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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

First season????

24 replies

HookedOnHooking · 24/04/2016 17:03

Pup is 6 months and I suspect just starting her first season. V licky and other dog (de-bollocked) is very interested in her.

Not having had a bitch before I am unprepared. What do I need to know/do?

She's also puked a couple of times today. Just watery and not otherwise I'll.

OP posts:
Original poster
HookedOnHooking · 24/04/2016 17:05

Do I walk her as normal?

OP posts:
Noitsnotteatimeyet · 24/04/2016 17:56

If she's in season you definitely don't walk her as normal

There are some useful tips here - it's a site aimed at lab owners but the advice is standard no matter what your dog's breed

Original poster
HookedOnHooking · 24/04/2016 18:32

Thanks. Thought it would be unwise to walk her.
BoyDog is driving me nuts but she is just ignoring him. Please say this won't go on for weeks o know it will but humour me

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Deadnettle · 24/04/2016 18:53

We are on day 13 of my pups first season. Like you we've not had a bitch before but tbh its not been too bad.

Pup is a miniature poodle so is small, the mess hasn't been that bad and she is cleaning up after herself well.

She has had no walks at all and hasn't minded as she hates walks and is lazy! We have been playing games and doing training.

She felt a bit rubbish the first 5 days and was sick on friday but has otherwise been her lazy self.

I have watched her every second she has been outside as an intact male puppy lives next door and she will continue to be watched until the swelling has gone down.

Shriek · 25/04/2016 16:25

bitches can vary enormously during their season and beyond. First season can be a bit more troublesome than subsequent ones. They can be a bit whiney or weird and not quite themselves or you might not notice any change, apart from some slight swelling, others will swell alarmingly. Teats might be pinker and would normally expand from puppy size. Some are sick, some are clingy, others bounce around as normal and pissed off they're not allowed out for a walk for weeks on end! Good to know other bitch to invite round during this time for playdates to keep her spirits up and mind otherwise engaged. Normally you will start to see other signs of growing up too, such as standing up for themselves somewhat more as most pups will be very puppy when meeting other dogs and submitting to them this might start to change, and being more teerritorial around the house/grounds/barking etc.

Some bleed desperately heavily and don't clean after themselves! Others spend days and nights noisily cleaning eveerything in sight and keep themselves and everything else spotless.

They will 'open' internally and advice is to keep away from water at this time... normally fully 'open' anytime from the first week to the third and is their furtile time, but this can only be checked by doing an internal (if you know what to 'feel' for). So to be on the safe side keep them in the entire time in case you missed the 'first' day. Count the number of days of the cycle and then after one month you can tell if they are going into phantom pregnancy as mammaries will continue to expand and digging/being sick and other pregnancy signs would be displayed up until the date that pups would be due and then they might lactate and carry toys/nest, etc.

A brief summary for you.. i hope its helpful!

lulucappuccino · 25/04/2016 16:26

Will this improve when the dogs are spayed?

Shriek · 25/04/2016 16:42

which bit? without the hormones there won't be any season... so no bleed, no opening, no phantom.

Deadnettle · 25/04/2016 16:43

Count the number of days of the cycle and then after one month you can tell if they are going into phantom pregnancy

Shriek I'm fairly sure my bitch is furtile now, does this mean that in a month from now rather than the start of her season is when a phantom will happen or not?

Shriek · 25/04/2016 17:09

count the numbeer of days from day 1 of season (first sight of blood), she will be furtile mid-ish season, but one month from first day will see whether she will continue into phantom or not.. is that any clearer?

Deadnettle · 25/04/2016 17:14

Yes, thank you Shriek. We are currently on day 14 and I can't wait for it to be over!

Original poster
HookedOnHooking · 27/04/2016 08:25

Thanks shriek. Very helpful. GirlyDog is absolutely fine. BoyDog is being a git and won't leave her alone. He may need to go on holiday for a few days

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Shriek · 28/04/2016 09:47

as she grows she should learn to grow into her breeches and tell him off Hooked !

but, for some boys it can literally drive them to distraction, weight loss and nervous wrecks and holidays are best.... but... also, the hormones are around for a long time in the lead up to and during. Keep notice how long it bothers him for.

