Skip to content

Puppy going into heat for the first time

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • My 7 month old female Ripley might be going into heat. Her appetite seems less, she is jumpy and more aggressive when interacting with male dogs which is unlike her. For the past 2 days she has had diarrhea and today there seems to be a little bit of blood in it. Is this just another sign she is going into heat? Or should I take her to the vet?

  • Sounds like she IS in heat.
    Keep away from other dogs and give extra love.

  • The problem is, what you describe COULD be heat (though none of my bitches ever had diarrhea)... it could also be something serious, such as parvo. Let the vet check her.

  • Have you spoken to her breeder? About the right age for 1st season and hormone change can bring on some little issues.

  • I spoke to the breeder and she said I should get her checked out to be safe so that is my plan. I have never had a female so this is all new to me and this might be a dumb question but where do they bleed from when in heat?

  • @ripthebasenji, bloody discharge will come from the vulva, which will also appear swollen. No questions are dumb!
    Hope you can get her into your vet quickly.

  • They also urinate more frequently during heat.

  • As mentioned, her vulva should be swollen. This is usually hard to miss. The diarrhea might be something else. Or not. Like Debra, I've never heard or experienced this but I have limited experience.

    I always feel for them during the first heat. They're still really a puppy, It's all new and confusing, and there are so many hormones to deal with. Sort of like the teenage years on steroids.

    You may have this all worked out, but if she's in the house you may want to get a doggie diaper and some wee wee pads. That's worked well for us. Hardly perfect and she'll probably not like it at all, but it's better than stains. As vicyuv mentioned, she will likely urinate more frequently. That lays down the "come hither" scent, so you might want to take her away from the house.

  • Hi. My 8,5 month went into heat at almost 7 month, one week before she turned 7) It was the first experience for us as well. She didn’t have diarrhea but as mentioned before, her vulva was very swollen with a bit of dried blood on it, she was more quiet, loved when you rub her belly) Give her lots of attention and buy special underwear) for us diapers didn’t work, she took them off but didn’t mind underwear at all. However, I used regular female’s everyday pads since doggy pads were too small))) Good luck, it only last ONE MONTH 😳😊

  • Diarrhea can sometimes happen along with a heat. Possibly of very short duration. Hormonal activity is especially great at this time and can upset the gal in other ways.
    Certainly get the vet to go over her. She may become a bit 'clingy' so give her lots of attention !

    Watch the colour of the discharge. It will start dark red and become almost straw coloured before reverting to dark again. When it is palest is when she is at her most vulnerable (to be the victim of rape !) Apart from the swollen vulva, you may not even notice the discharge because most Basenjis keep themselves scrupulously clean. Put a towel on her bed that is easily washed cos she might leak in her sleep, but don't ban her from her favourite resting places. The wee girl is going through enough change at the moment without any unnecessary additions.
    Make a note of dates and times so you build up a history for future seasons. When did you first spot the season, when did she change colour, how long did the season last ? We had one girl whose seasons lasted 35 - 40 days. Another started screaming for sex at just 4 - 5 days when even our own boys looked disdainfully at her - THEY knew she wasn't ready even if she didn't !
    Most bitches have a 'window' when they would accept a mate. Sometimes it is only hours (like polar bears !) some times a bitch will stay 'ready' for a couple of days or longer.
    But keep up with attention and cuddles.

  • @zande said in Puppy going into heat for the first time:

    . Another started screaming for sex at just 4 - 5 days

    ROFLMAO, I had a Rottweiler who would be in "mentally" standing heat from nearly the start until after the heat. She infamously backed up to the bed trying to entice our elderly toy poodle who was neutered as a pup well over 16 years earlier. Her mother, who I bred but gave to my co-breeder, was better. Brenda said she knew when she was "ready" when she parted the curtains and planted her business end against the glass for her husbands kenneled police dog in the side yard.

    So to the poster, be careful. Hormones can lead to some very creative behaviors for scratching the itch.

  • @zande said in Puppy going into heat for the first time:

    Another started screaming for sex at just 4 - 5 days when even our own boys looked disdainfully at her - THEY knew she wasn't ready even if she didn't !

    It's funny and sad at the same time. We'd cue "I Need A Man" by the Eurythmics for this. Just not sure if during the first heat they even know what they want.

    Great idea to keep a record. Putting the info on the calendar is an easy way to do this.

