The estrus period of dogs usually lasts about 15 days. After the female dog reaches sexual maturity, she will enter estrus. At this time, she will show symptoms such as restlessness and loss of appetite. The most obvious characteristic is vulvar bleeding. However, the amount of bleeding varies depending on the breed of dog. Some dogs do not bleed at all and enter estrus unknowingly. This situation occurs mostly in small dogs. Some dog breeds bleed so little that the dog will lick it off on its own, making it difficult to tell. Owners should observe it carefully.
Under normal circumstances, every dog They go into estrus about twice a year, mainly during the warmer months of spring and autumn. The first time a pet dog goes into estrus, it means that it has reached sexual maturity, and the second time it goes into normal heat, it means that the dog can mate normally and produce offspring. Of course, if you don’t plan to breed your pet dog yet, you must take good care of your pet dog when it is in heat. Don’t let the dog slip out of the outdoors, let alone give it a chance to mate.
The estrus period of a female dog can be divided into 3 stages. This period that requires serious care from the owner lasts for about a month:
Proestrus: Proestrus refers to the time from the beginning of bleeding The period until mating is available is usually 7-10 days. During this period, the egg is close to maturity, and the secretion of hormones from the egg cell also increases. The symptoms include redness and swelling of the vulva and bloody mucus flowing out of the vagina. But at this time, the female dog does not allow the male dog to mate.
Estrus: The estrus usually lasts for about a week. The vulva continues to swell and become soft. The vagina secretes dark red mucus, which gradually becomes lighter in color. The amount of bleeding also decreases or stops. People may touch it lightly. When the buttocks are raised, the female dog will deflect her tail to the left and right, and then the female dog will allow the male dog to mate. 2-8 days after entering estrus, the female dog begins to ovulate, which is when it is easy to mate.
Late estrus: In the late estrus, the external symptoms of the female dog disappear, the labia gradually return to normal, the dog's temperament is quiet, the vaginal secretion of mucus decreases, and the bleeding stops (usually lasting about 2 months). If the female dog is pregnant, she will enter the gestation period.
How to take care of your dog during estrus?
1. You can buy menstrual pants specially made for dogs in pet stores and give them directly to the dog. Just put it on the dog.
2. If there are no conditions, you can use briefs worn by children, then cut a hole behind the puppy's tail to expose the tail, and then pad it with human sanitary napkin That’s it.
Like humans, puppies’ resistance will decrease during menstruation and they will not have much appetite. At this time, we need to pay attention to:
1. Keep the puppy warm and avoid Keep puppies from getting cold, especially in winter.
2. Puppies have a long menstrual period and need nutritional supplements just like people, especially blood-rich foods.
3. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the puppy to avoid infection of the reproductive system. You can clean it with warm water every day.
4. Try to avoid strenuous exercise and avoid eating irritating foods.
