OK first I am a total spay/neuter advocate BUT for medical reasons I am considering letting my pup go thru her first heat. I am paranoid at the thought.
Medical issue dont read me the riot act on the heat issue please
she has a hooded vulva and I am learning (still researching) that it will correct itself when she has her first heat so for this reason I am considering it vs a lifetime of antibiotics//cranberry pills which can cause other issues/baby wipes etc etc etc

I have a large large yard totally fenced in. 2 of my dogs go outside all day long in and out in and out. They are watched but not 100%. I work from home so I am being told that my dog cannot go out unleashed for 1 month (approx) that to me is totally unrealistic.

1. She will freak at the restriction and wont understand.
2 she is a puppy and this is her way to get rid of the zoomies periodically.

If I can get thru that part then I have issues with walking my 4. I dont walk them here its too rural I take them somewhere whether a park or main street etc etc. How on earth could I stop a dog that might try to get at my girl when I have 3 other dogs to protect and deal with???

Millions of thoughts are running thru my head. How can I deny a puppy exerscise for one month without losing my own sanity?

so anyone that has dealt with a heat what were your experiences?

[Yogi]

Though I have been fortunate over the years to not had this issue arise I understand what you are saying. I have heard though that the problem can be fixed during spay. The other issue is the UTI that can develop if left untreated.
Did you ask your vet if it could be handled or addressed surgically if you were to have her spayed? Just a thought. I have heard that it can go away as the dog gets more into maturity. So from that stand point I see where your vet may be leaning. Good luck.

The vet is fairly new to me. Yes he said it could be done surgically but wont do it during spay and wants to see if she has continous UTI and grows out of it- Not what I want to hear. why cut and subject the dog to antibiotics etc etc- if he had said he would during the spay then I may think that route but he did not want to do it so soon.

As far as the heat I have yet to talk to him- still gathering info

My issue is how to handle the heat and possible dog attacks walking and jumping into my yard or digging under my fence- Just read a story where a dog went into a house thru a screen to get to a dog in heat.

Maybe that was here.........cant remember

Do you know yet the likely hood of the heat to rectify the problem, is it 100 percent likely to fix it, or are the odds less likely? If so, are the odds quite low? I only ask this question, as if you are keen to spay her, and these odds are only a chance you take, is it worth not going through with it, of course on the flip side, if the heat is known to offer a good chance of cure, then it may be the less traumatic option for your girl.

I have no grounds to make suggestions on this one, i have not had a pet go through this issue, nor have I even heard of it, but when I first read your post, wondered if there could be a surgical option at the same time as spay.

I am surprised that the vet has said that they would not do it the same time, i would have thought, if in the general area that it would be greater benifit to the dog to have it all done at once so there is only one surgery involved.

As far as preventing other dogs getting to her, if she were to go to heat, im afraid again, im not really good for advice, never been through this issue.

Im sorry,
ive not really offered much more than an uneducated perspective............:???:*time to stop rambling on about something I know nothing about*

Thanks Nattie- its ok to ramble- sometimes it brings up good points!!!!

While no percent that I have found so far- if I would have to guess 80% seems that its working on the ones that are keeping track of it.

Vets reason to see if she grows out vs surgery- reducing other factors that I guess could occur- infection etc etc

Im going to see if he has any statistics to give me on the ones he has done. He is not that keen on my homepathic beliefs I dont think but he listens LOL

My first suggestion is to get a second opinion from another vet. The vet you're seeing may have issues with surgical correction. Another vet might not.

Now, if you decide to wait until she goes through a heat, yes, she'll need to be confined and supervised any time she's outside. Keep a hose handy to discourage any sneaky neighbor dogs...and they'll travel quite a distance to find a bitch in heat.

You can purchase an anti-mating spray that helps mask her odor to use when you're on your walks. I've used them in the past with fairly good results. If she urinates at any time while you're out walking, make sure to spray over her urine, along with spraying her "girl parts". It probably won't be sufficient during the period of her cycle when she's in standing heat. During that time it would be best to avoid taking her to areas where male dogs are going to be attracted to her scent.

I hate to suggest it, but drastic situations sometimes call for drastic interventions. A cattle prod is probably your best defense against overly aggressive males. Other options would include mace or pepper spray.

Also keep in mind that should she be accidentally bred you have a very narrow window of opportunity to obtain a miss-mating shot. Discuss this with your vet, including all the possible side effects and complications. The major risk is pyometra, but if you intend to spay her ASAP after her heat, that's not as big of a risk as it would be if you were intending on keeping her intact.

Hope that helps.

Like Nattie, I've never actually experienced this, so I can't really speak with any authority... But I had an idea: Some people put little boy underpants on their intact bitches when they are in heat; they put them on backward so the tail can come out the fly. They use these to keep the dog from getting blood all over the house during the bleeding time of her heat period. So I was thinking that maybe the underpants might at least pose a bit of a hindrance should a male actually get to her, so that he is not "successful," know what I mean? I know it would kind of make it hard for her to go potty, so of course you would need to be supervising so you could get the underpants back on her when she's done, but anyway, it's just a suggestion.

Thank you all. I have a call into my vet.........I dont fault him for wanting to wait- to me that puts an unnecessary surgery/risk away and clearly shows he is not out for a profit. But..........

I really want to do this first heat thing but I have to be honest that it may be a nightmare in waiting. The fact that people here simply dont spay/neuter let alone treat for heartworm etc is forcing me to deal with a warped mentality IMHO- I am 100% for the health and wellness of my pets to the best of my ability and I dont take my pet ownership lightly, I also pride myself on research (LOL hence this) when something is a factor to be considered to my pets be it procedure or a med.

My concern is not being able to keep Cinder on a leash when out in my yard- I have 4 dogs and they all go in an out when they please for potty breaks/exercise (I am home all day but work). I am getting a higher fence than I currently have that is not for this reason but the fact that I have had a dog jump my fence (INTACT too) for whatever reason. Had my non dog friendly crew been out in the yard it could have been deadly.

Cattle prod I am all for it or Tazor/pepper spray whatever it would take. I have been attacked before - I am more torn to the safety of all vs just Cinder as I got 3 small guys.

Maybe talking to him will help me decide.