# questions about females in heat



## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Hello, Peyton is now 6 months old and I have a couple of questions about her heat cycle which should inevitably start pretty soon. 

1. I have read multiple times on my doberman forum that it is better to wait until your female Dobe is 18 - 24 months old to spay her because that way she gets a chance to develop more fully hormonally speaking and also it makes her less prone to spay incontinence when she does get spayed. True or false? (I have the means to contain her and keep her away from other male dogs until then, so I don't mind waiting if this is actually the case)

2. What do you do with your female when she is in heat? I bought some dog diapers at Petsmart today in case she starts, I want to be prepared so she doesn't drip blood all over my new carpet. 

3. Are there any other effective products on the market? Are these just a waste of money? 

Thanks in advance!


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

rannmiller said:


> 1. I have read multiple times on my doberman forum that it is better to wait until your female Dobe is 18 - 24 months old to spay her because that way she gets a chance to develop more fully hormonally speaking and also it makes her less prone to spay incontinence when she does get spayed. True or false? (I have the means to contain her and keep her away from other male dogs until then, so I don't mind waiting if this is actually the case)


I've heard these claims on Boxer forums as well regarding Boxers, who apparently are pretty prone to spay incontinence, but I've also heard the exact opposite. I'm not sure, really, which to believe, so when it came down to making a decision for Annie, I just went with personal experience. I got her spayed, and have had no issues since. I have had all of my dogs spayed/ neutered before 6 months of age, with the exception of Chesney who is 6 months old now. Champ developed just fine, at a lean 90 lbs, as have all of my dogs, so I'm just not sure how much I believe that people should wait for that reason. I suppose, just like most things, there is "evidence" that will "prove" both sides of the coin, and it really comes down to going with whichever you believe to hold more water. 



rannmiller said:


> 2. What do you do with your female when she is in heat? I bought some dog diapers at Petsmart today in case she starts, I want to be prepared so she doesn't drip blood all over my new carpet.


I was looking into the same thing, and while I have no personal experience to pull from, I have heard of people using little boy's underpants, and sticking a feminine sanitary pad inside, and just changing the pad out as needed. Apparently it's just as effective, and more cost effective than the commercial doggy diapers. 



Is she showing any signs of coming into heat soon? I've been keeping an eye on Chesney, no signs yet and she's going on 7 months. Fingers crossed that she doesn't for a while! lol


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Haha no, no signs of it yet! Maybe she can just hold off on it indefinitely :biggrin:


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## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

i cannot really comment on spays, but i know this litter of giant schnauzers. some are neutered, some are not.
at 8 months old the intact dogs seems much more built as far as muscle go. but this might just be a coincidence.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

If you don't intend to breed her I would have her spayed. Spay induced incontinence is rare while things that can happen from her being in heat should be of more concern. Things like false pregnancy, injury from trying to get out or roam, increased risk of cancer later in life, permanent change in behavior/personality, accidental pregnancy (does happen even if owner is diligent!), etc.

Ruckus: testosterone in males aids in building of muscle that is why males that are left intact are generally more built than altered males.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I've heard so many different things but have not seen one case of a problem from spaying too early, my female was done at 6 months old and has no issues at all.

However, my male who was intact when I rescued him weighed less than my female at 11 months but much bigger in size, not muscle tone. At this time she was getting Innova and cooked chicken, so I don't always think testosterone levels hold true for all dogs.

To this day he pees like crazy, not sure if its because I fixed him too early at 11 months, but he is twice the size of the female.


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