Part 0800.0005

[bluekarin]

I am a bit worried about Neela. I think she may have a UTI. She seems to be weeing a lot more when out on walks, but small amounts a few times in a row, or doing a weird walk whilst weeing. She also does her usual big wees, so not sure. I will take her to the vets if she needs to go - does anyone know if this sort of check up and tests are covered by insurance? We use John Lewis. She is 8 1/2 months old now, not been neutered or had a season yet.

Edited February 14, 2013 by Guest

[mollyripkim]

Is her vulva swollen at all. I only ask that as I remember my cocker spaniel used to wee more when she was due in season. Or she could have cystitis, it's sore when they wee hence the moving around.

Hope she is ok.

[Chucky Mama]

They do wee more sometimes when they are due in season. As they get older some female dogs wee more to mark rather like male dogs do when they cock their legs. I wonder how my dog has anything left come the end of a walk as she pees on everything. You could take a sample to the vets and see if someone will pop a dipstick in to test just to make sure if they are willing to do so.

[Lavenders_Blue]

I would also suggest she's possibly coming into season. When we first got Tango she often didn't wee at all when we took her out for a walk. Then when she started to come into season she began weeing all the time, and hasn't stopped since! She marks constantly out on a walk now, far worse than any male dog She's also developed this rather nifty weeing action where she does a handstand on her front legs and lifts both back legs off the ground so she can wee higher than all the other dogs

[bluekarin]

My first though was her coming into season. She doesn't appear to be in pain when weeing. She is cleaning that area quite a bit and thoroughly. Not sure if her vulva is swollen - are there any diagrams on this to know what to look for? Sorry, sound a bit naive about this I do wonder how she manages to wee so much on a walk as well. She is very interested in all the poop that is on our walk, and the hedges get a good sniff as well. Male dogs are getting quite interested in her as well Need to get her done soon.

 

Lavenders_Blue - just seen your post. Tangos high altitude weeing made me laugh Neela has always weed at the beginning of her walks, just the once, not three or four times like recently.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Male dogs are getting quite interested in her as well Need to get her done soon.

 

That's probably your answer then! Some dogs are really clean when they are in season and you may need to keep a close eye on her to check when she actually comes into season. You can always wipe a tissue carefully over her vulva to check for any bleeding if you suspect she is being super clean. You can have her spayed 3 months after her season.

 

Lavenders_Blue - just seen your post. Tangos high altitude weeing made me laugh

 

It's totally ridiculous! It looks pretty much like this (This is not Tango - I don't take photos of my dog weeing!)

[bluekarin]

After having a bit of a closer look at her bits, and the fact her fur is a bit matted down there, plus nipples being very swollen, I think Neela is having her first season. My little baby is grown up I knew it was going to happen fairly soon, but thought she'd wait till spring a least. Much better than having a UTI, but going to be fun on walkies

[Lavenders_Blue]

Aww, grown up girl. I didn't find walkies too bad, I just kept Tango on a lead when we were out so she couldn't run off and get herself into mischief and tried to walk at quieter times of day and away from really busy dog walking areas so that she didn't attract too much doggy attention. She was a bit loopy being on lead for 3 weeks, but needs must and much better than having a litter of pups. Lots of fun training/games at home helped to keep her occupied and tire her out a bit more. Meals fed in puzzle games etc also helped to keep her occupied for a bit.

[bluekarin]

Some good tips thank you. She is still on a retractable lead so no worries on that front. Not sure what would be a quiet dog walking time here. Might have to go back to 8pm walks in the dark which I am not too keen on. I'll look at the puzzle feeders as that's a great idea.

[bluekarin]

Right, I think Neelas walks maybe over for the next three weeks Took her out an hour ago to a large field nearby as thought I'd be able to steer her away from any unwanted attention. She was a complete tart, actively ignoring me and looking for boys. There was one lab in the field who made to come over, but thankfully, and possibly due to the wind blowing in our favour, didn't continue on his ( I am guessing) mission. I have just been reading a dog forum about walking females in heat, and now feel like a very irresponsible owner taking her out

 

I think I will only take her for a late walk from now on, and exercise her in the garden during the day just to be safe. Does anyone know if the stuff you can get to mask their scent actually works? I saw some in the pet shop recently and wasn't sure it was worth getting.

Any advice or suggestions or anything would be most welcome

[Chucky Mama]

The stuff to mask their scent does not work. A male dog will be able to smell her for miles (a bit further if they are a male labrador!). When she is 'ripe for mating' she may try to escape to seek a mate so keep your eye on her. It is a bit unfair to walk her when there are other dogs around as it will drive the boys crazy. Definitely keep her on the lead and perhaps walk her later at night or early in the morning.

[surfer_chicken]

I agree with keeping an eye on her! When I was on work experience a couple came in with a crate-full of puppies. They'd adopted a Shar Pei from friends who had moved away. 3 weeks after they got her, she jumped the garden fence after being let out for a wee and disappeared into the woods for 2 or 3 days, came back pregnant.

 

Good luck, I don't envy you

[The Dogmother]

My friend's wee dog is currently in heat, despite me suggesting that she ought to be spayed, and then noticing that she was in heat (friend seems to be in denial). She seems to think that she can still take the dog out on walks as normal even though she's already ripe and standing

 

I have suggested that they keep her crated at home (they seem unable to keep her indoors) and that she's taken for onlead walks in their massive garden. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she gets knocked up

[Lavenders_Blue]

Oh that's a shame Really, people just don't seem to get how keen their girls will be to mate when they are in season, and what lengths male dogs will go to to reach a female dog in heat. It's so easy for accidents to happen. I was super, super careful with Tango when she came into season - no doubt having come from an unplanned or at least ill thought out litter of pups herself and ending up in rescue, last thing I wanted was for her to have pups herself. Not to mention the horrendous thought of lots of little Tangos running around - just the idea of it is enough to send me grey!

[Mercedes55]

We didn't realise when our puppy came into season back in December. Don't recall her peeing more than usual but I did notice a few drops of dried blood inside her crate in the mornings. Apart from that and the fact that she kept cleaning herself all the time we had no clue. We still took her out on her regular walks and didn't notice any interest from any other dogs. The only time it became obvious was when we took her to the vets for an unrelated thing and the vet's male dog was following her everywhere, but she wasn't in the least bit interested in him

[Seagazer]

I have to say that I used to just pound the streets when Cookie had her season. You're less likely to come across a dog on its own and its easy to cross the road if one comes along on the same side.

 

I did see a lady get very cross with a male dog and the dog's owner the other day, she was shouting that her dog was in season. Her dog was off the lead and she ended up grabbing both dogs by the collar. I don't actually think its fair on anyone to let a dog off the lead thats in season in a park.

 

I hope Neela sails through her season, I've had one dog who we hardly noticed when she had one season and poor Cookie who got very hormonal and odd. We then had to wait extra time for her homones to settle before getting her spayed.