wood-stain on wood in the garden, and her feathering got some red staining on it, but then found some spots on the floor, got her to roll and saw the discharge and swelling, and some slight behavioural changes clued me in.

Just want to reassure potential entire ***** owners who are worried that it's not always a nightmare. Pixie has been exceptionally easy, and we haven't had problems with other dogs walking her, or with our neutered male dog (yet). We just watch them more closely, keep her closer when on walks and away from other dogs unless on lead, and so far, no problems. She hasn't gone through a noticeable phantom pregnancy - but is it possible that I'm just missing signs? She doesn't ever mope, or coddle toys, she's much more inclined to chew things to shreds than cuddle them! And not in a nesting way. Perhaps since this heat is much more obvious than the previous ones, she'll have one after this season.

This heat seems noticeably different though from the last ones. The discharge is much more, she's tiring more easily (the hot weather could be contributing to that though), and she's more clingy and licky than normal, although happy enough in herself. She seems a lot more mature. Since she's still technically an adolescent, I'm thinking waiting for another cycle might see yet more maturity, so worth waiting again do you think?
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Nettle
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by Nettle »

I reckon you'd be fine to neuter after this season. Sounds as if it a real grown-up one.

Remember the raspberry leaf tablets will help keep the flow moving, and some Bach crab apple in her water dish will help also.

Some false pregnanies are almost unnoticable, some are very obvious. Looks as if you are getting the first sort. :)
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ScarletSci
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ScarletSci »

Phew, thanks Nettle! Seeing how different this heat is to the previous ones, I'm glad I waited to have her neutered. She's obviously going through a phase in her development that wouldn't have happened if I'd neutered her at six months like everyone was telling me to do.

Must admit, I'm apprehensive about having her done at all. I've never worried too much when having one of our animals neutered before, I know it's a relatively safe operation. But this time, I'm really nervous about getting the timing wrong, or having something go wrong. She does need to be done though, since she's at my parents house, and I don't know how long it'll be before I can have her full time again.

Essential because it was luck that I happened to be here when she came into season, and after mum and I discussed it last night, she must have emphasised to my dad during the night that he needs to keep a closer eye when walking her. He tends to daydream or get caught up chatting with other dog walkers and not keep a close eye on the dogs. Today, he's saying it's too risky to walk her, and doesn't want to take her out. Clearly that can't happen because of the risk of pyro, so I'll be staying for the duration of her season so I can exercise her 1-1. I also think if dad walked her and the worst happened and she got into a tie with a dog, he'd try to break the tie without thinking. Best if I stay so I can take her out alone at off-peak times and keep her on the long line.

Gonna be a long commitment to stay her all the way through, but easier knowing it'll be her last season, and I can see how it progresses and when it finishes and get the timing right for the spay. That'll be around October, a month shy of her two year birthday. I'm gonna be a nervous wreck when she goes in for that!
Anatine
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by Anatine »

I think Quorra must be coming into heat as well, it's been 6 months since she had her first (at 8 months old) and she's starting to act differently.
Outside she is peeing more often, her nose is often to the ground sniffing, and she is struggling to listen to us out on walks; much like her first heat. She is also more obedient and subduded inside, she's spending a lot of time on her bed, and is carrying stuff to her bed, which she'll then cuddle.
I'm not dreading it much this time as we now know she is quite a clean *****, and we already walk her off peak in the summer: it's much too hot during the day to go out for walks, and so we don't go out till about 9 at night, whilst everyone else seems to like walking their dogs in the middle of the day.

Hopefully Quorra will have another jump in maturity like she did with her first season. And that will help us to convince OH's mum to put off Quorra's spay for another year.
ClareMarsh
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ClareMarsh »

I've not been around much as I'm semi obsessed with gardening at the moment having never had a garden of my own before. Anyway, I digress.

