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How Can I Tell If My Pit Bull is Going Into Heat?
There are 4 stages to a dog's heat cycle (or estrus cycle). Understanding each stage will give you a clear indication of when your dog is going into heat.The Stages of a Dog's Heat Cycle:
- Proestrus, the first stage, usually lasts 4 to 20 days. During this time, your dog is menstruating. Her secretions would be bright red, and she may shy away from other dogs. She may also tuck her tail around her vulva and have a decreased appetite.
- Estrus stage that lasts 5 to 13 days, is the period she will be receptive to males. She will be flirtatious to other dogs, and her secretions will be a lighter color.
- Diestrus is the stage when she gradually quits discharging menstrual fluid and becomes less flirtatious to male dogs. If she became pregnant during her Estrus stage, this would be her pregnancy phase and would usually last 57 to 63 days before giving birth.
- Anestrus, the last stage, is the ending of your dog's current heat cycle and lasts about 5 to 8 months.
When Will My Pit Bull Go Into Her First Heat?
A female pit bull can go into her first heat anytime from 6 to 24 months old. However, it is more common for this to occur closer to 6 to 12 months old.What Exactly is a Split Heat During Their Heat Cycle?
A split heat is most common during a female pit bull's first heat. Her vulva will swell, and she will produce a bloody discharge but won't actually ovulate. If this occurs, her heat cycle will typically begin again about 2 to 6 weeks later.How Long Is My Pit Bull Going to Stay in Heat?
About 18 to 21 days is typical for most female pit bulls to stay in heat.How Often is My Pit Bull Going to Go into Heat?
Female pit bulls typically go into heat every 5 to 8 months.Is There A Way to Prevent my Dog from Going into Heat?
Spaying your female pit bull is the only way to prevent her from going into heat.When Should I Spay My Pit Bull?
The standard age for spaying is 6 to 9 months old however, healthy female puppies as young as 8 weeks old can be safely spayed. Although older, overweight dogs have a higher chance of suffering from postoperative complications, healthy adult females can be safely spayed as well.Are There Any Other Advantages to Spaying my Pit Bull?
Spaying your pit bull will benefit the dog both behaviorally and medically. Further, by ending your pit bulls heat cycles, you are helping prevent puppies from adding to the overpopulation of pit bulls. Each year in the United States, millions of good dogs are slaughtered humanly merely because there are not enough households to take them all.Medical Advantages and Benefits of Spaying
The spaying of your dog has major medical advantages and prevents the below health conditions:Breast cancer, common in female dogs who aren't spayed, has a much lower chance of developing in a female pit bull spayed before her first heat cycle. Dogs spayed even after their second heat cycle still have a lower chance than a dog not spayed at all.
Pyometra Bacteria can cause life-threatening disease in a female dog by infecting her uterus. Pyometra infection typically affects older female dog about 7 to 8 years old. Roughly 25% of female dogs will suffer from pyometra by 10 years old if they are not spayed.
Get your intact female of this age to a veterinarian urgently if she has signs of lethargy, depression, anorexia, vaginal discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal distension, inflamed eyes, excessive fluid intake, frequent urination, or pale mucous membranes. Spaying your dog drastically reduces her risk of contracting pyometra.
Ovarian or uterine cancer, caused by tumors are uncommon in most dogs, but as your female pit bull ages, her risk of developing tumors rises. The risk of developing this cancer is totally eliminated by having her spayed.
Injury, tension, and sickness linked to having puppies can be physically harmful and exhausting. Having your female pit bull spade completely removes that possibility.
Pyometra Bacteria can cause life-threatening disease in a female dog by infecting her uterus. Pyometra infection typically affects older female dog about 7 to 8 years old. Roughly 25% of female dogs will suffer from pyometra by 10 years old if they are not spayed.
Get your intact female of this age to a veterinarian urgently if she has signs of lethargy, depression, anorexia, vaginal discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal distension, inflamed eyes, excessive fluid intake, frequent urination, or pale mucous membranes. Spaying your dog drastically reduces her risk of contracting pyometra.
Ovarian or uterine cancer, caused by tumors are uncommon in most dogs, but as your female pit bull ages, her risk of developing tumors rises. The risk of developing this cancer is totally eliminated by having her spayed.
Injury, tension, and sickness linked to having puppies can be physically harmful and exhausting. Having your female pit bull spade completely removes that possibility.
Changes in Behavior for Spayed Dogs
Spaying your dog will not change her abilities, playfulness, friendliness, or attitude at all. The only behavior you may see impacted are heat cycle-related habits which may decline after spaying her:Roaming: Often in search of male dogs, female pit bulls tend to attempt to venture away from home while in heat, thus placing them at risk of getting lost or hit by a car. Spaying your dog will completely remove her drive to roam while in heat.
Frequent urination: While in heat, female dogs tend to lure in males by the scent of their urine. After having her spayed, there will be no more frequent urination or bloody discharge that occurs when she is in heat.
Frequent urination: While in heat, female dogs tend to lure in males by the scent of their urine. After having her spayed, there will be no more frequent urination or bloody discharge that occurs when she is in heat.
Major hormonal changes in each heat cycle are caused by irritability from ovulation. Because of this, you may actually notice more consistency in her behavior after spaying her.
Having your female puppy spayed before she reaches sexual maturity will keep her from picking up behaviors and habits like those listed above.
A Few Common Myths about Spaying Your Pit Bull
Wait Until Your Female Pit Bull Goes Through Her First Heat to Spay Her
There is no behavioral or medical benefit to spaying your dog after her first heat, and each heat cycle increases her risk of developing serious medical conditions. Spay your dog before sexual maturity, which occurs between 6 and 12 months of age, to prevent unwanted behavior and medical problems.If Your Dog Has Puppies At Least One Time, She Will Be Calmer
Having puppies does not magically lead to a calmer or more well-behaved dog. Only obedience training and regular exercise actually help with that.Teaching your pit bull basic manners through consistent training will help her control her impulses. Making sure your dog gets at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, as well as plenty of mental exercises, can also greatly improve her behavior. For puppies or younger dogs, calmer behavior may also come with maturity as well.
