My dog's 1st heat

[RoXXie]

I need some help... My Roxxie just started bleeding a little bit this afternoon. I'm not really sure what to do. i know she won't keep a diaper on or anything so i'm just keeping her outside for now. She's 10 months old. I need some pointers please.

[caseysmom]

I don't know, I have always spayed my females before their first heat, it reduces the risk of some cancers, not to mention puppies

[RoXXie]

well i couldn't afford to get her spayed. Also I've been leaning more for puppies because i know they will all go to good loving homes.

[caseysmom]

If money is an issue you can call your local SPCA. As far as what to do with this heat I would try to keep her maybe in her bed in a laundry room or something until it is over.

As far as puppies, if money is an issue I would think twice, puppies cost a lot of money. Plus those loving homes could go adopt from a shelter where the dogs would be killed otherwise.

[bckrazy]

Please put her inside! Male dogs miles away can smell her and will scale fences to get to her! A female having puppies in her first heat can kill her, because she is still a pup herself.

If you don't know much about dogs being in heat, you do not know enough to breed. Breeding dogs should be left up to professionals... she could need a c-seciont, she could get an infection, so many things could happen to hurt her or her puppies and it would cost an enormous amount of money! Millions of dogs die in shelters in our country every year, why add to that statistic?

Check in with your local ASPCA or animal control. They will offer low-cost spaying, usually from $20-40. That little amount of money will prevent cancer, impregnation, and trauma to you & your pet, it IS SO worth it. Just, keep her indoors when you are not watching her (you can keep her in a secure room with hard flooring to prevent staining) to be sure a stray male doesn't find her. When she is done with her heat, she can be spayed. I truly URGE you to spay your female. Think about her life, the lives of the puppies she would end up producing, their puppies, etc... there are plenty of puppies out there homeless, and the population does not need to increase.

[lv4dogs]

I agree, you need to bring her inside. Like mentioned, male dogs can smell her from literally miles away, they will jump fences, break through windows, they will do anything they can to get to her. And she shoud NOT be having any puppies until she is AT least 2 years of age. BUT if you can not better the breed then please do not breed her at all.

Have you tried special doggy diapers? They stay on better than regular ones. Or even human underwear with a maxi pad in them? Tie a towel around her? Try anything you can just get her inside please.

She will be able to be spayed within a couple weeks after she comes out of heat. And many shelters & the like offer reduced costs for it.

[shihtzulover850]

bring her inside and keep her diaper on! Whether she likes it or not. That is what we did for snuggles. Snuggles had about 3 heats before we could get her spayed. The spca is a good place to do it there are also low cost spay and neuter clinics. Puppies are not fun for the dog!!!! they do not need to have puppies. DOGS ARE NOT HUMANS! THEY ARE DOGS! For them to have puppies it is natural that they can't control. Please puppies are a big stress on the dog. Puppies are cute cuddly and everything nice but DON'T ADD TO THE OVER POPULATION OF DOGS. If someone wants a puppy they can go to the humane society the spca any animal shelter and rescue a puppy there!!!!! Especially the people who will give your puppies a good home. Like bckrazy said puppies are extrememly expensive! for that get her spayed!!!! Put her in a diaper!!! they velcro so since she is a puppy she can't take it off. Okay???

[MsLadyLyn]

I agree with everyone else! Bring her inside! A male dog can smell a female up to seven miles away!! Put her inside. Go to PetsMart buy a diaper in her size and put it on her. They're very stylish and she will look like she is wearing a pair of jean shorts. The cost of the diaper out weighs the cost of puppies, or what could happen to your sweet girl. Read the following web, click on, "Seven Good Reasons to have your pet spayed or neutered."

http://www.regalwise.com/ten_commandments.html#Seven

[*LabLoverKEB*]

If you cannot affored to spay her, they you DEFINETLEY cannot affored to have puppies.
Also, it's VERY unhealthy for a dog to have pups... IMHO.
PLEASE GET HER SPAYED, AND DO NOT BREED!!

[Dixieland Dancer]

If you don't know much about dogs being in heat, you do not know enough to breed. Breeding dogs should be left up to professionals... she could need a c-seciont, she could get an infection, so many things could happen to hurt her or her puppies and it would cost an enormous amount of money!

MAJOR DITTO! A friend's dog needed an emergency c-section when one of the pups got stuck in the birth canal. It didn't make it and neither did mom. However 9 pups did. Without a mom to feed them we needed to hand feed them (very costly) and then find surrogate moms for them if they were going to survive.