Ella started her first season on Thursday (so we're on day 4), she's 10 and a half months old, so much for tiny breeds coming in really early :wink: . Apart from marking a little more than normal on walks (around 4 times instead of twice) and having swollen lady parts, the main indicator that it had started was Ted :lol: She's keeping herself really clean so there's almost no marks on bedding etc which is handy as our entire house is carpeted :roll:

As I'd hoped Ted has enough experience to know that she's more interesting but he's doing no more than a good thorough sniff check of her first thing on a morning and a few more short sniff checks during the day than he would ordinarily do and diligently tasting her pee :lol: but that's it. So at the moment all I'm having to do is separate them when I'm out of the room otherwise they're still playing (although I stop what I'm doing and watch them) and are otherwise normal with each other.

I'm not kidding myself that the middle part isn't going to be a nightmare but at least Ted knows there's nothing doing right now :D All my xpens and crates are ready for when we go on lock down, wish me luck 8)
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Nettle
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by Nettle »

Good luck - been there, and it's not as daunting as it seems right now :wink: I actually found my male dog so useful in the first week of a heat, because he'd march beside his byotch with such a swagge rthat other dogs didn't usually come close enough to investigate :lol: The fertile days and just after do concentrate the mind, and many times I wished I'd somewhere to board him, but they soon pass.

Growded up girlie, little Ella! 8)
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ClareMarsh
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ClareMarsh »

Me again :D So she's not following the typical pattern of becoming fertile around day 10 ...

Day 11 and we're still in the same "place" we were back on day one. Ted is still interested in checking her and tasting her wee but that's it. She has not shown any interest in him. She's not bleeding as much as she was at the start but her lady bits are still very swollen. Could this be a split season (even though Ted is checking her diligently) or just a long time to get to the fertile part, or just a bit drawn out as the first season?

Of course it doesn't matter as it's not like I can change anything about it. I just bring them downstairs each morning to let them out for a wee and think "right, here we go today will be the day" and errrr nothing changes :lol:
Last edited by ClareMarsh on Sun Sep 21, 2014 3:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Proud owner of Ted and baby Ella
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Nettle
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by Nettle »

This is a textbook season - as she proceeds into ovulation (10 days onwards, though some ovulate much later and catch you out) her vulva becomes very swollen and soft, and often (but not always) the red discharge lessens and turns straw-coloured.
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ClareMarsh
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ClareMarsh »

Thanks Nettle :D Will keep you updated on our progress :lol:
Proud owner of Ted and baby Ella
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ClareMarsh
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ClareMarsh »

Just for anyone reading this, the pattern Ella has followed isn't the "normal" one of becoming fertile around day 10, her fertile period has started ALOT later.

Day 16, from day 14 to now there have been a couple of times each day where I've had to "move Ted along, nothing to see here" because he's been flirting with her, biting her ear etc. Obviously I nip this in the bud immediately. They're now not left alone together even for a moment if I step out the room but I'm still fine having them out when I'm around (they're asleep on the sofa right now).

I can't quite work out if she's almost ready, she did get a bit giddy yesterday and tried to mount Ted (who said I don't think so little missy :lol: ) but other than that it's like she has no clue what's going on. She is a little overwhelmed at Ted's flirting even.

I did laugh yesterday when we walked past someone's house and their dog appeared at the gate (we walk past their house most days and I've never seen him before). He initially was barking then his nose went skyward, then he tried to follow us. Which involved him climbing up onto the wall and then spending a long time debating between the lady he could smell and the drop he was facing. In the end (thank goodness) the drop was too much for him and I left him perched on his new lookout :lol: It is yet another reason not to leave your dog in the garden unattended though!

Edited (13 Sept) to add: She was almost ready :lol: Last night I had to xpen her because Ted wouldn't leave her alone. He was ok on night time pre bed wees and fine through the night (she sleeps in a crate), fine on this morning's wake up wee (but not ok once back in the house) and they were totally fine together on their walk (Stuart came with me so he could take Ella if we had problems). Ella still really has no clue what's going on and finds Ted's interest overwhelming (NOT that I'm just letting them have it obviously).

SO Ella is now on x-pen lock down with 2 8 sided puppy pens making an bigger area round her pen. That way I have a no mans land if I'm out of the room for long but as long as I'm around she's got the bigger area to be in (although right now she wants to come to me and Ted is lying right by her on the other side of the pen!). He's doing a bit of crying but we'll see how we go. I certainly can't complain at either of them's behaviour up to today (day 17).