  • In the days before computers, I kept a book (now its all carefully entered in to special folders on the 'machine' and provides me with a complete history) - total sickness record, including jabs and innoculations (and cost of pills / treatment), of each dog. Weight at birth of puppies, ease of whelping. Onset of seasons, boys starting to react (chuddering and showing interest), date relative to onset of color of the first time the girl's tail went over. Just about every aspect of each dog is carefully logged and catalogued.

Suggested Topics

  • Puppy Heat

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    1k Views
    B
    much better!!!
  • Sick puppy

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    3k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    If you don't trust the vets you are seeing, please get her to a university vet for a second opinion. Have you talked to any of the other owners of the litter, or is she a rescue? When kennel cough is really bad, it can take months to clear up and the cough go away. She could also have allergies affecting her at night.. where does she sleep? Can you change where she sleeps to see if it's better?
  • Early heat

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    14
    0 Votes
    14 Posts
    6k Views
    ColoradicalC
    We had Juniper spayed about a month ago at 8 months old. Everything went well and her scar is almost healed…thankfully she doesn't seem to have lost any of her zeal! The vet said her sex organs looked as developed as a 3 y/o dog and it was they were the most mature looking sex organs he'd ever seen in 20 years of spaying and neutering. Believe it or not she went into a false labor after the spaying; about a week after the surgery her teats swelled up and when we took her to the vet he apparently squeezed out some milk! She was acting fairly normal but it was just as odd as it sounds! The vet said its rare but it can happen after a spaying because the hormone changes are similar to that of post-delivery. I did some research online and apparently false labors are common among wild wolves where the non-pregnant females will go into a false labor to provide milk and nurturing for offspring in the pack that are not their own.
  • Puppy neutering!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    57
    0 Votes
    57 Posts
    21k Views
    T
    @DebraDownSouth: While others here post both husband and wife, they are individual and self-sufficient enough to post in the name of the person who is posting. "We" is a way I suspect to avoid either claiming responsibility. How about putting who is typing? Second, that you failed to grasp a basic is very sad but I'll make it easy for you. (Really, being honest you KNEW why but it was what you could find to try to make a fight)…. I said I have vets as friends to counteract the nonsense that I am attacking vets. Oh wait, I actually said that. Please quit trying to twist things for engagement. So not worth it. In fact, I am going to demonstrate my own advice and ignore trolling posts hence forth. How silly for me to respond when no one else misunderstood and only one person pretended to. Debra, we will never allow anyone to dictate to us how we should post on any forum. In addition, we will not bullied into anything by a comment or statement that someone else makes. We are not of high school age and we don't care for the drama associated with that type of behavior. You are welcome to suspect or make any type of assumption you wish that makes you comfortable. The context of the statement you made is an attempt at pure manipulation. The facts are that this is an internet forum. Like any Internet forum or blog a person or persons have the right to an expectation of privacy. If they wish to disclose information about themselves then it is their choice only. In our view no one has the right to demand anything different. We comprehend the majority of what is posted on this forum. We have no problem asking questions when we don't. We find your sentence that starts with " Second….." is written in a nonsensical way. We think you might have left out a word or two. As far as we understand, adults having intelligent discussion on an internet forum are not looking for a fight. We find it unfortunate that you have that perception. If you feel the need to justify your decisions and behavior, we do not think anyone is stopping you. Now that this is over maybe the discussion can get back on track.
  • How long time?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    2k Views
    AnetteA
    Okey, thank you. Then I probably will have passed him om befor I get the kit, just have to send it to his new home then. :)
  • Puppy with problems

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    MantisM
    how big is the lump? it could be as simple as a pore clogged with oil. it can feel like a cyst and by massaging it you can get it to head over time. Or try a warm wash cloth. Shot reactions, like they said, are on the shoulder blades. Caesar has a reaction to a shot and his shoulder blew up to a softball size. The vet tech that gave a shot didnt insert it in the correct manner and it dissolved with time and a Benadryl shot. Does your pup react when you touch it like it might hurt? What size is it? When Cairo was being neutered the vet pulled two teeth (canine and molar) that were not completely out or pushed out by the new teeth. They didnt charge me that much because he was already asleep. This is a great time for them to inspect and fix anything. They charged me $50 for pulling a baby canine that didnt come out and a molar that was on its way out.