# Split Heat????



## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

My pup game out of her first heat cycle in march this year. This morning when I get up she is looking like she is back in heat, she has a swollen vulvar and is leaving blood spots.

Now I don't think this is a proper heat cycle as last night at my training class the males where no more interested in her than normal (most of the males in the class are intact as they are show dogs).

I am wondering if this is a false heat? (if they even exist)
or
A split heat (if this is not the same as a false heat)

Or she has come in but something else is going on.

Obviously I am now keeping her away from other dogs as no-matter how cute she is, and surely her pups would be as well, I am not wanting her to have pups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

any insights wellcomedhwell:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Huh...well, if she were my dog I would just keep an eye on her for now. It's not unheard of for a dog to go into heat less than six months later.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Could be a split heat, especially since she just hit puberty (it's more common in young females). It's also common if there's more than one bitch around; a bitch in season will bring the other bitches into heat prematurely. If it is a split heat, then she'll go through a weak estrus (less bleeding than usual, which may be hard to gauge since she's only had one) but won't ovulate. However, she will have a second heat in a few weeks (hence the "split" in the name) and will ovulate during the second heat. And it may be followed by a false pregnancy.

But as DM said, it could be a regular heat. Young "virgin" males aren't the fastest to figure out what to do with a bitch in season, so to speak.


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## RaisingWolves (Mar 19, 2011)

My mastiff girl just finished up a very long split heat cycle. She went into heat April 1st. It was very light for 14-16 days. I thought that was nothing...easy as can be.:suspicious: Although I was still cautious. I decided to keep her home from doggy daycare an extra week. I noticed the swelling had increased and she was cleaning herself more and more. April 24th I saw blood spots on my tile floor. I checked all the paws in the house and then my girl. Sure enough she was back in heat. Her second heat was much heavier and the bloody show lasted almost 4 weeks. She was swollen another two weeks after that. 
DJ talked to her breeder and he said that her mother and aunt had similar first heat cycles. 

So yes, split heat. 

It's funny, when she started April 1st I thought to myself...April fools.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Split heats are not uncommon at all for young females- especially for the first heat. As inconvenient as they are, they're pretty normal. :smile:

Raisingwolves: I've never heard of a doggy daycare that accepts mature in tact dogs. Interesting! Didn't know such a thing existed.


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## RaisingWolves (Mar 19, 2011)

PuppyPaws said:


> Raisingwolves: I've never heard of a doggy daycare that accepts mature in tact dogs. Interesting! Didn't know such a thing existed.


The owner will allow intact females as long as they are not in heat (obviously), and allows intact males on a case by case basis. She has one show English mastiff male that she accepts, and has taken on a few other males but they were asked not to come back. She told me that it is not uncommon for large breed owners to spay/neuter after they reach full maturity so she will consider them.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

RaisingWolves said:


> The owner will allow intact females as long as they are not in heat (obviously), and allows intact males on a case by case basis. She has one show English mastiff male that she accepts, and has taken on a few other males but they were asked not to come back. She told me that it is not uncommon for large breed owners to spay/neuter after they reach full maturity so she will consider them.


I'm in agreement on that, I'll be honest: Zailey does still go to my daycare because she likes it, has been going since day 1, and causes no problems. I've found that 99% of the male dogs that we accept begin causing issues in a pack setting by about 7 months of age. Unfortunately, sometimes it's tough to do case by case rules, because those you turn away just don't seem to get it.


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