Original poster
HookedOnHooking · 28/04/2016 15:03

BoyDog has gone to Grandmas.

How long do I wait before she can be spayed?

OP posts:
Shriek · 29/04/2016 17:18

best advice is to wait until she's fully matured. Maturity will vary greatly according to each breed, refer to your own breeder/research to be sure when this is, and then just make sure that no phantom present (as will make procedure a high risk to ddog), and most vets would not spay until 3 months after last season (providing no phantom).

Hope boydog can unwind on his hols! Grin

Deadnettle · 29/04/2016 18:03

Sorry to hijack your thread Hooked. I had a thread a couple of weeks ago asking if a bitch is mature after her first season but didn't really find an answer, Shriek as you seem like you know what you are talking about, could you give your opinion please?

Shriek · 30/04/2016 19:13

HI Deadnettle I can't say for each breed, many small breeds mature very early [compared to the larger ones] but yet have generally longer lives. Check your own breeder/research for your particular bitch's breed. Sorry i can't be more helpful. Larger breeds can take more like 3 years to fully mature and need their hormones for that (the dboys too).

EasyToEatTiger · 30/04/2016 20:03

Our bitch has finally had her first season at 15 months. We plan to get her spayed in June as, lovely and delightful as she is, she is badly bred and really isn't going to win anything apart from maybe the odd beauty contest in a playground. She got some attention from the dogs in the house (neutered) and really only wagged her tail for a few days. She was kept on the lead for a few weeks and garnered no interest from passing dogs. She was very clean. I think she is now grown-up. When our first bitch was spayed, I cried as I carried her, semi-comatose, on the bus, and carried her home. I was worried about going through new pup's first season too. It is not difficult.

Normally, most bitches will come into season twice a year and as far as I understand, the best time for spaying is in the middle, so there is as far as can be, neutral blood flowing to/from the uterus. I will ask the vet if this is still the protocol. I have no idea whether our bitch will come into season in 6 months again, or a year....I'm not a vet!

Deadnettle · 30/04/2016 20:49

Thanks Shriek, my research has been rather inconclusive so far. So far I read that miniature poodles are mature at 1 year, 18 months, and 2 years. If she was a boy I wouldn't neuter her until she was 2 years if at all but if I wait until 2 years with her, she will have had 3 season. I am worried about mammary cancer as poodles are more prone than some other breed, or so I have read (not found any satistic though!).

Deadnettle · 30/04/2016 20:52

breeds and statistics!

Shriek · 03/05/2016 13:41

They're like humans in that - if they have mamaries /ovaries/testicals/uterus all are another thing that can become cancerous yes, and like you say its a case of gauging the risk against the benefits.
It can happen early, but, breed dependent again, tends to be a risk that grows with age and very much an individual decision on your own ddoggies life.

Whats the most common age for poodles to suffer with this would be my next consideration in your shoes.

Callling around some reputable breeders would give you this information, which of course is based on their own experiences of their breed lines (but they will also be very aware of all those breeeding/showing around them and incidents/maturity/best practice.

Good luck, she sounds in caring hands!

Deadnettle · 03/05/2016 14:04

Thanks Shriek, I'll contact pups breeder again and see what they say as well as finding some others to ask.

I know I am over thinking and worrying too much but our last dog died age 5 and we spent every day of his life assessing whether it was time to pts or not, so this pup has to live a long and healthy life!

Shriek · 03/05/2016 20:21

oh thats so hard Deadnettle Sad, but by worrying and thinking about it you can be sure you've done your best in coming to a decision, there's nothing better you can do for them is there Smile

Genes have a lot to do with long & healthy lives too, so you can only do so much. good food, good exercise and down time Smile

Deadnettle · 03/05/2016 20:30

Thanks Shriek, we did the best we could with this dog, she came from a good breeder with healthy lines. Last dog was a rescue of unknown origins.

Pup seems to have finished her season now, thankfully!

nmg85 · 07/05/2016 07:25

We had our cocker spayed at 16 months which was approx 3 months after her first season ended (it lasted 4 weeks).

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