Advice - 11 Mo. Old Female in Heat

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

Please let me know how you got through it.  

What can I do for her?

My heart is breaking for my 11 month-old girl and I think we, both, may be losing our minds right now.  

I've had her kenneled all day since I realized the dark red spots all over my floors is blood from her first heat cycle.  The thought of having to keep her kenneled through this phase is heart-breaking.  

I don't have a fenced yard. To get her energy out we go for long walks, and often play and swim off leash at a dog park. Now, because of this, the dog park is out, and I'm worried about heading out the door for walks because of the risk of encountering an off leash male.

I looked into diapers today and read about dogs who won't keep them on, so I'm thinking they're a waste of money. I've read that others didn't even know their females were in heat because they kept themselves so clean.  Well, I must have a really dirty girl because she's not making any attempt today to clean herself.

How can I support her through this?  I feel like I'm alienating her from the family.  And this could last up to two weeks??

I'd love to hear your tips. And for those wondering, we will have her spayed when she's a little older - advice from a vet we believe in.  So, I may have to deal with this one more time.

 

Thank you doodle friends!

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

UPDATE - just found someone's old underwear (I will not divulge whose) and cut a hole for the tail.  She hasn't even noticed them.  That helps a lot!  Still looking for other tips though :) :) 

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Great idea!

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

Haha, thanks!

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

I went through this. I got some boy's swim trunks that I was able to use and place a female sanitary pad inside. It depends on your dog's size. But the swim trunks looked kind of cute and had a liner that held the pad easier. Other than the hassle of changing it and taking it off for bathroom breaks it wasn't that much of an issue.

I had this fear that unfixed dogs would be leaping over 6 foot fences and howling at my front door, but it wasn't the case. I do think it depends on where you live. Female dogs go through the heat cycle for anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, but they are only able to get pregnant for a few days of that cycle.

If you have a dog park (luckily I do) where the dogs are contained and you can check if they are fixed that would be a good option. I take her to this small dog park every morning and there was a male show dog that came once a week to the park  when she was in heat. We just left when he came.

I would walk her in areas where you know you are unlikely to find dogs off leash.

It's only a couple weeks, and she can get the exercise she needs, it just might take a little more effort from you. You will get through it fine.

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with me!  The swim trunks are such a fantastic idea! 

Walks haven't been horrible.  We've been taking her later at night when fewer people are out walking.  There was an off leash male in my yard today, that was kind of funny.  I've never seen him before, but he didn't stay long. 

[Jennifer Tramell]

Boys underwear with a pantiliner so you can change it when it gets dirty.  It works wonders :-)

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

I'm definitely going to go through my son's drawers tonight and look for his old undies.  LOL

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Stick a sanitary pad (slim one) in pants if more absorbancy needed.  Once she has come into heat there is no need to put off spaying her

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

Thank you!  I will be calling the vet Monday.  I'm not sure I can do this again!  It hasn't been awful, especially since we've put undies on her, but the flow is much heavier than I'd expected and she's pretty stinky.  It's hard to keep her clean.