Most dogs get their first heat once they are about 6 months of age.
When this happens to you for the primary time, it may feel quite daunting and one in all your biggest concerns may be an unwanted pregnancy.
While in heat, female dogs produce a bloody discharge much like human menstruation.
Unfortunately, most facets of the dog’s heat cycle aren’t like a period in any respect so this won’t help us in the case of canine fertility.
A dog’s cycle is split into 4 stages and only during one in all them can a dog get pregnant.
I actually have compiled a very powerful points in the case of dog heat, what you’ll want to concentrate to and the way you’ll be able to spot those fertile days.
When Can a Dog Get Pregnant During Heat?
A dog is most definitely to get pregnant in the course of the estrus stage of their heat cycle which can begin nine days after the warmth has began and might last about nine days.
The reproductive cycle (estrous) of a female dog is made up of 4 different stages.
These are called proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus and every comes with different symptoms.
Proestrus starts with the swelling of the vulva which is one in all the primary signs that your dog goes into heat.
Bleeding often follows quickly and the quantity varies for every individual dog.
Some canines can bleed quite heavily while others rarely leave drops on the ground.
Take a take a look at my article to learn the way much blood is normal for a dog in heat.
A dog’s cycle can look very different from dog to dog so the proestrus stage can last anywhere from 3 to 17 days.
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Some dogs may change their eating habits (getting hungrier, appetite loss) while others may proceed as usual.
My dog definitely gets more clingy when she gets into heat and would love to cuddle all day long.
Estrus begins when the ovaries start releasing eggs for fertilization.
As I said before, estrus is the stage through which your dog is most fertile and most definitely to get pregnant.
This stage can last from 3 to 21 days.
Female dogs might be more likely to just accept male company and will be more desirous to interact with them in a flirtatious manner.
There’s just a little trick which you could try to seek out out in case your dog has entered this significant stage and that’s to the touch/scratch the realm where the tail begins.
In case your dog is in estrus, she is going to curl her tail to at least one side to get it out of the best way for mating.
This is named “flagging” and is something I can observe each time my dog goes into heat.
One other sign to look out for is the discharge which turns from bloody red to more light or watery pink.
After the estrus stage comes the diestrus which marks the top of the fertile period.
The swelling of the vulva and the bleeding will subside and the potential love interests will change into less interesting.
Because the second longest stage, it lasts for about 60-90.
The Anestrus stage is the ultimate stage and lasts 100-150 days until the subsequent heat cycle starts.
Can a Dog Get Pregnant While Bleeding?
Dogs can get pregnant while bleeding and this is definitely the time once they are most definitely to. This will likely be marked by a light-weight pink discharge.
Sometimes the bleeding nearly stops and owners think that their dog isn’t any longer in heat when in point of fact they’re at their most fertile stage.
If you should prevent unwanted pregnancy, that is the time when it’s best to avoid male dogs essentially the most.
It’s also vital to notice that sperm can survive for about per week within the reproductive tract and might get your dog pregnant up until the top of her heat cycle.
Pregnancy can occur with no tie so any mounting must be prevented.
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Can a Dog Get Pregnant When Not in Heat?
Dogs cannot get pregnant when not in heat since there aren’t any eggs being released for fertilization. Nonetheless, it may be difficult to identify the particular heat stages.
Only looking for bleeding, etc. is just not a protected method to forestall unwanted pregnancies.
Every dog is different in the case of cycle length, symptoms and the way often they occur.
Male dogs may tie along with your dog whether she is in heat or not and will have an interest to accomplish that year-round.
Yow will discover out more about that in my article How Many Times Should a Dog Mate to Get Pregnant?.
Can a Dog Get Pregnant Anytime?
A dog cannot get pregnant anytime and she or he must mate inside the short fertility window during her heat or sperm will need to have survived within the reproductive tract until this stage.
Nonetheless, the estrus cycle can go unnoticed in case your dog has few symptoms and really subtle bleeding.
This could shock owners once they suddenly discover that their female dog is pregnant without having noticed the previous heat.
If you’ve got an unspayed dog, all the time keep an in depth eye on them and don’t leave them anywhere unattended not even your yard.
I actually have come across many stories where owners will find a wierd male dog from the neighborhood inside their very own yard while their unfixed dog was outside.
The identical applies to owners of unfixed male dogs.
Additionally it is your responsibility to maintain your dog from mounting other dogs to forestall unwanted pregnancies and likewise to forestall bothering them.
Related Posts:
At What Age Does A Dog Stop Going Into Heat
Do Spayed Dogs Have Periods? What To Do If Your Spayed Female Is Bleeding
Dog Nipples Enlarged After Heat Cycle: Okay or Worrisome?
Disclaimer: This blog post doesn’t substitute veterinary attention and doesn’t intend to accomplish that. I’m not a veterinarian or pet nutritionist. In case your dog shows any sign of illness, call your vet.
