Like other females, the female dogs also have a stage in their life when they are ready to breed, and this stage in their life is known as heat. The biological name for the heat term is called as estrus cycles. During the estrus or heat phage, the dog is ready to mate and will show several behavioral and physical symptoms.
After hitting puberty, the dog will start having their estrus cycle and heat cycles. Each cycle has five stages, and the estrus stage or the heat stage, when the dog becomes receptive and ready to mate, continues for 7 to 10 days.
In general, after hitting puberty, the female dog shows the symptoms of heat twice a year. Several owners have questions that do dogs bleed when in heat? Well, the answer is yes. Bleeding is a sign of estrus or heat in dogs. Though they bleed, it is not painful. Other heat signs include the enlargement of the vulva, reddening and swelling in the vulva, and blood-tinged discharge.
The dog uses to bleed 7 to 10 days twice in a year. The bleeding is less in the small dog in comparison to the large dog. The bleeding varies from dog to dog. Some dog bleeds more while others do less.
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Do dogs bleed in heat?
The answer to this question is yes. Bleeding is a sign of estrus or heat in dogs. The dog owner might found the blood spots in their house when the dog is on heat.
Though the bleeding is not painful but it can make the dog uncomfortable and fidgety. In the case when you find that your canine buddy is showing the symptoms of pain in their estrus, consult your veterinarian.
How long does the bleeding continues?
In general, the dog bleeds twice in a year for 7 to 10 days. But the duration also depends on the dog type, breed, and many other factors.
The dog can start showing the signs of heat from the 4th month of their age, while some dogs may take around 18 to 24 months in order to show the heat signs. On an average, the dogs will hit puberty at the age of 6 months. Once they hit puberty, they will show heat in every 6 months, and the bleeding can continue for 7 to 10 in every estrus cycle.
How to stop a dog in heat from bleeding?
The bleeding is a sign of heat. And, the reason for heat in dogs is that it is her age to breed and deliver puppies. When you want your dog to have puppies or want to breed your dog, then it is almost impossible to stop them from bleeding in their heat cycle.
But if you do not want your dog to breed, spaying is the best way to prevent breeding and bleeding in dogs. Spaying involves the surgical procedure to remove the breeding organ that is ovaries and the uterus from the dog. This will lead to a stop in their estrus cycle and thus the bleeding as well. But in the case when you want to have pups from your dog later, then it is impossible to revert the operation and make your furry friend breed again.
Suppose you want to have pups from your furry baby in later and thus not ready for getting her spayed but want to stop bleeding for once. In that case, fortunately, there are several medicines available in the market to stop the estrus cycle for once and thus bleeding or once in dogs.
The most common medicine used by the veterinarian to stop estrus bleeding in dogs includes the GnRH hormone injection. Though effective, it has several side effects, including the increase in weight in your dog, change in her personality, enlargement of her mammary gland, and many more. Thus stopping the heat cycle and disturbing her natural estrus cycle using the medicines is never a good idea.
The bottom line
So there is all about the bleeding and heat cycle in dogs. Spaying the dog will not only prevent bleeding but are having many more benefits also. But stopping the bleeding and heat cycle in dogs via medicines is not a good idea because of the associated side effects.