Edited (again!) (14 September) to add: Day 18 and they now can't be together at all. We set out together on this morning's walk and were ok for 10 minutes then Stuart took Ella and I took Ted. Ella still has no clue what is going on but Ted is certain he does :lol: I zipped her into her crate last night (I don't usually) and periodically in the night he checked she was still in there :lol: I managed to get a half decent walk out of him and now (after a period of crying from Ted) they're settled with Ted on the sofa and Ella in her extended run. I am going to have to figure out the best way to walk them separately, it seems Ted likes to know WHERE Ella is or he can't relax.

Day 19 (15 September): So much for figuring out the best way to walk them separately :roll: I set out first with Ted, we got all of 500 meters or so and then that was enough and he really needed to get back to make sure Ella was where he left her :lol: OH had instructions to take Ella the other way, so I decided to just go find them, given he set off just after us we caught up quickly. One thing I messed up on socialising Ella was sending her out with OH on walks on her own, so she's only fine without Ted if I'm there. So although their walk was going "ok" he said she was really looking to see who was around (no one at 5:30 :lol: ) and where we were. So it turns out the best way to walk them is on lead together, with about a 2 meter gap, yep it's that precise. Further away and Ted is concerned someone is going to take his b tch and closer and he was raring to go. But at that distance he was "fine" walking reasonably nicely on lead, sniffing etc, just a bit more frenzied than usual. Although all this IS a pain it's no where near as bad as I thought it would be, Ted just needs to be able to see Ella, we have a handful of 10 minute crying sessions a day and that's it. Although so far I'm assisted by the fact that Ella is not frisky at all :D

Day 20 (16 September): Ted lost his mind a bit last night (day 3 of her being ready) but today was back to how he has been the last couple of days. So a few bouts of crying but nothing more.

Day 21 was more of the same. Today (day 22) this morning I've been able to let Ted off lead on our walk and he was fine, although I can't let him near her in the house/garden. So we're back to where we at the start of the fertile period so I'm hoping that we're nearly through the worst of it and normal service will resume soon :D

Day 22 (day 6 of my separating them) and I have had them both out playing with me in the garden. Ted is still a bit interested so it was only for 5 minutes but the flirt pole was more interesting than Ella :D She's back in her extended pen but tonight I am hoping she can come out on the sofa for a cuddle whilst we're watching TV without too much bother.

Day 23 wouldn't have been too bad but Ella was poorly (not season related) so they were separated mostly anyway.

Day 24 and provided someone is with them they can be together, they just need close supervision if they decide to play but right now they're both asleep on the sofa with me :D

Overall it wasn't too bad at all, just the last bit to go through and total normality can return :D
Last edited by ClareMarsh on Sun Sep 21, 2014 3:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
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ClareMarsh
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ClareMarsh »

Just bumping this up as I've finished my little diary now if anyone is interested :lol:
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Nettle
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by Nettle »

It'll be useful info for others :)
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gwd
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by gwd »

Nettle wrote:It'll be useful info for others :)
Yes........... but it's worth noting that Ella did not follow the book on her fertile days. She'd certainly be a late breeder. 'prime' days vary by b*tch and I'd not want someone else to think day 11 was "safe" as it may not be for their girl......
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ClareMarsh
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by ClareMarsh »

gwd wrote:
Nettle wrote:It'll be useful info for others :)
Yes........... but it's worth noting that Ella did not follow the book on her fertile days. She'd certainly be a late breeder. 'prime' days vary by b*tch and I'd not want someone else to think day 11 was "safe" as it may not be for their girl......
gwd, that is an excellent point, I'll go in and edit my diary to make this clearer :D

It will be interesting to see if she follows the same pattern next time (although I am in NO rush for the next one :lol: :lol: :lol: )
Proud owner of Ted and baby Ella
My blog about Ted http://tinkerwolf.com/
Ted's Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Tinkerwolf
Ted's You Tube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTedVids
bendog
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Re: The ladydog and being on heat

Post by bendog »

Poppy's last season started around the 22-24th Jan (can't remember exactly)

She's been very mopey the last week or two - and looks quite fat - would this tie in with a phantom pregnancy around now?
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