My dog hasn't had her first heat. When will it happen? Can I spay her?

You are correct that Panda could start going into heat suddenly, as female dogs can start their first heat any time after six months. If you don't bland on mating Panda, I would get her spayed as soon as possible.

I'm not sure where Cuddles is having the bleeding from, but if it's coming from her vaginal area, the most likely explanation is that she is in heat. Dogs go into heat twice a year, and bleeding is normal to see during that time. Sometimes dogs can have silent heats where you don't see bleeding, or they can clean themselves up before owners notice the bleeding, so that may be why you've only seen it once before (but I'm not sure how long you have had Cuddles). If the bleeding is coming from another area, it would be great if you could post again so I can tailor my answer to that. Otherwise, I would suspect she is in heat, and you can get doggie diapers from the pet store to prevent her from bleeding over surfaces in your home.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that Harley could be going through something called 'pseudo-pregnancy'. Dogs can develop mammary glands, produce milk, and will sometimes even start to nest and collect small stuffed animals to nurse. This is normal and will subside in a few weeks. However, it is recommended to get her spayed before her next heat so she doesn't have to go through that stress again. The other possible cause is something called a pyometra. This is an infected uterus and is life-threatening. If you notice any discharge from her vulva, if she is weak, not eating, drinking more, or acting abnormally at all, I would have her seen by your vet right away. Best of luck with Harley.

Thank you for submitting your question! Most puppies will start their first heat cycle anywhere from about 6-10 months of age. It can last upwards of 18-21 days. You will notice swelling of her vulva and mammary chain. She will spot and bleed as well. Some dogs keep themselves very clean and you only see small amounts of discharge, others will require diapers. You may observe some behavioral changes as well. These can include a decreased appetite, attraction to male dogs or being more clingy to you. Most dogs will cycle every 6-9 months with small dogs cycling more frequently and giant breeds less. I hope this information helps!

Some pets can be a bit delayed with their first heat cycle. I wouldn’t be concerned about her not being able to have a litter just yet. Give her until she is about 10 months of age and if she hasn’t had a heat cycle by then, it wouldn’t hurt to get her examined by your vet to look into possible underlying causes, especially if you are certain she hasn’t already been spayed. Best of luck with your pup Sadie moving forward. Take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Coco. A puppy her size will experience her first heat cycle between 7-9 months of age. So it should be anytime for her. The easiest solution is to have her spayed if you want her to be able to go to dog parks. If not, you will need to monitor her extremely carefully. A female in heat, but not yet ready to mate, will be very aggressive to approaching male dogs. She will only be receptive to males for a brief period during her cycle. During the mating process, the dogs will become physically tied together and you will not be able to separate them. I hope this information helps!

You can spay Harley and chip her at the same time, I recommend spaying her at six months of age before she goes into her first heat. She is old enough for her first rabies vaccine at 12 weeks of age. You can microchip then too if you want.