How to Handle Your Pet when She Goes in Heat

My female dog is spayed, thank goodness. I have had my share of female dogs in heat and their issues; restless, anxious, and even disobedient. I guess nature is taking its course but it can be very difficult for you and your pet. Most pets go in heat starting around nine months. Female dogs go in heat about every six months. For female felines, be prepared, they go in heat about once every three weeks from February to October. The heat stage usually lasts between six and ten days. You’ll know the signs, female dogs will start bleeding, leaving blood spots everywhere. Female cats will put on a howl and yowl show and may discharge urine.

And watch out for the male dogs, they will literally come out in full force from far and near distances. Cats can smell the scent from about a mile, while dogs can smell the scent from three miles away. I remember one time when our female dog was in heat we had what seemed like a pet daycare around our house there were so many dogs. Not to mention the cunning, and sometimes, aggressive actions of male dogs and even your pet. One male dog actually jumped through our window to get to our pet in heat.

Although spaying your pet is the only way to totally prevent such problems, there are a number of ways to handle your pet and the symptoms when she goes in heat. Make sure you give your pet lots of love and attention to help her handle this intense period in their life. You can also give them a nice belly rub, all pets love a nice belly rub, it helps to calm them down and is a great massage. Although your pet seems to be thinking about only one thing, try to get their attention on other activities, such as playing with a favorite toy or walking. Just like I mentioned before about the male dog jumping through our window, make sure you close all windows and completely shut doors that lead to the outside. This will prevent your pet from seeking love and any male dogs from boldly walking into your home.

To help overcome the strong scent of your pet’s heat, try using some Vicks Vapor Rub this may keep the males away. Rub it on your pet’s tail. This may or may not work because your pet’s scent while in heat is very strong. Pets have a strong sense of smell, much stronger than humans. Another way to handle and mask the scent is to give your pet some chlorophyll tablets, which are available in health food stores. For dogs, make sure you clean them regularly after each discharge to help reduce the scent that attracts males.

To prevent a bloody or urine mess in your house, keep your pet confined to one area. You can also put them in diapers to prevent the discharge from leaking everywhere. You can also purchase a product called Lust Buster, which makes your pet smell as if she has already been bred and males will lose interest. When our female dogs went into heat we kept them on lock down. Pets in heat will try almost anything to get outdoors to their waiting admirers. To effectively handle this problem make sure you lock them up even if it’s to go outside to get the mail, if loose they will try to make a mad dash out the door. And it’s best to keep them indoors even if they are outdoor pets. Pets will break chains, jump fences, and anything else to “hook” up with each other while your pet is in heat.