Ugh!!! My Dog’s in Heat. Now What?
While it’s in your pet’s best interest to have spay or neuter surgery done before she has a heat cycle, we all know how busy life can be. So, if you find yourself fighting for your dog or cat’s honor and wondering what to do now, SpayXperts Moore, OK has the info you need.
Cats are seasonal breeders and come into heat in the spring and summer months. According to the text books, they are supposed to show signs of heat for a few days every 2-4 weeks during the season. Yes, this means she will either continue to cycle until fall/winter or end up pregnant.
So what are my options? If increasing the cat population is not your idea of community service, then you will probably want to get her spayed-sooner rather than later. If she is already pregnant, she can still be spayed, and again, sooner is better than later. If she has already had kittens, you will need to help her wean the kittens, by providing soft kitten food and preventing nursing, at 4-5 weeks old to allow 1-2 weeks for her milk to dry up before her surgery. By 8-10 weeks after giving birth, she will begin to cycle again during the breeding season.
So don’t delay, call SpayXperts for an appointment today! 405-217-9700
Dogs are different creatures when it comes to heat cycles. They typically cycle for 2-3 weeks twice a year or roughly every 6 months. Spaying a dog in heat is NOT desirable for the dog, the owner during aftercare, or the surgeon. The best choice, unfortunately, is to wait until the heat cycle is finished-about 4 weeks from the day you first noticed her attractiveness. During their heat cycle, dogs’ uterus and ovaries swell and become very sensitive to tugging or pulling-ouch! The hormone surge increases the tendency to bleed as evidenced by the vaginal discharge. Spaying her during this time leads to more complications during the surgery and during recovery when an accidental breeding can be fatal.
So what do I need to do to survive the next 4 weeks? Contain your pet! Most of our pets leave home looking for a mate. Only an estimated 30% are re-united with their owners. Neuter intact male dogs in your house. Realize intact male dogs in your area will be attracted and not necessarily detered by the fence around your backyard. Use pet diapers available at your pet supply store if needed.
What if she ends up pregnant? She can still be spayed 4 weeks after she began her heat cycle. At this point, the surgery is not much different than a normal spay, it is difficult to tell if she really is pregnant, and the hormone surge that causes the sensitivity and tendency to bleed has subsided.
SpayXperts Moore, OK performs spay and neuter surgery on all sizes, breeds, and ages. We believe the best time to spay and neuter is 4-6 months of age-old enough to do well under anesthesia and young enough to make a speedy recovery.